Egni’s Eye

Audition Notice

Theatre Terrific will be holding auditions for Egni’s Eye, the second installment of the Miller trilogy, directed by Susanna Uchatius.

Auditions are by invitation only and will be:

Sunday 23^rd October 5-7pm

Monday 24^th October 4-6pm

Tuesday 25^th October 7-9pm

To register please either call our office 604 222 4020 or email generalmanager@Theatreterrific.ca

These are paid positions.

We seek the following:

Egni – Actress 35 to 50, slight, athletic, clever, willing to sing

Renata – Actress 35 to 50, softer, gentle, strong, willing to sing

Daniel – Adult male with developmental challenge such as Down Syndrome or other cognitive challenges.  Able to take direction and work in a group.

Rebecca – Actress 25 to 33, tall, funny, youthful

Joe – Actor, 30 to 60, able to sing, plays a portable instrument, athletic, able to play multiple roles

The time commitment is as follows:

Workshop/Development

            Five character actors only:

             November 7^th to 11^th – 10am to 3:30 – Monday to Friday 

Workshop/Development

            Full cast commitment:

            February 20 to 24 – 10am to 3:30 – Monday to Friday

Rehearsals – Full Cast

            March 26 to April 6 – Monday to Friday – 10am to 3pm

On site at Performance Works, Granville Island

            April 10 -  Cue to Cue

            April 11 – Dress Rehearsal

            April 12 – Opening

            Shows – April 13, 14, 17, 18, 19 , 21

Synopsis:  Egni's Eye

Egni’s Eye is the working title of the second work in the trilogy of the Miller family. It is inspired by the true story of Inge Morath, photojournalist and last wife of playwright Arthur Miller.  They met on the set of The Misfits when Miller was still married to Marilyn Monroe and Inge had been hired to photograph on the set.  Miller and Monroe subsequently divorced. Inge and Miller married, had a daughter and three years later a son.  The son, Daniel, was born with Down Syndrome.  Arthur Miller had the boy sent away against Inge's wishes. Daniel Miller's existence was never made public. Neither parents obituaries, Miller's autobiography Timebends or any of their many publications acknowledge Daniel's existence. 

The working title for this piece is under transformation as the work progresses; initially called Mrs. Miller's Diary; then Mrs. Miller's Eye, Inge's Eye and finally, Egni’s Eye.  Egni is a palindrome of Inge’s name that she used to help sell her photography in a post-war world biased against all things Germanic. This transformation of title says much about Inge Morath, as the layers of her photographic language become clearer and closer to her personal core.

Egni’s Eye is Inge’s story as it may have been written in her journals.  We will never see those journals and must therefore attempt to decipher her thoughts through her many books of photography and whatever has been written about her life and family.

It becomes clear that as a photojournalist, wife and mother, Inge maintained a precarious balance. She stood with one foot on the edge of the cliff  as mother to a son with a perceived intellectual deficiency.  Her other foot stood on the edge of the opposing cliff, as wife to a man at the pinnacle of intellectual acclaim.  With legs split, she was precariously perched over the abyss.  If  either foot slipped, she would fall and pull all those she loves down with her. In this precarious position of two worlds that, must never publicly connect, she negotiated through the eye of her camera.

Egni's Eye will explore that abyss.  What dark consequences is Inge afraid of?  What questions, truths, fears are spoken between mother and father...wife and husband...artist to artist…mother to daughter, friend to friend and finally....mother to son?  What is said publicly and written privately? Does Inge fall?  If she does, what makes that happen?  Where does she land?  What does she find?  What happens after the fall?