Sideshow Blotto
Call for auditions in Calgary AB, for our latest feature-length movie. All those interested, please submit you headshot and resume through our website http://2430cinema.com/sideshow-blotto/Synopsis
Ray, a worker from the refineries up north, comes into the city for the weekend and is determined to have a good time… and to drag anyone he meets along with him. Concurrently, there is a new-agey self help seminar happening over the same weekend, and everyone seems to be talking about it.The project will be shot in a semi-documentary style, fast and loose, with a great deal of improv. Performers will be given character sketches as well as an outline of the entire story, and then through a few rehearsals we will fill in all the details.
Sideshow Blotto – Tina
Tina is not from Calgary; she’s from a larger city (Vancouver, Toronto?), and when push comes to shove she can’t help but remind people that she’s used to much better. She works off and on, and will take the odd waitressing gig (around Stampede — good cash), hostess for club openings, extra in commercials, all while maintaining a minimal portfolio on the Model Mayhem website. Mainly she can live off of boyfriends. Providers and lovers can sometimes (rarely) overlap. She knows a lot of low-quality guys are paying her attention and pursuing her for her looks and her vibe, so why not take advantage of it and treat them the same single-minded way in return (“oh, thanks for dinner, actually I’m kinda tired, I’m gonna go home early tonight”). Despite her protestations, she has never gone home early.She’s known Ray for about two years. They met at an after-hours staff party (she worked with a friend of his, briefly), and he assumed the role of impromptu party host, maitre d’ing and getting behind the bar to mix drinks. He was one of the few guys who could dance with her properly. She likes to hover around him and wedge herself in between his current girlfriends. She has her sights set vaguely on greater men, but he can be a fun guy and he’s one of the few who seems to not need her (which is a bit weird since what guy wouldn’t?). Once when she was in dire financial circumstances she hinted to Ray — knowing that his circles included men who introduced women to other men under the auspices of “party companions” — that she needed to meet the right kind of people. She’s not sure herself how much of it was a test and how much serious, but when he went along with it (even if it didn’t work out), it soured them. They don’t see each other as much as usual anymore. The pursuit was always more exciting than the consummation.
Physical Characteristics: Female, late 20s-early 30s, stylish in an aggressive way, ⅓ pixie and ⅔ vamp.
Notes for Performer: We’re flexible with the age and the style, but looking for a bit of aggression and hysteria in a shrewd urban dweller. She’s not too worried about being perceived as creative, and if she is a romantic it’s kept firmly in the closet. A preoccupation with stars and signs and symbols is a must.
Sideshow Blotto – Amber
Amber is from Calgary, lives with her parents, and is still in high school. She plays volleyball and works part-time at a local grocery store, but neither interest her too terribly much at this point. Truth be told, she’s not feeling very passionate about any direction in her life right now. Every day is good fun; she’s just not thinking about the future. She has a couple close friends and a few relatives she likes to hang around with, but no one “best friend”. She’s always been close with her parents but lately they (especially her mom) have been annoying her. She dresses sporty-feminine (eg. lululemon) and wears some (but very little) makeup, yet there will be the odd event (weddings, formal dance at school) where she’ll bust out a hairdo and a cocktail dress and notice that a lot of people are staring at her. She’s considered dependable and mature for her age, and she’s begun to show an interest in classic literature, but mainly through the showcasing of pop culture (the latest Jane Austen books turned movies, The Great Gatsby, etc).She met Ray a few months ago, at a volleyball tournament. He was in town, drinking with a buddy in the afternoon, with nothing to do. The buddy mentioned his younger cousin’s volleyball game and they decided to go and make it a laugh, heckling and cheering like it was a pro sporting event. Some of the other girls were terrified/scandalized, but he seemed harmless and funny. When a bunch of her teammates tagged along with the guys after the game, she came as well. The older men were cute and offered to get some alcohol, and the whole group ended up goofing around for the remainder of the afternoon and into the evening. She and Ray hung out a few times since and it is now accepted by both that they are dating. She’s been looking forward to his visit this weekend, as they get a whole day together. He doesn’t treat her like other people do, like her parents (telling her what to do)… but like another adult. And it’s interesting that he’s got his own place and does his own thing, like a different world. She doesn’t care what kind of plans he has for the future or anything like that; it’s just a good time right now.
Physical Characteristics: Female, 15-18, cute, no visible piercings or tattoos.
Notes for Performer: We are firm with the age and look. Those older wishing to try for the role must pass convincingly for a high schooler. Her cultural touchstones and other interests are open for discussion. We’re looking for a combination of naivete and a quick wit able to banter with the elders, but absolutely nothing that would suggest helplessness.
