Auditions for a new play: Eldest Daughter Elegy

Eldest Daughter Elegy is the culmination of my work at UW, half documentary theater and half summer camp romp. I began the project last year when I began to think more about how my own eldest daughterhood bleeds into all aspects of my life, and now that the script exists (barring minor changes) I am really excited to stage & share it! It should run about 90 minutes and navigates between verbatim theater and fictionalized text. As this is an unfunded school project, I am not able to provide financial compensation, although I hope to provide lots of snacks and a fulfilling artistic experience.

Childhood is supposed to be heaven on Earth. Families are supposed to be perfect. Eldest daughters are supposed to be shining examples of excellence. But some families are complicated, sometimes being a kid isn’t idyllic, and some eldest daughters need a hug. Eldest Daughter Elegy travels between the last hurrah of an 80s summer camp and a woman’s attempt to reconstruct her history, all the while complicating the notion of family and calling to the lost, lonely heart of first-born girls.

This is the million dollar question! This project will be performed the weekend of March 29th on UW’s campus and will, ideally, be relatively fully produced. However, as I am one single small student with limited resources, things are also going to be a little scrappy! If that sounds exciting to you, YAY! If that sounds less exciting, please let me know and we can talk about it!

Hi! My name is Daisy (she/her) and I am a senior at UW! I am a drama/English double major and lover of fuzzy socks. You can reach me at daisysch@uw.edu with any and all questions!

The majority of characters in this show are seven years old one moment and forty the next. To this end, actors of all ages over 18 are encouraged to audition, and will each be met with incredible joy at their presence in any and all rooms. And you absolutely do not have to be an eldest daughter to be in this show!

Mia: A counselor. A flavor of “surly.” She’s been here for a long time. Sort of over it, but she still shows up. She/her. 

Phoebe: A counselor. Cares more about camp than anyone else. Been here for as long as Mia, and invested enough for both of them. Deserves to be taken seriously. She/her.

Gabby: A camper, later an adult. Secretly wants to be a nun. She/her.

Samantha: A camper, later an adult. Not good at brushing her own hair. She/her.

Shelby: A camper, later an adult. Future president? She/her.

Jacqueline: A camper, later an adult. Not bossy, just right about a lot of stuff. She/her. 

Maria: A camper, later an adult. Concerned about confrontation of any kind. She/her.

Madison: A camper, later an adult. Legitimately might be magical. She/her. 

Julia: A camper, later an adult. Loves animals. A lot. She/her.

Izzie: A camper. (To be played by the same actor as Interviewer) She/her.

Interviewer: What it says on the tin. (To be played by the same actor as Izzie.) She/her.