CURTAIN UP - LATEST NEWS

The next sessions of the GAOS Dance Group will be held on the 8th and the 15th of May at 19h30 at HQ. 

As a reminder, the purpose of this group is to give members more opportunities to dance together, practice, an share choreography ideas. The group meets once or twice a month (depending on availability) on Friday evenings, and is open to everyone. Join the WhatsApp group to get all the updates.

Our friends at GEDS are very busy this spring, with two shows in the works.

First one is Hamlet: draft I, written and directed by Gary Bird. This is a one-act playlet which GEDS will present at the Festival of European Anglophone Theatrical Societies (FEATS) in The Hague. Before that, there will be two performances in Geneva, on May 8th and 9th at 20h, at the Petit Theatre Onex Parc. You can get tickets here.

Cast:
Horatio - Jack  Goldswothy
Hamlet - Daire O'Doherty
Ophelia - Ashling Barmes
Gertrude - Gillian Barmes
Claudius - Maximilian Jacobson-Gonzalez
Polonius - John Ward
Marcellus/Rosencrantz - Olga Derenkova
Francisco/Guildenstern - Will Fihn-Ramsay
Ghost/Yoric - Zula Ganbaatar
Bob - Lance Newhart

The second show is Late Company, by Jordan Tannahill, directed by Chuck Slovenski, which will be performed at Le Manège from the 18th to the 23rd of May. Tickets will open on the 18th April, and GEDS is offering GAOS member an early-bird discount, valid until the 3rd of May. Code is GAOS2026.

Since its debut in Toronto in 2013, Late Company has been consistently staged across Canada, on the West End, and further abroad to reviews that cite its power and honesty.

One year after a harrowing, life-changing event, five people gather for a dinner party. Perhaps they really did come together with the best intentions, but accusations soon start to fly. Who, if anyone, is responsible for what happened? Blame passes from one person to the next, and it is a lot easier to blame someone else than to face up to their questions. Or your own.

Cast:
Michael Shaun-Hastings - Tom Miles
Debora Shaun-Hastings - Kate Richardson
Tamara Dermot - Masha Neznansky
Bill Dermot - Phineas Clark
Curtis Dermot - Dibyaudh Das

We have received two external casting calls:

- TWO_POINT_OH, Jeffrey Jackson

Elliot Leeds is dead - or is he? A pioneering software mogul, Leeds makes headlines one last time when his private jet plunges into the Pacific. Months later, his widow Melanie discovers Elliot's greatest creation: a virtual-reality simulation of himself. "You can't take it with you", they say. Elliot's not so sure.

Audition dates:
- 4th May, from 12h to 17h
- 5th May, from 15h to 21h
- 6th May, from 12h to 17h
At 34 Grand'Rue, Ferney-Voltaire, 01210 France

We are casting for:

- MELANIE LEEDS (female 28-50), has been at Elliot's side since they first met in college. And even though she'd be just as happy without any of their fame or fortune, she has willingly subjugated her own goals and dreams - including her deep desire for motherhood - to be Elliot's support system. She didn't aspire to be the "woman behind the man", but she loves him too much to ever stop believing his endless promises of a normal family life free from the demands of his tech empire.

- BEN ROBBINS (male, 28-50), helped Elliot launch the company from their college dorm room. Twenty years later, as Paradigm's #2 man, he is every bit as smart and savvy as Elliot. But he lacks the special "it factor" that allows Elliot to envision the future and to make other people see it too. Ben is rich and successful beyond his wildest dreams, yet he's discontent and unfulfilled in Elliot's shadow. A wry, biting wit and a sardonic sense of humour are the only things that keep Ben sane and centered.

- JERRY GOLD (gender-neutral, 30-70). Bill O'Reilly, Chris Matthews, Rush, Olberman, Hannity, Maddows, Beck... the field is a crowded one, but it's a great racket to be in right now, and Jerry Gold is a rising star. Not the biggest shark in the ocean, but he's been making a lot of waves lately, with ratings for his cable show "The Straight Story" rising on the back of the salacious Elliot Leeds story. He cozies up to the political right, but is smart enough to keep himself playable to the widest possible audience.

Performance dates: 2nd of September to 2th of September 2026.
Estimate rehearsal period: 1st of August to 1st of September, during the day.
Professional (paid) production.

Audition Requirements:
- Prepare two contrasting monologues.
- Be prepared to cold-read texts provided at the audition.
- E-mail headshot and resume prior to the 4th of May to hoopsofiron@gmail.com. 

Please let us know ASAP if you expect to have any time-conflicts between 1st August and 27th September.

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- Cabaret (concert version)

Tabou Theatre Company, a physical theatre and musical theatre company based in Nyon, is currently holding auditions for ensemble KitKat girls (scenes performed in French, songs in English). Rehearsals will be held in Geneva (25-27 May) and Lausanne (10 August - 7 September, except 18-23 August). Performances will be on 11th-13th September at the Théâtre de Marens, and the show is expected to go on tour in 2027-2028.

In order to audition, send, before the 22nd April, an introduction video, with a dancing and singing excerpt in the style of the show, and your CV, to taboutheatre@gmail.com. More details (in French) can be found here.

Here are a few upcoming events in which GAOS members are taking part in various capacities. Why not make a GAOS outing out of it and go support them?

- Susana Álvarez, Cathy Boyle and Laura Burnier will be singing with the Trade Tones (WTO choir) in a concert with Peter Jeffes, accompanied by Rebecca MacDonald. The concert will take place on the 26th April, at 18h, in the Auditoire Calvin. You can see more details in the flyer and the programme.

Ticket sales for our spring show, Kinky Boots, will open on the 12th April. As usual, there will be an early-bird members' discount for the first two weeks. The code is KINKY-26. You can use it as many times as you want during the discount period, but please do not share it outside of GAOS.

All details about the show can be found here. You can also help us by sharing the flyer and poster as widely as possible.

With immense gratitude to Karin Divià for her time as GAOS Social Secretary, we are delighted to introduce a brand new team of volunteers who will be taking the reins on all things social!

Based on the feedback from the members' survey, we hope to provide more community events throughout the year, outside of our usual after-show parties, show screenings, musical evenings, Fringe and Carol Concert.

There is our cabaret open mic on 10th April to look forward to (have you signed up yet?). We are also planning a gala dinner in the autumn. More information on that will come in the next few months.

Say hello to: Annabella Zamora, Fatou N'Diaye, Helen Dixon, Joanita Kalibala, Jo Beveridge, Miranda Barker, and Sunil Chacko. Having such a fantastic group means the workload is shared and no one person is stretched too thin - because as they say, "teamwork makes the dream work!".

Do you have an idea for a social event you'd like to see on the calendar? The team would love to hear from you! All suggestions are warmly welcomed and will go straight into the ideas bank.

Get in touch with any of the members above, or drop an email to social@gaos.ch.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the first GAOS members' survey. Overall, the results show a very positive and engaged GAOS community, with members reporting high levels of enjoyment (average 4.6/5) and strong pride in being part of GAOS (over 95%). The quality of recent productions was highly rated (4.5/5) and most respondents feel satisfied with the value of membership and well-informed about society activities. We are also pleased that members appreciate the role played by the Committee and that they would welcome continued support and consultation.

At the same time, your feedback highlighted some important areas for improvement, such as clearer communication of membership benefits, more inclusive opportunities to get involved, and increased social events. These insights are incredibly valuable and will help shape our priorities as we continue to strengthen and grow the GAOS community.

We will hold a Town Hall at 18h on 10th May to share an analysis of the feedback and outline the actions we plan to take based on your suggestions. Please bring a dish for a potluck dinner! Sign up asap via this link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-hE97JUBc2ZRF73N2Xw6vaz9wKFkU8kH2og5Gph73yI/edit

For the first time, the GAOS Committee is sending out a members survey. We would like to hear what you think of GAOS, what you enjoy and what could be improved. Click this link and complete the survey by 20th March.

It will be helpful if you are as concrete as possible with your feedback. Please provide practical suggestions for any changes you recommend, and even volunteer to get involved. We will then take all of the feedback and discuss what changes could be made. The survey is completely anonymous. However, should you wish to discuss your answers further, please add your email to the form and we will be in contact.

Calling all musical fans, especially those who might take them just a little bit too seriously!

Our next GAOS members' evening is Musical Anonymous, where a mutual support group of show fans needs your help.

Sign into your GAOS account and register at the following links:

Saturday 14th March - 19h30
Sunday 15th March - 18h30

You are all warmly invited to the GAOS Choral Group's annual Spring Concert, so save the date now:

Great Choruses from Oratorios and Operas

When: Saturday 18th April, 20h

Where: Holy Trinity Church, rue du Mont Blanc, Geneva

Guest conductor May Hofman has been helping us learn this wonderful music since January, with Joan Cambitsis beautifully accompanying us on the grand piano! David Pittuck will narrate, explaining the settings for the pieces to help you better enjoy it all.

Free entry, with a retiring collection, in aid of the charity Parkinson Swiss. There wil be an apéro after the concert.

You can find the flyer here.