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Friday, March 1, 2019

THEATER LEAGUE OF CLIFTON SEEKS ACTORS FOR CLASSIC COMEDY

CASTING CALL/AUDITION NOTICE:

The Man Who Came to Dinner

WHEN:  March 4 and 5, 7-9 p.m. each night. Call backs by invitation only on March 7, 7-9:30 p.m., at the same church.
WHERE:
First Presbyterian Church of Clifton, 303 Maplewood Ave., Clifton (one block east of Valley Road).

Performances will be held May 3, 4, 10 and 11, all at 8:00 p.m., and May 5 and 11, 2:00 p.m. at the Theresa Aprea Theater 199 Scoles Ave., Clifton.

Steve Bell, who last year directed the Theater League of Clifton’s production of The Fantasticks, will direct the spring show. Mark Peterson and Jalmari Vanamo are the co-producers of the comedy.

Written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, the show debuted on Broadway in October 1939 and was a 1942 film starring Bette Davis and Ann Sheridan. The classic comedy is set in the 1940s. Sheridan Whiteside, having dined at the home of the Stanleys, slips on their doorstep, breaking his hip. A tumultuous six weeks of confinement follow. The Stanley living room is monopolized by the irascible invalid. Ex-convicts are invited to meals, and transatlantic calls bring an outrageous phone bill. The arrival of strange gifts from his friends, along with famous guests from Hollywood and a sudden romance, further destroys domestic tranquility. The Stanleys harbor penguins in their library, an octopus in their cellar and 10,000 cockroaches in their kitchen.

The cast includes 27 characters:
 

  • Sheridan Whiteside: Male 40-60 – An obnoxious, but famous, writer, critic and radio host; he is overbearing and demanding. He thinks the play (and the world) revolves around him.
  • Mrs. Daisy Stanley: Female 40-60 – Mr. Ernest W. Stanley’s wife. She constantly tries to placate her husband. She is a good hostess and rarely speaks her own mind, unless she just has to.
  • Mr. Ernest W. Stanley: Male 40-60 – He is a wealthy factory owner. He tends to be stuffy. He’s very much the man of the house, whose word is the law, until...
  • Maggie Cutler: Female 25-30 – Maggie is Whiteside’s secretary. She has a businesslike demeanor. She does everything for him, and until now he has totally monopolized her time. She falls in love with Bert Jefferson.
  • Miss Preen: Female 25-55 – Whiteside’s nurse. She tends to be stressed and unhappy. Strong comedic and sarcastic skills are needed, along with lots of physical comedy.
  • Bert Jefferson: Male 30-40 – He owns the town newspaper. He is an easygoing man, but can be assertive. He falls in love with Maggie, but is seduced by Lorraine.
  • John: Male 45-60 – the Stanley’s butler. He has been their butler for quite some time.
  • Sarah: Female 45-60 – is the Stanley’s housekeeper. She has worked with them for many years.
  • Richard Stanley: Male 18-22 – Ernest and Daisy’s son. He’s a photographer who yearns to travel.
    June Stanley: Female 16-20 – Ernest and Daisy’s daughter. She is in love with Sandy, a labor organizer at her father’s factory.
    Lorraine Sheldon: Female 25-35 – Lorraine is a movie star. She is trying to get married for money, so she is a bit of a gold digger. She’s very much a man magnet. (May be double-cast with Harriet Stanley and Neighbor Lady.)
    Harriet Stanley: Female 40-45 – Harriet is Mr. Stanley's sister. She has a creepy personality. Character is based on Lizzie Borden, always wears a veil and dresses in black. (May be double cast with Lorraine Sheldon and Neighbor Lady.)
    Neighbor Lady: Female 45-55 – High Society friend of Daisy; a local busybody. She’s very frumpy and a fan of Sheridan Whiteside.
    Sandy: Male – Youthful visionary, big and strong. A union organizer, trying to unionize Mr. Stanley's factory, falls in love with June, Stanley's daughter. (May be double-cast with Dr. Bradley, Professor Metz and Detective.)
    Dr. Bradley: Male 45-55 – The town doctor. He aspires to be a writer. (May be double-cast with Professor Metz, Detective and Sandy.)
  • Professor Metz: Male 45-55 – A nerdy entomologist, a friend of Whiteside who drops in. (May be double-cast with Dr. Bradley, Detective and Sandy.)
  • Detective: Male 45-55 – Brings Richard and June back home after they try to run away. (May be double-cast with Dr. Bradley, Professor Metz and Sandy.)
  • Beverly Carlton: Male 35-55 – An actor/songwriter, and plays the piano. Based on Noel Coward. She’s over the top, with an ego as big as a Buick. (Also plays Prisoner One.)
  • Westcott: Male 30-50 – The head radioman, handling Whiteside's live radio broadcast from the Stanley's living room. (Also plays Prisoner Two and Deputy One.)
  • Radio Man: Male 30-50 – A radio technician assisting with broadcast. (Also plays Prisoner Three and Deputy Two.)
    Banjo: Male 35-55 – a comedic actor in the style of Groucho Marx and Jimmy Durante, who drops in to visit Whiteside. (Also plays Prison Guard.)
  • Four to six boys, ages 9-12. – Proficient singers with unchanged voices.

The script for The Man Who Came to Dinner is easily available online and at libraries. Actors please prepare for specific roles at the audition. Sides will be provided. Any questions can be emailed directly to Steve Bell at SLBway@aol.com. Additional information can be found on the Theater League of Clifton’s website (www.theaterleagueofclifton.com).