The Walpole Footlighters are pleased to announce open auditions for the classic drama SUMMER AND SMOKE by Tennessee Williams on Tuesday, October 14 and Thursday Oct. 16 at 7:00 pm at the Footlighters Playhouse on 2 Scout Road, East Walpole.  Callbacks will be held on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 7:00 pm, also at the Playhouse. Production dates are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm Feb. 6 – 22. The director is Marianne Phinney.

SUMMER AND SMOKE was first performed in 1948. It portrays the love story between a reserved Southern girl and the unreserved young doctor who lives next door. Each is attracted to the other but they are driven away from each other by their vastly different approaches to life.  Ultimately, the doctor realizes that her idealism was right but it is too late for them to come together.  The play takes place in Glorious Hill, Mississippi, in 1916.

Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script.  This is a non-Equity production and there is no stipend for actors.

Cast:

Rev. Winemiller is Alma’s father. He lives with his wife and daughter in the parsonage next to Dr. Buchanan. He is somewhat worn down taking care of his childish wife. Fifties to sixties

Mrs. Winemiller is the wife of Rev. Winemiller and Alma’s mother. She was “a spoiled and selfish girl who evaded the responsibilities of later life by slipping into a state of perverse childishness” – in other words, a mental breakdown.  She is known as Rev. Winemiller’s “cross”. Fifties to sixties

John Buchanan, Jr. is a young doctor who lives next door to the Winemillers. He is “brilliantly and restlessly alive in a stagnant society” and has “the fresh and shining look of an epic hero.” He also is fond of drink, fast cars, and loose women. Late twenties to thirties

Alma Winemiller is self-conscious, overly concerned about propriety, and seems older than her age, having been the Rectory hostess for many years.  She is noted in the community for her singing and gives singing lessons in the Rectory. Mid-twenties

Rosa Gonzales is the daughter of Gonzales, who owns a gambling casino.  She dresses flamboyantly and is open about her sexuality. Twenties to early thirties

Nellie Ewell is one of Alma’s voice pupils. She is fresh and cheerful.  She is also tainted by the fact that her mother meets traveling salesmen at the train station every day.  Age 16

Roger Doremus is introverted, “like a sparrow”, and is seeing Alma, although there is nothing formal between them. He plays French horn. Mid-twenties to thirties

Dr. John Buchanan, Sr. is John Jr.’s father and has been the local physician for many years.  He is “a fine looking old man in the best Southern tradition.” He’s disgusted with his son’s attraction to gambling and drinking. Late fifties to sixties

Mrs. Bassett is a widow and a member of Alma’s literary club. She knows the neighborhood gossip and has no qualms about expressing her opinion.  Late twenties to thirties.

Vernon is a member of Alma’s literary club and fancies himself a writer. He is shy and retiring. He has written a verse play that he plans to read at the meeting. Twenties to thirties

Rosemary is the public librarian, somewhat older than Alma. She has written a paper on William Blake to read at the meeting. Thirties to forties

Dusty is the bartender and server at Gonzales’ casino. Twenties to forties

Gonzales is Rosa’s father. He is an immigrant from Mexico who made his money from cock fighting and gambling.  Fifties to sixties.

Archie Kramer is a travelling salesman who meets Alma at the square. Mid-twenties to thirties.

Ages are approximate.  The ability to play the age range is more important than actual age.

The Walpole Footlighters are pleased to announce the cast of our fall production, Boeing Boeing, directed by Wendy Stuart.

Bernard: Andrew Shiels

Robert: Peter McElhinney

Berthe: Barb Schapiro

Gloria: Emily Loflin

Gabriella: Claire Lukaczyn

Gretchen: Denise Feeney


Congratulations to the cast and thank you to all who auditioned!

Auditions for The Drowsy Chaperone will be held Monday, December 9 and Wednesday, December 11 at 7:00 pm at the Footlighters Playhouse, 2 Scout Rd., Walpole, MA. The production will be directed by Barbara Pettis with musical direction by Dave Coccia. Lisa Kelleher is the choreographer.

Bring 16 bars of uptempo sheet music to perform. You will be asked to go through some simple dance steps in a small group with the choreographer and read lines from the script. Performances are the first three weekends in May 2014.

Summary
In the darkness, we hear a theatre-goer’s lament. The lights come up, and we see a rather ordinary Man in a Chair sitting in his rather ordinary New York apartment. He asks us to escape with him as he plays the LP of his favorite musical, "The Drowsy Chaperone." The music starts and into his apartment parades the entire cast of the original 1928 production!

Characters: Age is approximate. (Also Ensemble)

ALDOLPHO: European self-proclaimed "ladies man;" played by former silent movie star Roman Bartelli. 
Male, 35-45 yrs old 
Range: A#2 - G4
 
FELDZIEG: Broadway producer who is desperate for his star to return to his show; played by Jack Adler. 
Male, 25-35 yrs old 
Range: Db3 - Db4 

GANGSTERS: Posing as pastry chefs, this duo is intending to collect from Feldzieg; played by the vaudeville duo Tall Brothers.
Males, 35-45 yrs old 
Range: Db3 - Gb4 

GEORGE: Robert's anxious, dim-witted best man who has Robert's best-interest always at heart.
Male, 35-50 yrs old 
Range: F3 - Bb4 

JANET VAN de GRAAF: The famous bride. Glamorous and talented star of Feldzieg's Follies; played by rising star Jane Roberts.
Female, 25-35 yrs old 
Range: G3 - Eb 

KITTY: Feldzieg's dim-witted companion who has hopes of being a star; played by Sadie Adler. 
Female, 25-30 yrs old 
Range: Bb3 - F5 
MAN IN CHAIR: Musical theatre aficionado who mourns the end of the Golden Era. He narrates the show as he listens to the record on vinyl.
Male, 30-50 yrs old 
Speaking Role 

MRS. TOTTENDALE: The air-headed, proper, and bossy host of the wedding. 
Female, 50-60 yrs old 
Range: G3 - Db5 

ROBERT MARTIN: The dashing, ever-cheerful groom; played by matinee-idol Percy Hyman. 
Male, 25-35 yrs old 
Range: C3 - Ab4 

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE: Janet's alcoholic confidante and friend; played by well-established stage actress Beatrice Stockwell 
Female, 45-55 yrs old 
Range: F3 - D5 

TRIX: The brave and brash female aviator who, by chance, is recruited to perform the wedding.
Female, 30-40 yrs old 
Range: Ab3 - Eb5 

UNDERLING: Mrs. Tottendale's savvy butler who is thrifty and stiff yet has an understated sense of humor. 
Male, 35-50 yrs old 
Range: Ab2 - G4 

The Walpole Footlighters are pleased to announce the cast of The Fox on the Fairway:


Louise: Jessica Corey
Justin: Dan Delaporta
Pamela: Ann-Marie Weaver
Dickie: Andrew Shiels
Muriel: Ninette Cummings
Bingham: Dan Kirichok

Congratulations to those cast, and thank you to all who came out to audition!

We will be holding auditions for our winter comedy, The Fox on the Fairway, directed by Frank Moffett, on 
November 5 & 7 at 7:00 PM.  Auditions will consist of readings from the script.  The director prefers that you attend both audition nights if possible.

Synopsis and character descriptions:

A tribute from Ken Ludwig to the great English farces of the 1930s and 1940s, The Fox On The Fairway takes audiences on a hilarious romp which pulls the rug out from underneath the stuffy denizens of a private country club. Filled with mistaken identities, slamming doors, and over-the-top romantic shenanigans, it’s a furiously paced comedy that recalls the Marx Brothers’ classics. A charmingly madcap adventure about love, life, and man’'s eternal love affair with… golf.

Character descriptions are as follows. The ages listed are the stated ages of the characters, not necessarily the required age of the actors.

HENRY BINGHAM (mid 40s): Director of the Quail Valley Country Club. He is witty and cynical at times, much like Basil Fawlty from the British sitcom. He gets into a high-stakes bet on a golf tournament and is determined to do what it takes to win. He is also unhappy in his marriage to Muriel and becomes involved with Pamela.

PAMELA PEABODY (39): A member of the Quail Valley Country Club. She is very attractive and sophisticated, but a bit loose and a bit of a drinker. Throughout the production, she aids Bingham in his plans to make sure their club wins.

JUSTIN HICKS (25): Bingham' new eager-to-please assistant who volunteers his services as a golfer to help Quail Valley win the golf tournament. He is romantically involved with Louise and proposes to her early on, but becomes emotionally distraught when things become difficult between them.

LOUISE HEINDBEDDER (23): A waitress at the Quail Valley Country Club. She is very attractive, and a bit flighty, but studious. She gets engaged to Justin early on, but a mishap results in her becoming very upset over their future together, making her cry at a moment’s notice.

DICKIE BELL (mid 40s): The director of the rival Crouching Squirrel Country Club, with whom Bingham gets into a high-stakes wager. He is a bit obnoxious, including his fashion sense, but tries to come off as good-natured. He is Pamela’s ex and has a thing for Bingham’s wife, Muriel.

MURIEL BINGHAM (40s): Bingham's wife, who runs an antique shop, which becomes part of the wager between Henry and Dickie. Generally overbearing and stern, she somehow has a soft spot for Dickie.