Audition Notice – The House of Blue Leaves

Silver Spring Stage is holding auditions for John Guare’s The House of Blue Leaves, directed by Matt J. Bannister and produced by Alika Codispoti and Jim Robertson.

Auditions will be held at Silver Spring Stage (10145 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD) on Sunday, April 29 from 6:00-8:00pm and Monday, April 30 from 7:30-9:30pm. Call backs, if required, will be held between 7:30-10:00pm on Tuesday, May 1.

Please use this SignUpGenius link to sign up for one of the one-hour time slots (6:00-7:00pm or 7:00-8:00pm) on Sunday or (7:30-8:30pm or 8:30pm-9:30pm) Monday.

Actors should prepare a one-minute (preferably dark) comedic monologue ready to perform at auditions. You will then be asked to read from the script.

If you are auditioning for the role of Artie Shaughnessy you must be able to play the piano and sing. Please prepare 32 bars of song that best display these abilities.

Walk-ins will be accommodated only if time permits. Be prepared to stay for the whole audition as you may be asked to read more than once.

Please bring a hard copy of your resume and a headshot, if you have one. The audition form is available here to print out and fill out to bring to auditions.

Performances will be the weekends of July 13, 20, 27, and August 3, closing on August 4. Shows are at 8:00pm on Friday and Saturday and at 2.00pm on Sundays (July 22 and 29).

There will be 3-4 rehearsals a week scheduled according to Stage and actor availability.

If you have any questions, you may email HouseBlueLeaves@ssstage.org.

SYNOPSIS
A brilliant play, beautifully fashioned, sometimes wacky and sometimes sad combined with hilarity, poignancy, outrageousness and tragedy. A songwriter with visions of glory toils by day as a zoo-keeper and by night sings at piano bars in Queens, New York where he lives with his wife. Meanwhile, downstairs lives his mistress. Chaos ensues on one day when the Pope makes his first visit to the city, his soldier son Ronny goes AWOL, an old-school chum, now a successful Hollywood producer, shows up with his starlet girlfriend in tow, and a group of nuns all descend on the apartment in this enchanting, zany farce

CHARACTERS

Artie Shaughnessy (40s)
A Zoo-Keeper by day, frustrated songwriter by night. Artie lives in a New York apartment with his wife, Bananas, who suffers from mental illness, and his son, Ronnie, who has violent intentions. His unrealistic dreams of making it big in Hollywood are encouraged by his mistress, Bunny, who lives in the apartment below.

Bananas Shaughnessy (40s)
Artie’s Wife. She has been suffering from mental illness for a long time and fears being sent to a mental hospital. Despite her issues she is often the most insightful and grounded character in the play.

Bunny Flingus (30s/40s)
Artie’s mistress. Bunny is obsessed with fame and sees Artie as her ticket to the lifestyle she dreams of.

Ronnie Shaughnessy (18)
AWOL from the army and plans to achieve his fame by blowing up the Pope.

Billy Einhorn (40s)
Artie’s childhood friend and successful Hollywood producer.

Corrinna Stroller (20s)
Starred in one of Billy’s movies before an accident left her partially deaf. Romantically involved with Billy.

Little Nun (20s)
Yet to take her final vows and is hired to look after Bananas.

Second Nun (30s/40s)

Head Nun (40s+)

A Policeman (20s+)

The White Man (20s+)

Silver Spring Stage is committed to diverse casting. All roles are open to actors of any race or ethnicity. Silver Spring Stage is an all-volunteer community theatre; all roles are open and unpaid.

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