Audition Information for Perfect Arrangement

Silver Spring Stage is pleased to announce auditions for Perfect Arrangement by Topher Payne, directed by Leigh K. Rawls, assistant directed by Atticus Boidy, stage managed by Jenn Smith, and produced by Lennie Magida.

Auditions will be held Sunday, November 3 from 6:00-9:00pm and Monday, November 4 from 7:30–10:00pm at Silver Spring Stage, 10145 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20910. Callbacks will be held by invitation on Wednesday, November 6, starting at 7:30pm.

Rehearsals will be held 3–4 times per week on weeknights and weekends, starting shortly after casting and scheduled based on cast availability. Please come prepared to list your conflicts during the entire rehearsal/performance period, including the November/December holiday season.

Perfect Arrangement will run weekends February 21 – March 14, 2020. Performances will be Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, with matinees on Sundays, March 1 and March 8 at 2pm.

To Audition:

  • Please sign up for an appointment slot via this Sign-Up Genius Page. Walk-ins will be seen only if time permits.
  • Please bring a completed audition form with you. The audition form can be found at this link. If possible, please also bring a theatrical resume and headshot.
  • Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. There is no need to prepare a monologue.
  • If you are not available to audition Nov. 3 or Nov. 4, video auditions will be accepted (see below for video submission details).

 Video Auditions:
If you are unable to attend auditions on November 3 or November 4, you may submit a video audition. In order to do so, email your resume, headshot, and audition form to perfectarrangement@ssstage.org along with which part(s) you’d like to audition for. We will reply with the sides we wish for you to read. Videos must be emailed to perfectarrangement@ssstage.org no later than 7:30pm, November 4, 2019.

Questions? Feel free to email the production team at perfectarrangement@ssstage.org

Silver Spring Stage is committed to diversity in casting and is open to actors of all ethnicities, ages, and genders. Silver Spring Stage is an all-volunteer community theatre; all roles are open and unpaid.

SYNOPSIS
How much would you disrupt the comfort of your own life for the sake of demanding something more? What do you do when “good enough” comes to battle with “we deserve better”?

It’s 1950. Georgetown. Washington, D.C. As the Red Scare looms large, two State Department employees, Bob and Norma, receive orders to expose “moral turpitude” (re: homosexuals and sexual deviants) within the government. But the coworkers are both gay and have married each other’s partners, Millie and Jim, in a picture-perfect façade of domestic, mid-century bliss separated, literally, by a shared closet door. Inspired by true stories of social survival, this bubbly cocktail party-meets-TV sitcom simmers into poignant realism as the four mates face exposure and a future more gray than Technicolor.

CASTING AND CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
A note on gender in casting: We recognize that the characters in Perfect Arrangement are written on the gender binary using she/her and he/him pronouns. However, we highly encourage all transgender, non-binary, and gender variant artists to audition for any role with which they feel they most identify.

Also, please come prepared with a knowledge and understanding of your own personal boundaries regarding physicality and contact. All roles will require some level of intimacy and physical contact with another member(s) of the cast. We will be working with an intimacy choreographer for those times to ensure everyone’s safety and comfort.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
BOB MARTINDALE: 30s-40s, Male – A WWII veteran, reserved. A bit bookish, but a solid man’s man. Good-humored and well-mannered. He is the primary orchestrator of this “perfect arrangement” between the four main characters. He is also Norma’s boss at the Department of State. Legally married to Mille, but is actually Jim’s partner.

MILLIE MARTINDALE: late 20s-30s, Female – Plays “The dizzy wife” when people are in the house, but actually very quick-witted, snarky, and observant. Smart enough to maintain the act. She’s also a bit of a reformed, hopeless romantic. Wrote lots of poetry in college, but now in her late 20s-30s, she is quite self-aware of how bad that poetry was. Legally married to Bob, but is actually Norma’s partner.

NORMA BAXTER: late 20s-30s, Female     The knowing, efficient, classy dame. A secretary at the State Department who could just as easily be Secretary of State. A smart woman who’s great with a wisecrack and level-headed in a bind. She loves Millie with every fiber of her being. Legally married to Jim, but actually Millie’s partner.

JIM BAXTER: late 20s-30s, Male – A high school teacher with lots of energy. A little wired, good with a plan. A prankster type, always ready with a comeback, while also being very empathetic and warm-hearted. He’s the softer, more free-spirited side of the men’s relationship. Legally married to Norma, but actually Bob’s partner.

THEODORE SUNDERSON: 40s-60s, Male – The boss. Bombastic, loud, a little overbearing. A patriotic windbag, but not without a heart. He truly believes that what he’s doing at the State Department is for the betterment of the American people. He loves his wife Kitty so very much and cherishes her quirks, while still being slightly exasperated by them. He also thinks that Bob Martindale is truly one of the best employees at DoS and wants the best for him and family. He’s a complex person and should not be seen as just a one-note “bad guy.”

KITTY SUNDERSON: 40s-60s, Female – Ted’s wife. Legitimately ditzy. Her brain seems to work on a totally different wavelength than the rest of the world. Incredibly gullible and easily distracted, but very sweet, and very genuine. For every marble she seems to have lost, the size of heart and genuine love for everyone around her, make up for it. Her lust for life is truly inspiring.

BARBARA GRANT: 40s-50s, Female – A strong, sassy, dominating, and confident “type A” personality; a formidable opponent. Extremely well-spoken and smart as a whip. No-nonsense, beautiful, brilliant, and a little scary. She does not suffer fools gladly. She’s known for producing some of the best work at the State Department, but she’s also known for being a sexual free-spirit and a bit of a bon vivant.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email the production team at perfectarrangement@ssstage.org

Interested in auditioning for our shows? We have an e-mail list just for auditions! Join Now!