Casting notice posted by the Public Relations Manager
Casting notice posted on auditionsfree.com, casting location: Houston, Texas
Auditions will be held at Stage Door Inc. 284 Pasadena Town Sq. Pasadena Tx,77521 (please enter the back door located in loading dock number 3 between macys and sears look for signs)
AUDITIONS: Sunday April 3 and Monday April 4, 7:00-10:00 pm
This is a legendary farce, written by award-winning novelist and playwright Michael Frayn. Noises Off! is a highly theatrical and extraordinarily funny look behind the scenes of a British theatre troupe performing a second-rate sex comedy called Nothing On. Doors slam, identities are confused and chaos reigns in this hilarious comedy that follows the motley and disorganized theatre company as they rehearse, perform and, well, just try to make it through Nothing On as the never-ending theatrical mishaps snowball out of control. The idea for the show was born in 1970, when Frayn was standing in the wings watching a performance of Chinamen, a farce that he had written for Lynn Redgrave. According to the playwright, “It was funnier from behind than in front and I thought that one day I must write a farce from behind.”
NOTES/WHAT TO BRING: Have resume/headshot. Audition will consist of cold readings.
CHARACTERS:
* LLOYD DALLAS (30s-50s) – The director of Nothing On, the play that the characters in Noises Off are attempting to perform. Lloyd is passionate, suave, hot-tempered, and extremely harried. His show is about to open and it is not going well . . . Carrying on with both Brooke and Poppy, which adds to his stress.
* DOTTY OTLEY (30s-50s) – A (rather) aging prima donna. Her money is funding the show. She’s somewhat on auto-pilot onstage, and is having a great deal of trouble remembering her lines, blocking, and props. Capable of using spite or self-pity to get her way… Carrying on with the much younger Garry.
* GARRY LEJEUNE (30s-40s) – Means well. Believes in The Theatre. Tries to keep the show going and everyone’s morale up, but often has trouble finishing his sentences. Extremely flustered. His good nature is replaced with jealously when he believes Dotty has begun carrying on with Frederick.
* BROOK ASHTON (20s-30s) – Young and sexy, but a terrible actress. Incapable of taking direction. Spacey and tuned-out – whether onstage or off. Blind as a bat without her contacts, which have a tendency to pop out at bad times. Carrying on with Lloyd, which is how she got her part in the show . . .
* POPPY NORTON-TAYLOR (20s-40s) – The assistant stage manager of Nothing On. Overworked and often on the verge of tears. Works frantically to keep the show from completely falling apart, a hopeless (and thankless) task. Carrying on with Lloyd. There’s something she hasn’t told Lloyd yet . . .
* FREDERICK FELLOWES (30s-40s) – A neurotic actor. Bumbling and filled with self doubt. A sweet man. Not the brightest bulb in the box. Always has a thousand questions about his lines and blocking. Violence and blood upset him, causing him to faint or get nosebleeds.
* BELINDA BLAIR (30s-40s) – An experienced actress. Always positive and reliable. Charming. A goodhearted busybody, who knows all the gossip about the company. Attempts to keep the show going when it begins to unravel.
* TIM ALLGOOD (30s-40s) – The company stage manager. Long-suffering. Exhausted and completely sleep-deprived. Responsible for an inhuman amount of tasks and forced to understudy everybody.
* SELSDON MOWBRAY (50s-70s) – Cheerful. Elderly. Alcoholic. The entire cast attempts to keep him from getting his hands on a bottle. Forgets lines. Misses entrances. Causes the company to panic when he cannot be found at all.
Performances:
June 3 – 26, 2011
Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.
Sundays at 3:00 p.m.
Rehearsals:
Monday – Friday 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
First meeting: April 5th or 6th
Interested actors should come to auditions with their CONFIRMED availability on all the dates listed above. While ALL actors may not be called for every rehearsal, we would like to have a clear idea of who can rehearse when.
If you would like to get involved but don’t want to be on-stage? Stage Door Inc. is always looking for people to help BACKSTAGE during production (as stage managers, crew, light or sound techs, prop-masters, etc.). Sound interesting? For more information call 832-582-7606
Casting Location: Houston, Texas
Contact email: bryan@stagedoorinc.com