Auditions in Benton, Arkansas for “Rumors” Play.
Written by Tony Award winning playwright, Neil Simon, Rumors is a beloved fast-paced comedy that is guaranteed to have audiences laughing from curtain to curtain. At a large, tastefully-appointed Sneden’s Landing townhouse, the Deputy Mayor of New York has just shot himself.
Though it’s only a flesh wound, Charlie Brock’s self-inflicted injury sets off a series of events causing four couples to experience a severe attack of farce.
As their tenth wedding anniversary party commences, Charlie is left bleeding in another room, and his wife Myra is nowhere in sight. The first guests, lawyer Ken Gorman and his wife Chris, scramble to get “the story” straight before the other guests arrive. As the confusions and miscommunications mount, the evening spins off into classic farcical hilarity.
Auditions:
Audition Dates: January 31st and February 1st, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Location: The Royal Theatre, 111 S Market St, Benton, AR 72015
Performance Dates:
April 3rd-6th and April 10th-13th. You must be available for all performances and all rehearsals during the week prior to opening.
Auditions are an open call and will consist of cold readings from the script.
Cast of characters:
- KEN GORMAN – (40) A well-to-do lawyer. Wealthy, but by no means pretentious. Takes charge of the situation. Married to Chris. Halfway through the show, a gunshot causes his temporary deafness.
- CHRIS GORMAN – (mid-30’s) Another lawyer, married to Ken. Beautiful, easily flustered. Frantically tries to maintain normalcy at the party. Has recently quit smoking, which drives her to drink a bit more.
- LENNY GANZ – (Late 30’s, early 40’s) A wealthy accountant, distraught over the recent destruction of his new car. Starts the show with an extreme case of whiplash. Intolerant of the gossipy lifestyle that he is often involved in.
- CLAIRE GANZ – (Late 30’s) Lenny’s wife. Very concerned with appearances (hers and others’). Starts the play with a swollen lip. Likes to gossip.
- ERNIE CUSACK – (Early 50’s) A psychiatrist. Affable, smokes a pipe. Loves his wife very much. Tries to be as helpful as possible cooking the evening’s dinner.
- COOKIE CUSACK – (40’s) Has her own cooking show. Suffers from extreme back spasms. Loves her husband very much. A bit absent-minded at times.
- GLENN COOPER – (30-40) A handsome man running for State Senate. Worried about his own reputation. Struggles with placating his wife, who is convinced he is having an affair (which he may or may not be).
- CASSIE COOPER – (late 20’s, early 30’s) Glenn’s beautiful wife. Obsesses over her husband’s relationships with other women. Quick to anger. Must rub her quartz crystal to calm herself down.
- OFFICER WELCH (M) – (30-50) A city police officer having a rough night. Does not tolerate lying. Sees through the “classy” façade that these high-society types put up.
- OFFICER PUDNEY (F) – (20-30) Welch’s partner. A strong but silent type
Auditioners should be 18 years of age or older and are asked to bring a headshot and a resume. Please be aware the script contains strong language.
Please direct any questions to theroyalplayers@gmail.com.
The Royal Players’ production of Rumors is sponsored by W.W.& Anne Jones Charitable Trust. It is directed by Tyler Berg and produced by Carrie Clay.
Rumors is produced by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals.
111 S Market St, Benton, AR, United States, Arkansas
