CASTING NOTICE for ASSASSINS
Where: The Farmington Players Barn Theater, 32332 West 12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334
When: Sunday, November 10, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. (Registration begins at 12:30 p.m.)
Contact: For further information — or to obtain a PDF of the script — please contact the director,
Mike Smith, at
assassins@farmingtonplayers.org.
Show Dates: The show runs the following dates: February 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28 and March 1. All shows are 8:00 p.m. except Sunday matinees which are at 2:00 p.m. YES, THERE IS A PERFORMANCE ON PRESIDENT’S DAY.
Rehearsals: The rehearsal schedule will be finalized at the first read through on Tuesday, Nov. 12. Mandatory rehearsal dates: February 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12.
Vocal cuttings: Available at
http://www.farmingtonplayers.org. Songs and measures for the cuttings are listed below.
Call-backs: Monday, Nov. 11 at 6:00 p.m. See the vocal requirement at the bottom of this notice.
The Farmington Players presents the Stephen Sondheim musical Assassins. It is an intense production that offers seventeen intriguing roles that — in the director’s view — provide the ultimate challenge for the musically-inclined dramatic actor. These are not your father’s cheery Rodgers and Hammerstein parts . . . you will have the opportunity to portray actual historical figures with all of their foibles and nuances. The roles that would normally be considered chorus roles — the townspeople — are equally challenging as each actor chosen for these roles will play 4–6 distinct characters from famous orators and accomplices to presidents and the everyman. It is the intention of this production team to guide the actors toward the ultimate expression of their characters and we are looking for actors who are up for the challenge.
SYNOPSIS
Assassins is both Stephen Sondheim’s dark exploration into the minds of the nine men and women who have attempted to assassinate the President of the United States, and his caustic analysis of the promise and failure of the American Dream. The show uses the premise of a murderous carnival game to produce a revue-style portrayal of these real life assassins, from John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald. Given the current political climate, its themes are as relevant today as when the show was first performed.
CHARACTERS
The Balladeer — Actor is male, over 21; ability to play guitar a plus. The Balladeer is the conscience of America and the champion of the American Dream. He acts as a foil against the assassins and their warped perspectives and actions. 4 songs (3 solos), all speeches are vocalized — Tenor; audition song: “Ballad of Booth, Part 1,” measures 2 – 30.
The Proprietor — Actor is male, 30s or older. The Proprietor is the Grim Reaper, handing out weapons and overseeing the demise of presidents and assassins alike. His power is in his omnipresence and indifference; his characterization requires both dramatic irony and restrained wit. 4 songs, 18 speeches (though he appears silently in most scenes) — Tenor; audition song: “Opening,” measures 39 – 70.
John Wilkes Booth — Actor is mid-20s to 40; tall and distinguished; character will need a genteel Southern accent. A political zealot, “Wilkes” is the pioneer of American assassination and acts as leader and twisted mentor to the other assassins. “The Ballad of Booth” and his seduction of Lee Harvey Oswald are two of his pivotal scenes. 5 songs, 85 speeches — Baritone; audition song: “The Ballad of Booth,
Part IIa,” measures 13 – 39.
Leon Czolgosz (pronounced “CHOL-gash”) — Actor is mid-20s to mid-30s; slight of build. Czolgosz was an anarchist who, in killing William McKinley, decided to take matters of governement into his own hands for the sake of the common man. Important scenes include “The Gun Song” and the meeting with Emma Goldman. 5 songs, 41 speeches — Bass; audition song: “The Gun Song,” measures h – 20.
Guiseppe Zangara — Actor is mid-20s to 40; a short actor is preferred but not required; MUST use a heavy Italian accent for this character. Zangara blamed capitalists and “kings” for his medical conditions and attempted an assassination of Franklin D. Roosevelt—instead killing Mayor Cermak of Chicago. Zangara has a solo on the electric chair in “How I Saved Roosevelt.” 4 songs
(1 solo), 24 speeches including a passionate soliloquy in Italian — Tenor; audition song: “How I Saved Roosevelt,” measures 76 – 104.
Sara Jane Moore — Actress is middle-aged and heavy-set. Moore, a former FBI informant five times married, nearly assassinated Gerald Ford in 1975 — the second such attempt on his life in three weeks. Moore provides much of the comic relief in the show
and requires an actress with good comic timing. 4 songs, 89 speeches — Soprano; audition song: “Unworthy of Your Love,” measures 41 – 68.
Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme — Actress is mid-20s to mid-30s; slender and pretty. Fromme, a flower child and member of Charlie Manson’s cult “family,” attempted an assassination of Gerald Ford in 1975. She is the lunatic foil to Sara Jane Moore’s airheadedness in several scenes and sings a duet with John Hinckley. 4 songs (1 duet), 77 speeches — Mezzo soprano; audition song: “Unworthy of Your Love,” measures 41 – 68.
John Hinckley — Actor is early-20s to 30; blond and husky; ability to play guitar a plus. Hinckley used a sociopathic obsession with Jodie Foster as his excuse to attempt an assassination of Ronald Reagan in 1981. Hinckley’s clinical insanity and love-sickness add dramatic weight to this character. His pivotal scene is a duet with Squeaky Fromme. 4 songs (1 duet), 41 speeches — Baritone; audition song: “Unworthy of Your Love,” measures 9 – 40.
Charles J. Guiteau — Actor is 30s to 50s; average in stature; a beard would be helpful but not required. Guiteau was a multi-careered charlatan with delusions of grandeur who assassinated James Garfield in 1882. This intense libertine requires a multi-personality characterization and a flair for the dramatic. His key scene involves a cakewalk to the gallows. 5 songs (one solo), 41 speeches — Tenor; audition song: “Ballad of Guiteau,” measures 52 – 73.
Samuel Byck — Actor is 30s to 50s; heavy set; blue-collar Philly accent required. Byck was disgruntled at government and all it stood for when he attempted to hijack a plane with the intent of crashing it into the Nixon White House. A small vocal role, it requires an actor capable of presenting two dramatic,
page-and-a-half monologues. 3 songs (chorus voice), less than 20 speeches (but two are whoppers) —
At auditions, vocalization only to acertain vocal range.
Lee Harvey Oswald — Actor is mid-20s to mid-30s; slight to average build; rural Louisiana twang required. Oswald is a non-singing part — except for the closing number — but requires the dramatic capacity to spar with John Wilkes Booth in the pivotal Book Depository scene. 1 song (chorus voice),
41 speeches — At auditions, vocalization only to acertain vocal range.
Townspeople — Five adults and one child will be required to play a variety of parts as listed below. The “townspeople” require strong individual voices as they sing the campy “How I Saved Roosevelt” and the gut-wrenching “Something Just Broke.” For your audition, please prepare a song from the assassins listed above that best represents your vocal range.
• Male (40s – 50s): FDR song (Bystander #1), Expo (Fairgoer #1), James Blaine, Gerald Ford, “Something Just Broke” (rich gentleman, pawn broker) — 2 songs, 7 speeches
• Male (mid-20’s, athletic build): David Herold (Booth’s accomplice), FDR song (Bystander #2), Expo (Fairgoer #3), Secret Service Agent #1, “Something Just Broke” (farmer, old man, minister) — 2 songs,
8 speeches
• Female (30s): FDR song (Bystander #3), Emma Goldman, Expo (Boy’s mother), “Something Just Broke” (school teacher, lady, waitress, lady) — 2 songs, 14 speeches
• Male (40s): FDR song (Husband/Bystander #4), Expo (Fairgoer #2), James Garfield, Secret Service Agent #2, “Something Just Broke” (office clerk, factory hand, stockbroker, policeman) — 2 songs,
2 speeches
• Female (40s): FDR song (Wife/Bystander #5), Expo (Fairgoer #4 - nonspeaking), “Something Just Broke” (housewife) — 2 songs, alto voice preferred.
• Young boy (to play 8 yrs. old): Expo (young fairgoer), Moore’s son, “Something Just Broke” (school boy) — 2 songs, 9 speeches
CALLBACKS
We may need to call back certain roles to look at actors together and judge actor chemistry and vocal synergy, so please be prepared to return to The Barn on Monday evening, November 11, at 6:00 p.m.
If needed, we will use the following musical cuts:
• For Booth, Czolgosz, Guiteau and Moore — “The Gun Song,” measures 123 – 143.
• For Hinckley and Fromme — “Unworthy of Your Love,” measures 69-82.
• For all actors and actresses — the Finale “Everybody’s Got the Right” . . . please learn the entire song (ladies, just the soprano part)
NOTE: the roles of Sam Byck and Lee Harvey Oswald are small musically but require broad dramatic range; a good challenge for a dramatic actor with modest vocal abilities
Videos
