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Breakdown
WEST SIDE STORY, JULIUS CAESAR, TAMING OF THE SHREW
BLITHE SPIRIT, LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST
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WEST SIDE STORY
(LOA)
Music: Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics: Steven Sondheim
Book: Arthur Laurents
Dir: Dennis Razze
Choreo: Stephen Casey, after Jerome Robbins
Mus. Dir: Nathan Diehl.
1st reh: 5/24. Runs 6/15-7/3
Tony
Lyric baritone or tenor to strong Bb, light dancing, 20-30. Young, self-assured, passionate yet gentle Polish-American, Riff's best friend; former Jet leader.
Maria
Legit soprano to high C, light dancing, 20-27. Nubile, sweet sister of Bernardo. Newly arrived from Puerto Rico, enthusiastic about new life but obedient towards her brother. Excited, enthusiastic, obedient child mixed with the temper, stubborn strength & awareness of a woman.
Lt. Schrank
40-60, non-singing. Tough plainclothes policeman; investigates & attempts to prevent gang violence. Strong, always in command; has charming pleasant manner which he often employs to cover his venom & his fear.
Riff
Baritone/tenor to F, 20-30. Hot-headed yet intelligent leader of Jets. Excellent, athletic dancer. Glowing, driving, intelligent, slightly whacky
Bernardo
Baritone to E, 20-30. Brooding, handsome leader of Sharks; Maria's older brother. Has cool exterior but burns inside with passion & anger. Handsome, proud, fluid, a chip on his sardonic shoulder.
Anita
Alto/Mezzo, F below C to D5, 20-30. Bernardo's girlfriend, works with Maria in bridal shop. Fiery yet compassionate, strong, sensual, intense, protective, outspoken. Puerto Rican girl; knowing, sexual, sharp.
Doc
Non-singing, 40-60. Long-suffering proprietor of drugstore; capable of both dramatic & comic scenes. Little middle-aged man.
Action
Baritone C4 - F5, 20-27. Jet who acts first/thinks later. Cat-like ball of fury.
Diesel
Baritone E4 - F5, 20-27. Physically imposing member of Jets. Homeless Jet with alcoholic father. Big, slow, steady, nice.
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JULIUS CAESAR
(SPT)
by William Shakespeare
Dir: Patrick Mulcahy
1st reh: 5/31, runs 6/22-7/17
Julius Caesar
50s-60s. Extraordinary military commander with God-like self-image. After latest victory, seems poised to become emperor. Ambitious, arrogant, imperious; is nonetheless capable of genuine affection toward those closest to him.
Marc Antony
20s-30s. Close friend of Caesar’s with deep military & personal history with him; deep & genuine feeling for this father figure. Proves exceptionally skillful though combination of chameleon-like facility & duplicity to improvise & respond advantageously with different audiences. Opportunistic with strong thirst for power and privilege.
Casca
30s-50s. Conspirator; first to stab Caesar. A “blunt fellow”. Nonetheless savvy enough to see the way of things. Direct, plain-spoken Senator; delivers some of the play’s levity.
Portia
30s-40s. Wife to Brutus, Cato’s daughter. Equal strength & passion for her love of Brutus & her expectation that he treat her as his partner. Describes herself as having “a man’s mind but a woman’s might.” Proves constancy by giving herself a voluntary wound in the thigh, and, in the end, is reported to have killed herself by swallowing burning coals. Fiercely loving with passions that can overwhelm her.
Calpurnia
40s-50s. Wife to Caesar. After having dreams of his demise, pleads with him not to go to the Senate for fear of his safety. Stalwart, graceful, practical, intelligent, loves her husband.
Decius Brutus
30s-40. One of the conspirators. Convinces Caesar to ignore the various warnings & to go to the Senate. Manipulative, crafty.
The following roles are CAST. Actors will be considered as possible replacements, if necessary.
Brutus
CAST. 40s-50s. Complex, principled, deliberate senator who strives to be honorable. Loving husband & friend, stateman, & military leader. Joins conspiracy with some reluctance & seeks to align his actions with his highest ideals, though his rigid adherence to those ideals leads to questionable choices and strategic miscalculations.
Cassius
40s-50s. Envious, hot-tempered tactician senator; uses his influence to instigate the conspiracy. His enmity toward Caesar’s aspirations is more driven by personal desires than philosophical ideals. Feels genuine warmth & kinship with Brutus, which is tested.
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THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
(LOA)
by William Shakespeare
Dir: Matt Pfeiffer
1st reh: 6/10, runs 7/13-8/7
Petruchio
Late 20s-40s. Brash confident young man. Believes the world is his oyster; sees his skills & wit as unmatched by man or woman. Wants to take on the world to prove his belief is true. (May also play Charles in Blithe Spirit)
Katherine
late 20s-early 40s. Young woman, trapped by a world that doesn't understand or respect her. Seeing no way out, lashes out at all around her. Longs to be understood & find a place where she can be her own person. (Will also likely play Elvira in Blithe Spirit)
Grumio
20s-40s Musical ability a plus. Petruchio’s loyal servant. Quick with joke or a plan; lives to serve his master. More than happy to jump into chaos that Petruchio creates. While he often suffers, he loves the fight.
Bianca
20s. Kate's younger sister. Longs for simple happiness in life. Wants husband & life of her own, far from chaos her sister brings. Seems naive, but is very smart; capable of manipulating to get what she wants. She's nobody's fool. (Will also likely play Edith in Blithe Spirit)
Lucentio
20s. Smart, naive young man setting out to seek his fortune. Desires love & education; is open to the world. While he wants to pursue the greatest challenges in life, he ultimately becomes more enamored of love.
Tranio
Man or woman. 20s-40s. Musical ability a plus. Lucentio's smart, loyal servant. Really slumming it. Capable of significantly more than his station calls for, which is why he jumps at chance to become a master & woo for Lucentio. Super smart & playful. (May also play Charles in Blithe Spirit if male)
Biondello
20s. Musical ability a plus. Not so bright servant of Lucentio. Eager to please; not quick on the uptake. Playful & inventive, despite lack of smarts. Should play an instrument.
Hortensio
20s-40s. Musical ability a plus. Rich young man; longs for love of Bianca. Has money & land, but doesn't get any respect. Eager for wife and regular life. Despite best efforts, unable to find his footing in his pursuits. As result, turns to more devious means to get what he wants.
Gremio
40s-60s. Musical ability a plus. Devious old man; lusts after Bianca. Has money & wit to win the game of love, but ego blinds him to inherent mismatch with his intended. Competitive & driven - makes him a nightmare for rivals. (May also play Dr. Bradman in Blithe Spirit)
Baptista
Woman or man. 50s-60s. Much put upon mother/father of Katherine and Bianca. Desperately wants her daughters to find love & happiness, but to do so, must navigate a world dominated by men who only respect her for her money. Smart, patient; wields her power with great caution & smarts. (Will also likely play Mdme Arcati in Blithe Spirit if female)
Vincentio/Tailor
50s-60s. Musical ability a plus. Stately & respectful man. Handles the world with class & smarts, though he has access to tremendous anger. Tailor is on top of his game yet ill equipped to navigate Petruchio's craziness. (May also play Dr. Bradman in Blithe Spirit)
Widow/Haberdasher
Woman 20s-40s. Restrained, sharp woman. Handles her husband with a commandeering presence. Haberdasher is a silly woman; in over her head. (Will also likely play Ruth in Blithe Spirit)
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BLITHE SPIRIT (contract: LOA)
by Noel Coward
Dir: Anne Lewis
1st reh: 6/10/16, runs 7/21-8/7
Seeking:
All roles require strong RP/British dialect (one cockney) plus language and comedic skills.
Edith
20s-40s. High-strung, eager to please maid. Physically fit. Simple yet street wise. Must have good comic timing and cockney accent. (Will likely also play Bianca in Shrew)
Ruth
30s-40s. Current wife of Charles. Smart looking woman. Attractive but not glamorous. Intelligent, a wry sense of humor, perfunctory, practical, & utilitarian. Keeps up appearances. (Will likely also play Widow in Shrew)
Charles
40s. Writer. Intelligent, self-possessed, polite when necessary & has good sense of humor. Prone to exasperation. Views marriage as social necessity & can be manipulative. (Will also play a role in Shrew)
Elvira
Late 20s-early 40s. Deceased wife of Charles. Glamorous, sexy, beautiful & knows it. Can play the childlike imp to great effect. Demanding & self-involved. Determined to win; knows how to play the “female” card. (Will likely also play Katherine in Shrew)
Dr. Bradman
mid-late 50s. Intelligent. Likes being part of the establishment. Privileged & comfortable with it. (Will likely also play a role in Shrew)
Mrs. Bradman
40s-50s. Privileged & enjoys her social status.
Madame Arcati
50s-60s. Eccentric medium with playful sense of fun. Finds life exciting. Energetic, irreverent, impulsive, exhuberant, direct.
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LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST (contract: SPT)
by William Shakespeare
No director – Elizabethan-style, brief rehearsal model.
1st reh: 7/22/16. Runs 7/27-8/7
Seeking:
Berowne
Late 20s-mid30s. Lord attending the king. Surprises himself when he falls in love with Rosaline. Sharp-witted & eager to turn all he sees into a “mirth-moving jest.”
King Ferdinand
Late 20s–mid 30s. King of Navarre. A scholar who has sworn oath to uphold scholarship at the expense of earthly pleasures. Falls in love with the Princess.
Princess of France
mid 20s-mid 30s. Fine diplomat, skilled huntress, & beautiful woman.
Rosaline
mid 20s-mid 30s. Lady attending the princess.
Don Adriano de Armado
40s-50s. Bombastic Spanish braggart. Falls in love with Jaquenetta.
Holofernes
40s-50s. Schoolmaster. Peppers his speech with Latin & admires the eloquence of Armado.
Boyet
20s-40s. French lord. Acts as go-between & exchanges jokes with the lords.
Costard
20s-30s. Clown. Initially courts Jaquinetta.
Moth
20s. Don Armado’s page; a clever boy.
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