AUDITION NOTICE
The Neil Simon Comedy
“Rumors”
January 19, Farmington Players Barn
Start off the New Year enjoying lots of laughs as part of the hit comedy “Rumors” by Neil Simon.. The Farmington Players invite you to audition for the zany fast-paced farce, Sunday January 19th 12:30 pm (registration) 1pm Auditions at the Farmington Players Barn in Farmington Hills, Michigan.
Synopsis: The Deputy Mayor of New York has just shot himself on his tenth wedding anniversary. It’s only a flesh wound, but the cover-up takes on a life of its own as the
aristocratic guests arrive for a dinner party. While the host lies bleeding in the other room
and his wife is nowhere in sight, the other couples must get “the story” straight to conceal
the truth from the media and police. As the confusions and miscommunications mount, the evening spins off into classical farcical hilarity.
When: Auditions: Sunday January 19th: 12:30pm Registration, 1pm Audition
Where: Farmington Players Barn: 32332 W. 12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334
Show Dates: April 25, 26, 27, May 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17
Mandatory Rehearsal Dates: Tech Sunday April 13, Possible run thru Saturday April 19, April 21, 22 Dress Wed April 23 (FYI: Good Friday is April 18, Easter Sunday is April 20)
Rehearsal Schedule: One read thru the week of Jan 19. Some costume fittings will
begin in Feb by appointment, regular rehearsal will begin the week of March 10
(7 weeks of rehearsal 3X per week). Expect some Friday or weekend rehearsals to accommodate business & work conflicts.
QUESTIONS: Director: Cynthia Tupper email: rumors@farmingtonplayers.org
Director’s Notes: We will be setting the show in its original time period of 1988. This will allow us to go with all the phone jokes and use a corded landline phone, which will play funnier than cell phones. In looking at the original Broadway cast pictures the costumes don’t look very dated at all as the men are all in tuxes and the ladies in elegant cocktail attire.
The ages of the four anniversary couples are flexible. The challenge of casting the couples is to see the chemistry between them as they all have one on one couple scenes and must be interesting & credible couples. Good timing and physical humor combined with FAST FUNNY LOUD a must! They are all well educated wealthy people acting like lunatics as they fear a scandal in a time period when nothing is posted on Facebook….so a cover up is still possible.
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS:
CHRIS GORMAN: 196 speeches 40’s to late 50’s
A reformed smoker, contract lawyer by day, much of her sarcastic humor comes from going head to
head with her husband. Chris & Claire are good friends. As she gets moderately drunk from drinking
vodka instead of smoking, her observations get more and more blunt. Must be able to partially
smoke one cigarette.
KEN GORMAN: 229 speeches 40’s to late 50’s
Also a lawyer, he completely over reacts to the situation and begins the frantic cover story. Ken
goes deaf for part of the show when a gunshot goes off too close to his head. They are the first
couple to arrive. His lawyerly skills are very important at the end of the play as he verbally fences
with Officer Welch.
CLAIRE GANTZ: 218 speeches 40’s to late 50’s
The big gossip…in the know about all of the dirty secrets at the country club, very dry sarcastic
sense of humor, must be able to excel at throwing a line away.
LENNY GANTZ: 234 speeches includes a 2 page monologue at the end of the show. 40’s to late 50’s
He is Charlie’s accountant, he is in frantic throughout the show & his physical humor is integral to his character. He dramatically enters with a whiplash from his car accident that basically totals his brand new BMW on his way to the party. The second couple to enter.
COOKIE CUSAK: 104 speeches 40’s to late 50’s
Cookie carries most of the physical humor for the ladies with her bad back which spasms on & off all evening. A unique character with her own sense of style & is the star of her own TV cooking show. She martyrs herself preparing dinner in pain for the entire group. She is often a beat behind as she is in & out doing her own thing in the kitchen. Overly affectionate pet names between her & her husband Ernie. A bit on the outside with the first two couples.
ERNIE CUSAK: 133 speeches 40’s to late 50’s
The other half of the third couple. He is the psychiatrist for both Charlie & Claire. He is busy being overly calm & nice to everyone as Dr. Ernie, but is clueless about what is really going on for quite awhile. Also busy trying to have a group session on the phone in the middle of all this madness in the beginning. He always addresses his wife with one of his many pet names for her.
CASSIE COOPER: 65 speeches mid 30’s to mid 40’s
The slightly younger sexy trophy wife who is a huge drama queen and very high maintenance. The fourth couple who arrive arguing. She is very new age and has her crystal in tow, which gets flushed down the toilet….another crisis. She comes onto Lenny & Ernie to make her husband jealous.
GLENN COOPER: 140 speeches 40’s to late 50’s
Full of himself with an exaggerated view of his importance as he is only running for state senator in Poughkeepsie. A true politician, he wants to steer clear of any scandal at all costs. Very very exasperated with his wife.
OFFICER WELCH: 81 speeches late 40’s- late 50’s male
The fifth couple to arrive. A great tour de force part at the end of the show. An experienced savvy police officer, which pokes holes in all of the crazy stories but chooses to let the whole thing go at the end of Lenny’s speech because it entertained him. He has them all terrified but lets them off the hook.
OFFICER PURDY 2 speeches late 20’s – mid 30’s female
They are partners with an interesting relationship. Not a lot of lines, so her entire character is based on looks and physical reactions.
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