Blithe Spirit
Blithe Spirit is set at the house of writer, Charles Condomine, and his wife, Ruth. One evening, Charles invites local eccentric medium, Madame Arcati, to hold a seance at his house. He asks along his friends, Dr. and Mrs. Bradman, intending to gather character inspiration from Madame Arcati for his latest book. Despite initially thinking the seance has been a failure, it soon becomes clear to Charles that Madame Arcati has succeeded beyond expectations…
Character Descriptions
Charles Condomine - Charles is bright, sophisticated, articulate, and debonair. As an author, he takes an interest in spiritualism as a subject for a novel, leading him to ask Madame Arcati to dinner and a séance for research purposes. He is skeptical but becomes a believer when the ghost of his first wife appears—and stays. He becomes increasingly frantic as his life, not to mention his relationship with his new wife, becomes increasingly complicated.
Ruth Condomine - Charles’s second wife. Like her husband, Ruth is witty and sophisticated, and used to traveling in social circles. Ruth is perhaps a bit stuffy and a little predictable. She is convinced that Charles has lost his mind when Elvira appears, and struggles to restore her husband to normalcy.
Elvira - The ghost of Charles’s first wife. Only Charles can see or hear her. In life, Elvira was spirited, outgoing, wild, and carefree. In death, she is no different, though she finds herself jealous of his new wife, Ruth.
Madame Arcati - A local spiritualist and medium. Travelling about the town on her signature bicycle, she is easily taken as a crackpot or humbug, but she nevertheless inadvertently opens the door for Elvira to return from “the other side”. Eccentric, boisterous, and spry, she is a colourful member of the middle-aged to senior set.
Dr. George Bradman - As a good friend of the Condomines, Dr. Bradman is invited to dinner and the séance. While he plays along with his friend’s research, he is clearly the skeptic of the group.
Violet Bradman - Dr. Bradman’s wife. Simple and naïve, she is quite excited about being in the presence of the medium, whom she finds fascinating.
Edith - Maid to the Condomines. Nervous by nature, she is eager to please her employers and often works at breakneck speed trying to impress.
Auditions: Please prepare a short monologue. Those auditioning may be asked to read an excerpt from the play.
Falsettos
Character Descriptions
(NOTE: while many of the characters are Jewish, non-traditional casting will be utilized)
MARVIN- Confused, immature, and selfish, MARVIN is at the center of his family’s chaotic upheaval. Having left TRINA for WHIZZER before the musical begins, he finds his desires split between his idealized nuclear family and his new lover. JASON is the most important person in his life, but he doesn’t always know how to show it. Jewish. 30’s—50’s, Tenor/Baritone
WHIZZER - MARVIN’s lover. Full of vitality, WHIZZER is handsome and athletic. He’s smarter than he looks, yet, for him, games are more about playing than winning. He’s not used to being in a committed relationship. In the second act, he is diagnosed with AIDS. 20’s—30’s, Tenor
TRINA- MARVIN’s ex-wife. TRINA is pushed to the brink by the realization that her husband is gay. High strung and depressed, she is just barely able to hold herself together. She wants to regain the ‘perfect’ family she had before the divorce. Jewish. 30’s—40’s, Mezzo-Soprano/Belter
MENDEL- MARVIN’s psychiatrist. MENDEL is an neurotic romantic who falls in love with TRINA. Both an outsider and an insider within the musical. He is charming and likeable. Jewish but not religious. 30’s—50’s, Tenor/Baritone
JASON- MARVIN and TRINA’s son. Bookish and awkward, JASON loves chess more than anything in the world. In the first act he struggles with the family’s breakup and his father’s sexuality. The second act revolves around the planning of his upcoming Bar Mitzvah. 9—14, Tenor
CHARLOTTE- One of the two ‘lesbians from next door’. Serious and thoughtful, CHARLOTTE is a doctor who enjoys her partner’s cooking and her friendship with MARVIN and WHIZZER. She is one of the first to notice that something strange is happening to gay men across New York. 20’s—50’s, Mezzo-Soprano/Alto
CORDELIA- The other ‘lesbian from next door’. Idealistic and cheerful, CORDELIA is concerned that her work as a kosher caterer is less important than CHARLOTTE’s at the hospital. 20’s—50’s, Soprano
Auditions: Please prepare a short (~3 minute) monologue and a contemporary musical theatre song that shows off your vocal range. An accompanist will be provided, so please bring sheet music or be prepared to sing acapella.
Separate Beds
In Act 1 we meet Ernie and Twink who are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary on a Caribbean cruise, paid for by their grown sons. Free of chores and worries, Ernie and Twink are wined and dined and introduced to exciting people. When they meet the rich, seductive Blake and Beth who seem to have it all ...Twink becomes infatuated with the glamour and romance of the other couple’s lives and seeks to reignite the spark in her own marriage. In Act 2 we meet the perfect couple. Beth and Blake seem to have it all, and we learn that this is a facade that quickly crumbles.
Character Descriptions
Character age ranges are provided as guidelines, adults of all ages are welcome to audition.
Twink Fraser- The eternal optimist. She is bubbly, kind, and good natured. She works hard at keeping fit and also encourages Ernie to do the same. She loves Ernie but misses the romance they once enjoyed. Twink suffers anxiety on the cruise as she is afraid of water. She goes to bed with her life preserver on and yet reads the Titanic in bed. She shops at “Winners” and tries to keep up with fashion but can not compete with the fashionable Beth who wears designer clothes. ~50 years old
Ernie Fraser- He owns a hardware store in a small town but is stressed about the new Home Depot coming to town. Twink thinks that they need a marriage “tuneup” but Ernie thinks their marriage is just fine. Ernie is a bit of a curmudgeon and he would rather be golfing in Myrtle beach than be on this cruise. He is also missing his little grandson’s hockey tournament. As a teenager, Ernie sang in a band, The Stingrays, and at the talent night at the end of the cruise, Ernie surprises Twink and redeems himself when he sings their “song” I Got You babe. ~55 years old
Beth Stone- A once sought after actress now has been demoted to doing dog food commercials. She is a trophy wife to Blake and they are celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary on the cruise. Beth’s focus on the cruise is waiting to hear from her agent about a movie role with George Clooney. Initially, she ignores Twink as being out of her league but by the end of the play, Beth wishes she had what Twink has...an honourable husband. ~49 years old
Blake Stone- A snob and a social climber. He is a wealthy optometrist who has his own international eyewear line and he is always ready to capitalize on networking to get more business. His ulterior motive for being on the cruise is is to promote his eye wear line. Beth is his arm candy and has little regard for her feelings. ~55 years old
Auditions: Please prepare one short comedy monologue.