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Breakdown
2015-16 SEASON:
BABY DOLL
KEN LUDWIG'S A COMEDY OF TENORS
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
THE PIANO LESSON
THE MOUSETRAP
ALL THE DAYS
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BABY DOLL
By Tennessee Williams. Adapted by Pierre Laville and Emily Mann. Directed by Emily Mann.
1st rehearsal: August 14, 2015. Runs September 11 – October 11, 2015, with possible one week extension to October 18, 2015. Berlind Theatre.
Times are tough in the Mississippi Delta, where cotton is king and the summer heat drives desires of every kind. Tennessee Williams' forgotten 1950's film masterpiece, Baby Doll, was condemned in its time for its riveting tale of commercial and erotic vengeance. The American premiere of this theatrical adaptation will ignite the stage with its blackly comic, steamy tale of one delicate girl's awakening. From the author of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Glass Menagerie, and A Streetcar Named Desire, Baby Doll is pure Williams, an enthralling tale of prejudice, sexual politics, and passion.
Baby Doll: 20s. A tour de force role for a versatile actress. Married to Archie Lee Meighan, but their marriage has never been consummated. Very beautiful, Baby Doll is a young woman, but has the heart of a child. Not formally educated and sometimes has difficulty keeping up with the conversations around her. Tries to remain in control of her life, but sometimes wants to give up. Mississippi Delta dialect. Caucasian.
Archie Lee Meighan: 40s-60s. Married Baby Doll when his cotton gin business was better. Now he’s broke, frustrated, and resentful. Deeply infatuated with Baby Doll and will do anything to keep her by his side. Extremely short-tempered and unpredictable, not afraid of resorting to violence. Mississippi Delta dialect. Caucasian.
Silva Vacarro: 30s. Manager of the Syndicate Plantation next door to the Meighan’s home. A Sicilian who is not accepted by his white neighbors. Radiates charisma and sex appeal. He is dangerous and sometimes predatory, though at his core, there is a tenderness.
Aunt Rose Comfort: 70s. Baby Doll’s aunt. Lives with Baby Doll and Archie Lee and does the cooking. Dithering and daffy. Well past her prime, Aunt Rose, a perpetual caretaker, now worries about her place in the world. Mississippi Delta dialect. Caucasian.
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KEN LUDWIG'S A COMEDY OF TENORS
Directed By Stephen Wadsworth. Produced in association with Cleveland Playhouse.
Cleveland Playhouse 1st Rehearsal: August 11, 2015. Runs September 5-October 3, 2015.
McCarter Theatre 1st rehearsal: October 6, 2015. Runs October 13 – November 1, 2015. Matthews Theatre.
One hotel suite, four tenors, two wives, three girlfriends, and a soccer stadium filled with screaming fans. What could possibly go wrong? It's 1930's Paris, and the stage is set for the concert of the century—as long as producer Henry Saunders can keep the amorous Italian superstar and his hot-blooded wife from causing runaway chaos. Comedy mastermind Ken Ludwig (Baskerville) returns to McCarter for the world premiere sequel to his sidesplitting international hit, Lend Me a Tenor.
Henry Saunders: 50s-60s. An opera producer. A true believer in the idea that the show must go on (especially when it is costing him a fortune to produce). A blowhard who often loses his temper at the slightest mishap and revels in his victories. Bombastic, with great comic engine.
Tito Merelli/Beppo: 40s-50s. A tour de force role for a comedic actor with great physicality. Tito: Italian. The famous opera singer. Protective father to Mimi, and jealous husband to Maria. Feeling slightly past his prime, he is touchy and threatened by young up-and-comer Carlo Nucci. Extremely dramatic, and having a mid-life crisis. Italian accent. Beppo: An Italian bellhop at a French hotel. A tough, likeable former Gondolier of simple origins who happens to be a dead ringer for Tito. A born performer who wants nothing more than to indulge in the luxuries of life—food, women, and music. Sings.
Maria Merelli: 40s-50s. Tito’s wife. Fabulous and fiery, Maria is a force to be reckoned with. Extremely caring and supportive of her family. Nevertheless, Maria has had it with Tito’s dramatics and isn’t afraid to let him know. Saucy and full of life. Italian accent.
Mimi Merelli: 20s. Daughter to Maria and Tito. Secretly dating Carlo Nucci. An aspiring actress, Mimi is effervescent, romantic, and impulsive. Light-hearted and bright, Mimi loves deeply and sometimes gets lost in the moment.
Carlo Nucci: 20s-30s. A famous up and coming opera singer. Dashing. Earnest, appealing, and well-intentioned, Carlo is truly a good guy. A loyal and supportive companion to Mimi, but terrified of her father Tito. Sings.
Max: 30s. Formerly Saunders’ assistant, now Max is an opera singer in his own right. Despite his new status, Max is quick to step in and help out when things go wrong. An optimist and a problem solver. Energetic, smart, and sensible. A keen observer who knows how to put two and two together. Sings.
Tatiana Racón: 40s. A famous soprano. Seductive and ravishingly beautiful. A Russian operatic goddess. Not afraid to ask for what she wants. A former lover of Tito’s. Russian accent. Not a singing role
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A CHRISTMAS CAROL
By Charles Dickens, adaptation by David Thompson
Dir: Michael Unger. Choreog: Rob Ashford.
1st reh: 11/13. Runs 12/4-12/27. Matthews Theatre.
Ebenezer Scrooge
50s-mid 60s. Quintessential curmudgeon, nasty and miserly—whose bad temper is directly related to the pain of his past. Beneath the crusty exterior is a long-forgotten man seeking a connection. Must have superb dramatic as well as comic range. This is a physically demanding role that involves sliding through trap doors as well as flying. London Accent. Not posh, not cockney
Bob Cratchit
30s. Scrooge’s clerk, a family man. Scrooge has worked Cratchit to the bone, but his joy for life and affection for his family remain untouched. Despite his difficult existence, he is still filled with hope and humor. Though he worries about how to put food on the table, he somehow always finds a way to provide treats for his children. He is shattered when Tiny Tim dies and try as he might, his sorrow is impossible to hide from his other children. Any ethnicity.
Jacob Marley
Late 20s-Late 30s. Scrooge’s partner, an ambitious, practical man, with no sentimentality. Marley is a product of a newly industrialized England and places money and financial stability above all else. As a young man, he coerces Young Scrooge into joining the dark and ruthless side of the business world. When we first meet him, he has been dead for seven years, but he should not be ghoulish. He is simply a man who has been waiting desperately for Scrooge to open his eyes wide enough to see him and hear his lesson. Must move well. Any ethnicity.
Fred/Schoolmaster/Undertaker
Late 20s-Late 30s. High Baritone. Fred: Scrooge's nephew. An optimistic and kind young man. Witty and able to trade barbs with his Uncle. Should be an attractive leading man with a slightly goofy edge. Undertaker: a leering, creepy, grasping, covetous (drooling?) example of the underworld in Victorian England – cockney accent. Funny. Any ethnicity.
Young Scrooge
Early 20s. An innocent Scrooge before he is corrupted at the hands of Marley. A conflicted youth torn between the need for financial security and the desire to connect with other human beings. At the beginning, he possesses a sense of fun and humor and is a viably positive member of society. He’s easily influenced and changeable, and though he falls in love with Belle instantly, one year later, he spurns her just as quickly.
Fan / Solicitor 2
20s. Fan: Scrooge’s young, fragile, and devoted sister. She exudes warmth when she visits Child Scrooge in the schoolyard and desperation in her final goodbye with her brother. Solicitor 2: A giddy but determined young woman. Good-hearted and well-intentioned, she is seeking charity with her dear friend, Solicitor 1. They cannot believe that anyone would ever NOT give towards their cause. These ladies finish each other’s sentences as if they were one person. Any ethnicity.
Mrs. Fezziwig / Solicitor 1 / Laundress
30s-50s. Mrs. Fezziwig: Ditzy, gabby, and overflowing with warmth; she is certain that she and her daughter are great beauties. A good-hearted meddler. In love with her husband and entirely convinced of the goodness of those around her and the bounty of the world. Solicitor 1: A strong woman who fights for right. She and her co-fund-raiser finish each other’s sentences with great ease. She is quick with a joke though rightfully critical of those she considers stingy. Laundress: She desperately sells the stuff dead people leave behind. She is fiercely competitive, dreadfully funny, and wonderfully scuzzy. Cockney. Any ethnicity.
Mrs. Dilber
30s-early 50s. Scrooge’s dedicated and dithering servant. Working class British. Quirky and funny – but with great pathos. She has always gotten Christmas Day off but, for some reason, tonight her boss is sterner and crabbier than ever. At the end of the play, the first to witness it, she is profoundly touched by Scrooge’s transformation. A character woman. Comedienne with heart. Any ethnicity.
Mrs. Cratchit
30s. Caring but fiery, she will defend her family at any price. She is the glue that holds her family together. Nurturing, warm, the salt of the earth. She criticizes Scrooge more than anyone because of what he is doing to her devoted and downtrodden husband. She tries to hide her sorrow over Tiny Tim’s loss from her other children, but fails. Working class London accent. Any ethnicity.
Lily/Belle
20s-early 30s. Lily: Fred’s wife and an extremely kind and graceful young woman. Lily always sees the best in people. She is tenacious and refuses to give up on Scrooge because she realizes how much family means to her husband. Belle: Scrooge’s fiancée who gets left behind because of his obsession with money. A woman ahead of her time, Belle is fiercely idealistic. There is a sadness about her; she holds people to high standards and, predictably, ends up horribly disappointed with Scrooge. Must sing and move extremely well. Chest mix to a D. Any ethnicity.
Mr. Fezziwig/Old Joe
Late 40s-50s. Character man. Fezziwig: Young Scrooge and Marley’s boss, generous and expansive and giddily in love with his wife. Fezziwig is a kind hearted and jolly man, but not a fool. He has great integrity and refuses to sell out to Scrooge and Marley. Old Joe: Cockney Pawnshop dealer who trades in stolen goods – mostly from dead people. Witty, dark and devious, Joe is a distant relative of Dickens’ Fagin and has a bawdy sense of humor. He will take no nonsense from anyone, unless he’s dealing it out first. A shrewd negotiator - until a glimpse of cleavage is involved – or when faced with the child-like beauty of a music box. Any Ethnicity.
Christmas Present
30s. Female. African American. Infectious spirit and warmth. Must have a powerful presence, sense of humor, wit, and mischief, and a fabulous laugh to boot. She has an implicit understanding of right and wrong and is not afraid to let Scrooge know it. Maternal and earthy, she is powerful enough to make Scrooge fly, yet gentle enough to guide him at just the right speed towards his transformation.
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THE PIANO LESSON
By August Wilson
Dir: Jade King Carroll.
1st reh: 12/11. Runs 1/8-2/7/16 (possible extension to 2/14)
Berlind Theatre.
Boy Willie
Late 20s-30s. Berniece's brother. Brash, impulsive, and fast-talking. Has an infectious grin and a boyishness to him. Not afraid to fight for what he wants. A man of action. Singing a plus. African American.
Berniece
30s. Boy Willie’s sister. A single mother still in mourning, she blames her brother for her husband's death. Strong willed, independent, and guarded. Ability to play piano a plus. Singing a plus. African American.
Doaker Charles
Late 40s-50s. Berniece and Boy Willie's uncle. The owner of the household. Spent his life working for the railroad. Offers a connection to the family's past through his stories. Singing a plus. African American.
Lymon
Late 20s-30s. Boy Willie's longtime friend. Reserved, often speaking with a disarming straightforwardness. Fleeing the law. Obsessed with women. Singing a plus. African American.
Avery Brown
30s. Berniece’s quasi-boyfriend. A preacher trying to build his congregation. Honest, ambitious, and fervently religious. African American.
Wining Boy
50s. Doaker’s brother. A wandering, washed-up former recording star. Lives life with an odd mixture of zest and sorrow. Ability to play piano a plus. Singing a plus. African American.
Grace
Early 30s. A confident city girl who both Boy Willie and Lymon try to pick up. African-American.
Maretha
11. Berniece's daughter. Learning to play piano. Curious. African American.
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THE MOUSETRAP
By Agatha Christie
Directed by Adam Immerwahr.
1st reh: 2/9/16. Runs 3/-3/27. Matthews Theatre.
The snow is falling around Monkswell Manor, but the body count keeps rising. Trapped inside this lonely country inn are the two proprieters, five anxious guests, and one police detective—one will be the next victim, and one the killer. Agatha Christie, the undisputed queen of crime, pens this fiendishly delightful, nerve-shredding whodunnit. A perfectly twisted web of a play, this mystery-thriller truly invented the rules of the genre.
Mollie Ralston
20s-30s. Giles’ wife of one year. Sincere, caring, and ambitious. Mollie inherited Monkswell Manor and decided to open a guest house. Eager to please and hard-working. Harboring a secret guilt, Mollie tries not to think about the past and instead live in the now. British accent.
Giles Ralston
20s-30s. Attractive, proud, and confident. In love with Mollie, he is protective and prone to jealousy. Serious and something of a pessimist. Not entirely committed to the idea of running the guest house. British accent.
Christopher Wren
20s. Sensitive, emotional, and slightly effeminate. Somewhat wild-looking. Has a tendency to flit around the room. Sweet, carefree and impulsive, often failing to foresee consequences. Running away from something. British accent.
Mrs. Boyle
40s-50s. Judgmental, imposing, and often in a very bad temper. Difficult and unpleasant with very high expectations that are seldom met. Very comfortable expressing disapproval. Has delusions of grandeur concerning her life and status. British RP.
Major Metcalf
40s-50s. Military in manner and bearing. Agreeable, straightforward, and occasionally stern. A helpful man who keeps to himself. British accent.
Miss Casewell
Late 20s-early 30s. Miss Casewell remains mysteriously aloof from the other guests. Mannish in dress and manner. Forthright and low-maintenance with a sense of humor. In control of her life and doesn’t look back on the past. British accent.
Mr. Paravicini
30s. Foreign. Conceals his true age by dressing as an elderly man. Paravicini delights in his macabre sense of humor, despite the distress his jokes cause. A mysterious man who enjoys being the center of attention. Roguish, theatrical, and menacing.
Detective Sergeant Trotter
20s. Pleasant, meticulous and courteous, Trotter takes his work very seriously and expects those around him to as well. Determined and inquisitive. A reassuring presence of authority who brings a feeling of safety into the guest house. Slight Cockney accent.
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ALL THE DAYS
By Sharyn Rothstein
Dir: Emily Mann.
1st reh: 4/1/16. Runs 4/29-5/29 (possible extension to 6/5)
Berlind Theatre.
There's nothing worse than family... and nothing better. Miranda has done everything in her power to create a life completely different than the one she came from. But a week before a family celebration, Miranda suffers a lapse of judgment and invites her deliciously eccentric and overbearing mother to come stay. With all the kin in one place, will they all stay in one piece? This heartfelt and hilarious world premiere is about a family of very funny people in the midst of loss, love and forgiveness.
Ruth Zweigman
60s. A cynical diabetic who lacks the self control to take good care of herself. Unhealthy and overweight, Ruth punishes herself with food and eats her emotions. She cares about how she looks and has always known how to put herself together—which makes being overweight even worse. Deliciously vulgar, self-deprecating and ruthlessly honest. Grieving the death of her son six months earlier. Ruth uses humor as both a defense mechanism, and a way to cope with the fact that life did not go as she planned.
Miranda Blaser
Late 30s-early 40s. Ruth’s daughter. Raised Jewish, Miranda has recently found comfort and spirituality in Christianity. A control freak. Biting, and somewhat bitter, Miranda desperately wants to avoid her family’s bickering and belittling. A single mother who loves her son and wants to give him a peaceful, loving home.
Monica Tobin
50s-60s. Ruth’s sister. A real estate agent. Works hard and looks good. Though warmer and more affectionate than her sister, Monica shares Ruth’s penchant for sarcasm and speaking her mind. Witty, indomitable, and self-assured, Monica knows how to hold a grudge.
Delmore Zweigman
Mid-late 60s. Ruth’s ex-husband. Miranda’s dad. Out of work. Delmore is charming—this is his best and worst quality. Jocular and quick-witted, Del knows how to dish it, but he also knows how to take it. Isn’t afraid to own up to his past mistakes, but he’s no saint either—his selfishness gets in the way of his relationships.
Jared Rauchman
13. Miranda’s son. About to have his Bar Mitzvah. A sweet kid who can be a smart aleck. Has a spunky side. The center of his mother’s universe and her main companion, Jared often gets treated as an adult and is starting to push against this constant pressure.
Stewbert Mullen
30s-40s. Miranda’s boyfriend. Distressingly normal, Stewbert is a turkey burger—he’s just fine. He lets Miranda’s family walk all over him, but still hopes they’ll learn to respect him. Diplomatic and genuine, Stewbert doesn’t quite fit in with the Zweigmans, but his love for Miranda is real.
Baptiste Woischke
50s. An eccentric herbalist. Extremely charismatic. Forthright and intensely earnest, Baptiste cuts to the truth of the matter at all times. Refreshingly optimistic. Lives in the here and now.
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