South Bend Civic Theatre Announces Auditions
for Heidi Schreck’s “Between Riverside and Crazy”
Ex-cop and recent widower Walter “Pops” Washington and his newly paroled son Junior have spent a lifetime living between Riverside and crazy. But now, the NYPD is demanding his signature to close an outstanding lawsuit, the landlord wants him out, the liquor store is closed—and the church won’t leave him alone. When the struggle to keep one of New York City’s last great rent-stabilized apartments collides with old wounds, sketchy new houseguests, and a final ultimatum, it seems that the old days may be dead and gone. Winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize. *please note this show does contain strong language.
DIRECTOR: Leah Tirado
Performance Space: Warner Theatre
AUDITIONS: drop in to the Civic lobby (enter in the front door) April 8th or 9th between 6-8PM
CALLBACKS: arrive at 6PM in the Civic lobby (enter in the front door) April 11th and plan to stay until 8PM
EXPECTED REHEARSAL SCHEDULE: Sundays - Thursdays 6-9PM
PREPARATION: Sides will be provided at auditions. No need to prepare anything else.
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS:
Walter “Pops” Washington - Lead
Mature adult male/ 50s-60s/ African American
The patriarch of the family, Pops is a recently-widowed, retired cop who was shot by a white cop while off-duty. Pops is an alcoholic who occasionally smokes pot and consistently refuses to take his medication. Pops can come off as prickly and hard-edged. He is called “Dad” not only by his son, Junior, but also by Junior’s girlfriend and his ex-con friend Oswaldo. He attempts to do better than his own father did with him. Pops is beloved by everyone, except himself.
Junior - Supporting
Adult male/ 30s/ African American
The adult son of Walter “Pops” Washington. Junior is an ex-con now living at home with his father, his buddy Oswaldo, and his much-younger girlfriend, Lulu. He’s having a tough time adjusting to life outside of prison and often has difficulty getting through the day without getting into a major fight. Despite appearing hard around the edges, Junior is soft-hearted and wants more than anything to have a positive relationship with his father.
Lulu - Supporting
Young adult female/ 20s/ Latina. Should appear much younger than her boyfriend, Junior.
Lulu is Junior’s girlfriend and lives with him, Junor’s buddy Oswaldo, and Pops. She is a voluptuous, opinionated, loving, and not the sharpest crayon in the box. She tends to walk around in fewer items of clothing that she should. She affectionately refers to Junior’s father as “Dad.” She claims to be studying accounting at City College, but there is suspicion from Pops and Oswaldo that she might be what she looks to be: a prostitute.
Oswaldo - Supporting
Young adult male/ mid-20-30s/ Nuyorican. Puerto Rican-American, originally from the Bronx.
Oswaldo is a recent parolee who is living with his buddy Junior, Lulu, and Pops. He is recently 90 days sober from drugs and alcohol, and it’s evident he is immensely proud of that accomplishment. He struggles daily to maintain sobriety. He works hard to listen to his parole officer’s advice and eat healthily, to understand his own “emotionalisms,” and to express his feelings to others. He feels rejected by his entire family and longs to reconcile with them as part of his healing journey. He is fragile, wounded, but frequently hopeful.
Detective Audrey O’Connor - Supporting
Adult female/ 30s-40s/ Caucasian. Possible Long Island accent.
A detective in the New York City Police Department, formerly the newbie partner of African-American cop Walter “Pops” Washington. She idolizes Pop and considers him a true mentor and friend. She is engaged to NYPD Lieutenant Caro, and she wishes Pops will walk her down the aisle one day. She often finds herself trapped between her affection for Pops and her fiance’s ambitions. She’s a confident woman with a great job, but she has never forgotten her early years with Pops and treasures her former partner’s generosity towards her. She is loving and trusting.
Lieutenant Caro - Supporting
Adult male/ 40-59/ Italian-American. Possible Long Island accent.
A lieutenant with the NYPD who has quickly risen in the ranks and hopes to become the Deputy Commissioner. He is engaged to Detective O’Connor, whom he loves deeply. They live together on Long Island. Caro can be a bit loud, is an occasional gambler, and drinks too much, but he is a good man with generally good intentions.
Church Lady - Featured
Adult female/ 30s-40s/ Brazilian. Possible Portuguese accent.
She goes into the people’s homes in an effort to help them find God. She has a strong religious foundation in both Catholicism and Santeria. At least that’s what she tells Walter “Pops” Washington when she visits him, announcing that she is the “replacement” for his “usual church lady.” In truth, she is an opportunistic thief. She does have a strong moral center, however, and is simply desperate to take care of her family any way she can. She is a good woman in a tough situation and uses her wits and whiles to try and survive.
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