What: Open auditions for Noises Off, written by Michael Frayn.
When: 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29.
Where: Pentacle Theatre, 324 52nd Ave. NW, off Highway 22. About 6 miles west of downtown Salem, Oregon
Casting: Five men, four women. For a full list of parts, genders and ages, please see below.
Auditions:
- Actors will read from the script, copies of which are available on loan at the Pentacle Theatre Business Office, 145 Liberty St. NE in downtown Salem for a $10 refundable deposit. Call 503-485-4300, ext. 22, to arrange for pickup.
- Please arrive promptly by 1 p.m. and plan to stay as late as 5 p.m.
- Plan to arrive early to fill out the 2016-audition-disclosure-and-photo-release. or complete it before you arrive. Be sure to write clearly, especially your contact information.
- Bring your calendar and a complete list of conflicts through Feb. 11.
Callbacks (if needed): To be announced.
Rehearsals: 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays at Pentacle Theatre’s rehearsal studio in downtown Salem. The director will set weekend rehearsals and work sessions as needed.
Show dates: Friday, Jan. 20 through Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017.
About the show: Noises Off is a madcap farce that shows the audience what goes wrong both onstage and backstage as a bumbling cast of second-rate actors prepare for and perform a poorly-written bedroom farce, “Nothing On” (a play-within-the-play). Every actor’s and director’s nightmare is realized, to side-splitting comic effect. Audiences love Noises Off.
“The most dexterously realized comedy ever about putting on a comedy. A spectacularly funny, peerless backstage farce. This dizzy, well-known romp is festival of delirium.” — The New York Times.
Cast of Characters:
Lloyd Dallas: The director of a play-within-the-play, called “Nothing On.” Temperamental. Part of a love triangle involving Poppy and Brooke.
Dotty Otley: A late-middle-aged actress cast as Mrs. Clackett, the dim housekeeper in “Nothing On.” Forgetful. She has a romantic interest in Garry and provokes him by showing interest in Freddy.
Garry Lejeune: A stuttering actor, easily fired up, who plays Roger, the estate agent in “Nothing On.” He has a romantic interest in Dotty and is driven by jealousy to attack Freddy repeatedly. Constantly stutters and ends sentences with “you know…” His speech impediment disappears onstage.
Brooke Ashton: A young inexperienced actress from London who plays Vicki, the income tax agent trying to woo Roger, in “Nothing On.” She pays no attention to others, either in performance or backstage. She rarely takes direction and persists in her role regardless of any interruption. She is always losing her contact lenses. Part of the Lloyd–Poppy–Brooke love triangle.
Frederick (Freddy) Fellowes: Not a confident actor, he is rather dimwitted and pompous. In “Nothing On” he plays Philip Brent, who lives out of the country with his wife, Flavia, to avoid paying taxes. They are on a secret visit to their home. Freddy has a serious fear of violence and blood, and gets nosebleeds easily.
Belinda Blair: Cheerful and sensible, a reliable actress. She plays Flavia Brent in “Nothing On.” Belinda is dependable, though not one for household duties. She has a protective attitude toward Freddy.
Poppy Norton-Taylor: The assistant stage manager. Emotional and over-sensitive, she is envious of Brooke, whom she understudies for “Nothing On.” Part of the Lloyd-Poppy-Brooke love triangle.
Selsdon Mowbray: An overly mannered actor in his 70s who has trod the boards since his youth. If Selsdon is not in sight while rehearsing or performing, the stage crew must find him before he finds the whisky. He plays a burglar in “Nothing On.”
Timothy Allgood: The overworked stage manager. Understudies Selsdon and Freddy for “Nothing On.”
For more information: Contact director Susan Schoaps, or call the Pentacle Theater office at 503-485-4300.
