Synopsis
The scene is the New York City boarding house of Mrs. Orcutt which occupies an entire brownstone house in the West 50’s in NYC. Here the hopes and ambitions of sixteen wanna-be actresses who have come there to pursue careers are hilariously revealed.
The play features the lives of young actresses as they try to make it on the stage in the world of Broadway in the 1930’s. They all live together in The Footlights Club, a house exclusively for female performers, trying to negotiate the business of theatre. The hopes and ambitions of these sixteen young women are revealed in scenes of entertaining comedy. Contrasted with this are the cases of the girl without talent and the elderly actress whose days are over. The central plot has to do with courageous Terry Randall, who fights against discouragement to a position in the theatre. One of her fellow aspirants gives up in despair, one gets married, and one goes into pictures, but Terry, with the help of idealistic producer, David Kingsley, sticks to her guns. Other characters include Mattie, the maid; Frank her husband; a few young men callers; a movie magnate; and young Keith Burgess, the playwright who “goes Hollywood.”
The show explores success, failure, love, comradeship, and perseverance. Emerging amid The Great Depression, this show serves as a love letter to the American Dream and the persistence of all starving artists.
Characters
Characters Summary:
The play features the lives of young actresses as they try to make it on the stage in the world of Broadway in the 1930’s. The hopes and ambitions of these sixteen young women are revealed in scenes of entertaining comedy. This show features a massive cast of 22 Females and 11 Males.
Characters Description:
Terry Randall
Buoyant, vivid personality, not conventionally beautiful, but she gives the effect of beauty through her confidence and brains, a real actress determined to make it on “legitimate” stage and avoid Hollywood. (Katherine Hepburn in film.)
Judith Canfield
Hardened, wise-cracking, sarcastic, deadpan, smart. (Eve Arden in film.)
Jean Maitland
A beautiful girl in her 20’s, charming, vivacious, a better actress off than on the stage, opportunist, goes “Hollywood”, good natured, charm and appeal for men. (Ginger Rogers in film.)
Kaye Hamilton
A fragile, wispy girl, new to the house, running away from abusive husband, broke, desperate, tragic, rooms with Terry and Jean.
Mary Harper (Big Mary who is ironically SHORT)
Petite, tiny, quick, funny, one half of a comic duo: best friends with Little Mary, bubbly, sense of humour
Mary McCune (Little Mary)
Tallest, almost a foot taller than “Big” Mary, funny, quick, one half of a comic duo – the two always together
Bernice Niemier
Tall, sultry, character actress, not the ingenue type, writes letters, an opportunist, wishes she were having more success, constantly asks questions, bit of a character.
Madeleine Vauclaine
A “languid beauty”, from Seattle, rather snooty looks through mail all the time, snappy, has dinner with boys from back home. (Lucille Ball in film, even though IMDB calls her Judith.)
Ann Braddock
Self-important, working in the theatre, an intellectual.
Linda Shaw
Sophisticated, beautiful, having an affair with a wealthy married man, spites her mother, demanding, occasionally cruel.
Bobby Melrose
A southern belle, bubbly, fun.
Louise Mitchell
Leaving the house to get married and moving home to Wisconsin, tries too hard to rise above it all, loves NYC.
Susan Paige
A young woman at the New York School of Acting, acting student by day; understudy by night, sweet, good natured.
Pat Devine
Well dressed, a nightclub dancer, nightclub dancer-does little dance steps throughout play, ambitious (Ann Miller in film.)
Kendall Adams
From prominent, wealthy, Boston family-as in John Adams (2nd President and Founding Father), well-bred, very blue blood, mid-Atlantic accent would be good here.
Olga Brant
Russian, concert pianist, intense, dark, bitter about having to play the
Wintergarden, (would be helpful if actress could actually play).
Mattie
A maid, 30, matter of fact, accustomed, tolerant, snappy, hardworking
Mrs. Shaw
Linda’s mother
Tony Gillette
Young actress who comes in last act
Ellen Fenwick
Young actress who comes in last act
David Kingsley
Older, handsome, charming, distinguished, a romantic, movie executive and theatre producer, dating Jean Maitland at first, but in love with Terry. Has values and intellect.
Keith Burgess
Brooding, self-centred, playwright who gives up his “art” for the $$ in Hollywood, a sell-out, unshaven, turtleneck, rebellious, Terry’s long-time boyfriend, serious, passionate.
Dr Randall
Terry’s father-small town doctor-kind and loving
Frank
Mattie’s husband, kind, hardworking, respectful, kind to the actresses and all who enter the Footlights Club.
Sam Hastings
A young man dating Bobby Melrose, nervous at first, a young actor from Houston, 2 years in New York, Texan.
Jimmy Devereaux
A young man dating Susan Paige, a student at the New York School of Acting.
Fred Powell
An over hearty businessman, in town for a night, dating Madeline Vauclaine.
Lou Milhauser
An over hearty businessman, in town for a night, 2nd person on double date with Judith Canfield.
Larry Wescott
New York publicity man who follows Jean back to the club
Adolph Gretzl
Middle aged, President of a motion picture company, intense, demanding, a bit of a tyrant.
Billy
Photographer for Jean’s publicity
Precast Characters:
Mrs. Orcutt
The House Matron, 46, overdone, the past is alive for her, rounds up situations, serious when she needs to be, but also kind.
Audition Venue & Dates
Audition Dates and Times:
4:00pm on:
7:30pm on:
Audition Venue Name: Aspendale Gardens Community Centre
Audition Venue Address:
103-105 Kearney Dr, Aspendale Gardens VIC 3195, Australia
Audition Enquiries Contact: production@aspecttheatre.org.au
Performances
Season Dates: 20 Jul 2023 - 29 Jul 2023
Showtimes:
2:00pm on:
- Sat 22nd Jul 2023
- Sat 29th Jul 2023
4:00pm on:
7:30pm on:
- Thu 20th Jul 2023
- Fri 21st Jul 2023
- Sat 22nd Jul 2023
- Fri 28th Jul 2023
- Sat 29th Jul 2023
More info
Other Information
Other Information:
More information about the show can be found at www.aspecttheatre.org.au
