Audition Notice For Clybourne Park
Auditions Open for Clybourne Park at Masquers
Don't get left behind! Audition slots for award-winning Clybourne Park are filling up. Written by Bruce Norris, Clybourne Park won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2012 Tony Award for Best Play.
Auditions: Saturday, Feb 24th, 2:00-5:00 PM; Sunday, Feb 25th, 7:00-10:00 PM
Callbacks: Monday, Feb 26th, 7-10 pm (invitation only)
Sign up at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BA5AD2FA0F9C70-47217044-clybourne#/
Auditions are held at Masquers Playhouse, 105 Park Place, Pt. Richmond CA 94801. Questions? Contact Director Richard Perez at [email protected].
Background
There's a house in Clybourne Park that is the center of attention in 1959 Chicago when a Black family moves into the predominantly white neighborhood; 50 years later, a white family wants to move into the same house in the now predominantly Black community. Norris’ play explores issues of race, territory, and legacy with an uncommon combination of biting humor and genuine tenderness, treading the rich and illuminating ground of both comedy and drama.
“A spiky and damningly insightful comedy.” ―Ben Brantley, The New York Times
“Superb, elegantly written, and hilarious.” ―John Lahr, The New Yorker
“Courageous…Norris's elegantly structured play nails marital tensions as much as it does racial disharmony in an evening of ebullient provocation.” ―Lyn Gardner, The Guardian
Performance Dates: June 28, 29 and July 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 19, 20 @ 8:00 PM; June 30 and July 7, 14, 21 @ 2:00 PM
Audition Requirements:
- Cold read from the script. No monologue required.
- Non-AEA
- If cast, a modest personal expense reimbursement is offered.
- Whatever COVID requirements are in effect at the time of the auditions will be followed.
Masquers Playhouse does not discriminate based on an individual’s race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. We are seeking a diverse list of artists for every role and encouraging all to submit.
Character Descriptions:
- Russ (Act I)/ Dan (Act II): Caucasian male, 45-55. In Act I, a middle-management businessman sells his house to escape memories of a family tragedy. In Act II, a friendly but somewhat oblivious construction worker.
- Bev (Act I)/ Kathy (Act II): Caucasian female, 40s. Married to Russ, whose brooding is eroding her natural optimism. In Act II, a breezy real estate agent and lawyer.
- Francine (Act I)/ Lena (Act II): African-American female, 30s-40s. A stoic and polite domestic worker to Russ and Bev in Act I. In Act II, a no-nonsense professional woman invested in her neighborhood and fiercely opposed to white gentrification.
- Albert (Act I)/ Kevin (Act II): African American male, 30s-40s. As husband to Francine in Act I, he is accommodating but a shrewd judge of character. In Act II, an easy-going investment banker married to Lena.
- Karl (Act I)/ Steve (Act II): Caucasian male, late 30s-40s. In Act I, a character borrowed from “A Raisin in the Sun” comes to persuade Russ and Bev not to sell their house to a “colored family.” In Act II, a well-educated man, but not exactly a diplomatic one. He’s seeking to purchase the home in the now-black neighborhood.
- Betsy (Act I)/ Lindsey (Act II): Caucasian female, late 20s– 30s. Married to Karl and seven months pregnant in Act I. Betsy is deaf but does speak, although her speech is difficult to understand. In Act II, a professional woman, also pregnant, who is married to Steve.
- Jim (Act I)/ Tom (Act II): Caucasian male, mid-20s – 30s. The well-intentioned minister at Russ and Bev’s church in Act I. In Act II, a lawyer who is hired by Kevin and Lena to represent their community association in negotiations with Steve and Lindsey. To is smart and good at his job but in a hurry.
- Kenneth: Caucasian male, 20s. Russ and Bev’s son who has come home after service in the Korean War. Kenneth appears only briefly in a flashback at the end of Act II. He is sometimes played by the actor playing Jim/Tom.
