Tag Archives: Dayton Playhouse

Auditions Announced for MURDER ON THE NILE at Dayton Playhouse

DPH_logoMonday & Tuesday, Sept. 17-18 at 7pm

Dayton Playhouse
1301 E Siebenthaler Ave
Dayton, Ohio 45414

Directed by Tim Rezash

In classic Agatha Christie-style, Kay Ridgeway has led a charmed life. Blessed with beauty, enormous wealth and a new husband, Kay embarks on a honeymoon voyage down the Nile. Fatal circumstances await when the idyllic surroundings are shattered by a shocking and brutal murder. Under scrutiny is a multitude of memorable passengers, all with a reason to kill. The tension and claustrophobia build as a shocking and audacious conspiracy is laid bare.

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:

Please note: All roles are open.

Kay Ridgeway Mostyn – A charismatic, rich and spoiled young socialite who leaves all in her path breathless with admiration or disgust.

Simon Mostyn – Kay’s new husband; good looking, good-tempered with a simple hearty manner, from humble beginnings, determined not to use Kay for her money.

Canon Pennefather – A large imposing clergyman, a self-described “worldly order of the clergy who enjoys the good things in life;” Kay’s guardian whom she calls Uncle Ambrose – the sleuth and pivotal detective of the play.

Jacqueline de Severac – Simon’s ex-fiancé and Kay’s best friend; raging with jealousy over Simon and Kay’s marriage. Emotional and mercurial, if somewhat fragile.

William Smith – An irreverent man who has devoted himself to the causes of the “working man” yet with a sparkle in the eye. A bit dirty and careless about his dress. His voice and dry wit contradict his appearance.

Ms. Christina Grant – Nice sensible girl with an amazingly equable temper. Great-niece of Ms. ffoliot-ffoulkes, grateful for the adventure on her aunt’s dime.

Ms. Helen ffoliot-ffoulkes – Unpleasant aging socialite; rude, snobbish and gruff. A believer in the upper and lower classes and that the twain should NEVER meet.

Dr. Ludwig Bessner – Bespectacled medical doctor with a marked foreign accent from a small country in Europe; hates Kay’s father and blames him for the financial ruin of his country and his family.

Louise – Kay’s flirtatious and devious French maid.

Steward – of the paddle steamer Lotus; sly and humorous character with the opportunity to go beyond what appears on the page.

Beadseller 1, Beadseller 2, Assistant Steward, Egyptian Policeman, Ship’s Manager

Performances run Nov. 2-11.

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Cast Announced for MY FAIR LADY at Dayton Playhouse

DPH_logoAnnouncing the cast of Dayton Playhouse’s opening production for our 60th Season, MY FAIR LADY.

  • Sarah Viola – Eliza Doolittle
  • Brian Laughlin – Colonel Pickering
  • Jackie Pfeifer – Mrs Eynsford-Hill 
  • Dodie Lockwood – Mrs. Higgins
  • David Shough – Henry Higgins
  • Drew Roby – Freddy Eynsford-Hill
  • Brad Bishop – Alfred P. Doolittle
  • CJ Suchyta – Bartender/Ensemble
  • Mark Sharp – Harry/Ensemble
  • Jim Spencer – Jamie/Ensemble
  • Donna Bostwick – Mrs. Pearce
  • Angele Price – Mrs. Hopkins
  • Jamie McQuinn – Prof. Zoltan Karpathy
  • Benjamin Jones – Bystander/Ensemble
  • Steve Strawser – Lord Boxington/Ensemble
  • Karla Enix – Lady Boxington/Ensemble
  • Elainah Skaroupka – Flower Girl/Ensemble
  • Shana Fishbein – Maid/Ensemble
  • Stacey Brewer – Maid/Ensemble
  • Amber Pfeifer – Maid/Ensemble
  • Jamie Pavlofsky – Ascot Maid/Ensemble
  • Annie Sayers – Ascot Maid/Ensemble
  • Neve Barker – Maid/Ensemble
  • Cathy Long – Ensemble
  • Marabeth Klejna – Ensemble

Director Brian Sharp is still looking for additional men for Ensemble roles.

BREAK A LEG, everyone!

Performances run Sept. 14-30. For more information visit http://wordpress.thedaytonplayhouse.com/.

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Auditions Announced for MY FAIR LADY at Dayton Playhouse

DPH_logoMY FAIR LADY directed by Brian Sharp

July 23 & 24 at 7pm

Dayton Playhouse
1301 E Siebenthaler Ave
Dayton, Ohio 45414

When Lerner and Loewe’s MY FAIR LADY opened on Broadway, it collected six Tony Awards including Best Musical. The film version took home eight Oscars including Best Picture. Based on George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion, MY FAIR LADY is the tale of a cockney flower girl transformed into a lady. The musical features some of the best-known tunes including “The Rain in Spain”, “I Could Have Danced All Night”, and “Get Me to the Church on Time.”

Production dates are Sept. 14 – 30

Please prepare 16-32 bars of music marked with all cuts and legible. Accompanist will be provided.

The following are the cast requirements:

Eliza Doolittle – cockney, British, headstrong, brazen, opinionated, determined
Adult – Female
Lead Role
Some movement
Soprano – A3 to G5

Henry Higgins – British, brilliant, crotchety, professional bachelor, upper class
Mature Adult – Male
Lead Role
Non Dancer
Baritone – B2 to E4

Colonel Pickering – elegant, refined, gentleman, worldly, thoughtful, British
Mature Adult – Male
Lead Role
Non Dancer
Baritone – C3 to D4

Mrs. Higgins – British, mother, opinionated, refined, society woman
Mature Adult – Female
Supporting Role
Non Dancer
Spoken

Mrs. Pearce – British, housekeeper, strong, servant manager
Mature Adult – Female
Supporting Role
Non Dancer
Mezzo Soprano – E4 to G4

Professor Zoltan Karpathy – Hungarian, pompous, self important, bearded
Adult – Male
Supporting Role
Dancer
Spoken

Alfred P. Doolittle – cockney, working class, drunkard, comedian
Mature Adult – Male
Supporting Role
Dancer
Baritone – G3 to E4

Freddy Eynsford-Hill – British, romantic, silly, dreamer, aristocrat
Young Adult – Male
Supporting Role
Dancer
Tenor – C3 to F4

Mrs. Eynsford-Hill – British, mother, upper class, society lady
Mature Adult – Female
Featured Supporting Role
Non Dancer
Spoken (may be a used as a chorus voice)

Queen of Transylvania – queen, royalty (this role has been pre-cast)
Mature Adult – Female
Featured Supporting Role
Dancer
Spoken

Lord and Lady Boxington – British, upper class, aristocrats
Adult – Male and Female
Dancers
Spoken

Flower Girl –
Child/Teen – Female
Dancer
Spoken

Staff –
Butler, Footmen (3), Steward (2), Servant (6), Busker (3), Maid (3),

Others –

Bystander, Costmongers (4), Selsey Man, Hoxton Man, Harry, Jamie, Mrs. Hopkins, George

Some ensemble roles may double/triple up.

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Casts Announced for FutureFest 2018 Productions at Dayton Playhouse

DPH_logoSynopses and casts are presented below for the six Finalist plays for FutureFest 2018; the plays are listed in performance order. FutureFest will be presented at the Dayton Playhouse the weekend of July 20-22, 2018. Click here for FutureFest 2018 ticket information.

WHAT ARE WORDS WORTH TO A LONG FELLOW?
Friday, July 20, 2018 at 8:00 PM
Directed by Debra Kent
A young man intent on living a dissolute, artistic life as a poet becomes infatuated with a new love.  But he soon encounters two life-changing dilemmas.  Economic necessity, along with the insistence of his older sister, may compel him to forsake his poetic life and accept a mundane, regular job.  And secondly, when confronted with the choice, he has to decide if he’s willing to sacrifice love in exchange for artistic success.  Poetry, love, and self-interest intersect in challenging ways to form the ever-shifting current of the young man’s life.

Norris – Jared Mola
Debbie – Kayla Graham
Phyllis – Wendi Michael
Jack – Scott Madden

FETTERED
Saturday, July 21, 2018 at 10:00 AM
Directed by Annie Pesch
In Maryland, in 1620, a white woman could marry an African slave – but only if she was willing to become enslaved herself, and to see her children and their offspring born into slavery. So when a poor Irish immigrant girl meets an African slave who has been trained by his master to run a large plantation, and they start to think of spending the rest of their lives together, choices have to be made. FETTERED asks: what is the price of love?  And how long will it take before we acknowledge the humanity of everyone in our country?

Town Crier (and others) – Richard Young
Lord Baltimore – Michael Plaugher
Nell – Karley Holdeman
Major Boarman – Ray Geiger
Charles – Thomas Troutman
Mrs. Boarman – Jennifer Lockwood

LATE IN THE GAME
Saturday, July 21, 2018 at 3:00 PM
Directed by Shawn Hooks
LATE IN THE GAME
 is a play that looks at the experience of aging from the perspective of Baby Boomers.  How does the generation that opposed the Vietnam War and marched for civil and women’s rights, settle into their new role as senior citizens?  The short answer is, not very gracefully.  This is a story of life, death, love, aging, and that most frightening of all experiences: change.

Margaret – Fran Pesch
Iris – Becky Howard
Callie/Assistant – Kenzie Hall
Donald – Jim Lockwood
James/John Miller – Mark Sharp
Gina Mae – Pamela Byrd
Narration – Brian Sharp

LAST RITES-DETROIT, 1967
Saturday, July 21, 2018 at 8:00 PM
Directed by Kip Moore
On the second day of the riots in Detroit in July of 1967, three people take refuge from the chaos on the streets in a gas station/convenience store on 12th St. in the epicenter of the riot.  While the riots mount, we learn what has brought these people to be in this place at this time, and we watch as all three people must come to grips with their losses as a result of the violence and fires outside, while dealing with each other and their racial and generational differences. Their differing experiences and points of view clash even while they are giving each other comfort, until they reach a point where the violence outside spills over to their refuge. The play examines the roots of what is happening on the streets through the lives and eyes of these three disparate people and raises many questions about how much or how little has changed in the 50 years since the riots.

Ron – Michael Schumacher
Esther – Joyce Barnes
Sydney – Naman Clark

OF MEN AND CARS
Sunday, July 22, 2018 at 10:00 AM
Directed by Dawn Roth Smith
Jim stole his father’s ’39 Ford when he was four and soon realized some of the greatest events and memories in his life would happen in cars.  From the Bronx to Beverly Hills and places in between, OF MEN AND CARS follows Jim’s life and his relationships with all sorts of people including his father.  If you want to have a meaningful conversation with a man, especially your father, it’s best to do it in a car.

Jim – Spencer Berta
Dad – Saul Caplan
Mom/Anna/NY Woman/Dorothy – Pam McGinnis
Frankie Two Fingers/Salesman/Warren/Shrink/Man – Chuck Larkowski
Girl Next Door/College Girl/LA Woman/Saleswoman – Heather Martin
Dominic/Man/Soldier/Jack – Brennan Paulin
Russo/Pot Head/Dumb Guy – Michael Boyd

QUEEN OF SAD MISCHANCE
Sunday, July 22, 2018 at 3:00 PM
Directed by Richard Lee Waldeck
A play about gender, race, academia, and belonging. Kym thinks she’s lucked into the perfect resume-builder for a biracial college senior determined to find a career in academia: helping renowned feminist scholar Beverly Norden finish her ground-breaking book on Shakespeare’s Queen Margaret before Alzheimer’s makes the task impossible. As the passing months make clear that Beverly’s failing memory is not the greatest obstacle to their work, Kym reassesses her connection with Beverly, Beverly’s son, and academia itself. What can the Margaret story tell her about her own path forward?

Beverly – Amy Taint
Kym – Carrin Ragland
Roy – Chad McMullen

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Auditions Announced for FutureFest 2018 at Dayton Playhouse

Auditions for FutureFest 2018

DPH_logoAuditions begin at 7pm each evening. Auditioners are encouraged to arrive at the Dayton Playhouse in advance of the auditions to fill out the Audition Form. Theatre resumes are encouraged; auditioners need to be prepared to list all conflicts between the audition date and the final performance of the production. All auditions are held at the Dayton Playhouse: 1301 Siebenthaler Avenue in Dayton (inside Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark).

Casting Requirements: 16 m, 12 f


Plays auditioning on Monday, May 21, 2018 will be fully staged productions:

Queen of Sad Mischance
Directed by Richard Lee Waldeck
Synopsis: A play about gender, race, academia, and belonging.
Cast: 1m, 2f

Kym: 21, biracial with a black mother and white father. An intense, focused English major, reluctant to open up to others about herself.
Beverly: 55, white. An energetic, driven, feminist Shakespeare scholar beginning to be affected by early-onset Alzheimers. She tends not to finish her sentences. Especially in the first act, this isn’t because she has lost her train of thought but because her quick mind has moved on to the next idea.
Roy: 28, white. Beverly’s son, an actor. He’s left a graduate level acting program to move home and become his mother’s live-in caretaker.

Last Rites – Detroit, 1967
Directed by Kip Moore
Synopsis: Three strangers caught in the middle of the Detroit riots.
Cast: 2m, 1f

Ron Szymanski: 44, Polish/American, Catholic, 7 children. Proprietor of the Standard Oil gas station/convenience store on 12thSt. Lives in New Baltimore, MI, 15 miles outside of Detroit.
Esther Rollins: 68, African-American, Baptist, widow. Works nights as a cleaning woman at a local newspaper which has offices just outside of Detroit.
Sydney Rozier: 28, African-American. He lives in another neighborhood. He has come to 12th St. looking for a friend and out of curiosity, and he has been caught up in the riots.

What Are Words Worth to a Long Fellow?
Directed by Debra Kent
Synopsis: A young man intent on living a dissolute, artistic life is driven by necessity and the insistence of his older sister into accepting responsibility. Distracting him from this goal is a new love interest, along with her disapproving brother.
Cast: 2m, 2f

Norris Jordan: irresolute and aimless young poet.
Debbie Marsh: cheerful but sensible coed.
Phyllis Jordan: Norris’ bossy but caring big sister.
Jack Marsh: Debbie’s protective brother, very large.


Plays auditioning on Tuesday, May 22, 2018 will be staged readings:

Of Men and Cars (Reading)
Directed by Dawn Roth Smith
Synopsis: When I was very young I thought my father was amazing. As I grew older I discovered he was something less than amazing. As I grew older still I discovered I was also something less than amazing. And my father and I were able to come back to each other before it was too late.
Cast: 5m, 2f with doubling

Jim: 20 to 30.
Dad: 40 to 65.
Mom, Anna, NY Woman, Dorothy: 40 to 65.
Frankie Two Fingers, Salesman, Warren, Shrink, Man: 40 to 65.
Girl Next Door, College Girl, LA Woman, Saleswoman: 20 to 30.
Dominic, Man, Soldier, Jack: 20 to 30.
Russo, Pot Head, Dumb Guy: 20 to 40.

Late in the Game (Reading)
Directed by Shawn Hooks
Synopsis: Late in the Game is a play that looks at the experience of aging from the perspective of Baby Boomers. When a group of aging academics decide to try their hand at writing erotica, their relationships begin to evolve and secrets are revealed.
Cast: 2m, 3f with doubling

Margaret: 63 and recently divorced. Teaches poetry and creative writing at the local community college.
Iris: Margaret’s long-time friend, widow, early 60s. Teaches technical writing at the same college. A founding member of the writers group.
Callie: Daughter of a recently deceased member of the group. Early 20s, pierced and fierce, with a soft underbelly that you rarely see.
Donald: Early 60s. Teaches accounting at the community college. Never married. Likes to bake. Founding member of the writers group.
James: Mid 40s. Recently hired to head the IT department at the college. New member of the writers group.
Gina Mae: Boomer age. Manager of the Lilac Cove Community Center.
John: New President of the Lilac Cove Community College. Can be played by another actor.
Assistant to John: Can be played by actor playing Callie.

Fettered (Reading)
Directed by Annie Pesch
Synopsis: Fettered takes place in the Maryland Colony in 1680 and addresses issues such as religious freedom, political independence, illiteracy, slavery/racism, and forbidden friendship. Amid the backdrop of Major Boarman’s plantation, the spotlight illuminates the developing friendship between Charles and Nell. Will their controversial relationship survive the colony’s laws or the angry disapproval of their neighbors? The risks to Nell and Charles, along with the Major, may result in dire consequences. Their strength should not be underestimated!
Cast: 4m (with doubling), 2f

Town Crier: Mid 40s-mid 50s. A man of gravity, whose air of seriousness is, on occasion, betrayed by an ironic sense of humor. Also plays: Timothy Simmons, a Maryland plantation owner; Thomas Hobbs, philosopher,; John Coode, an Anglican rebel; Father Andrew, a Catholic priest.

Charles Calvert, Third Lord Baltimore: 44 years old. A man of solid build, with a square face and jowls that are just beginning to make their appearance in his life.
Eleanor (“Irish Nell”) Butler: 16 years old. Slight of build. Came to America from Ireland when she was nine years old. A quiet girl-until you get to know her. Irish accent.
Major William Boarman: 51 years old. Athletic build, with a face that reflects the balance he strives to achieve in his life.
Charles: 25 years old. Born in Virginia to a mother who had been abducted from Africa. Medium height and build. He keeps the fire he feels carefully contained.
Mrs. Mary Mathews Boarman: 30 years old. A handsome woman with an exceptionally upright posture

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