Auditions Clybourne Park

by Bruce Norris, directed by Kristin Hughes and produced by Heather Gay.

Sunday October 20 and Monday October 21 7 PM.
Performances January 31 and February 1, 7, 8, 9, 14 & 15 2020

Auditions will by appointment in one hour blocks, and will consist of readings from the script. Sides will be available two weeks prior to the audition. Callbacks, if necessary, will be held Wednesday October 23.

Please sign up for an audition slot here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F054FAEAC2FA7FD0-clybourne

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to the producer, Kristin Hughes atkristin.hughes14@gmail.com

CLYBOURNE PARK explodes in two outrageous acts set fifty years apart. Act One takes place in 1959, as white community leaders anxiously try to stop the sale of a home to a black family. Act Two is set in the same house in the present day, as the now predominantly African-American neighborhood battles to hold its ground in the face of gentrification. Winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play, Clybourne Park is ferocious, funny, razor-sharp satire about the politics of race and real estate.

Rehearsals will begin on a limited basis in November, and increase in frequency in December and January

We are looking for actors who can differentiate characters, have excellent comic timing, and are willing to tackle some uncomfortable topics.  Roles are available for 4 men and 3 women.  

Character Descriptions:
Please note that actors are auditioning for two separate characters: one in 1959 (Act 1) and another in 2009 (Act 2).  There is no flexibility on the doublings.

RUSS (1959)/DAN (2009):  white/European descent, late 40s or 50s. Russ is an easygoing, suburban husband and middle manager who is not dealing well with the suicide of his son. Dan is an outgoing if oblivious construction worker.

BEV (1959)/KATHY (2009): white/European descent, late 40s or 50s. Bev is a suburban housewife who strives to choose the positive, ignore the negative and keep busy with projects; she is not sure how to deal with her husband Russ’s sadness.  KATHY is a breezy real estate agent/lawyer who does not want to let a great deal and commission get away.

FRANCINE (1959)/LENA (2009): African/Caribbean American, 30s. FRANCINE is Russ and Bev’s housekeeper, polite, but very aware of the boundaries between her and her employers.  LENA is a professional, blunt woman who is fiercely opposed to gentrification in general and any changes to this house and her neighborhood in particular.

ALBERT (1959)/KEVIN (2009):  African/Caribbean American, 30s. ALBERT is married to Francine; he is polite, and eager to keep the relationship between Francine and her employers smooth. KEVIN is an easy-going investment banker, married to Lena.

KARL (1959)/STEVE (2009):  white/European descent, 30s-50s. KARL is oddly formal and stiff; he has just returned from trying to discourage the ‘colored’ family who just purchased Russ and Bev’s home from moving to the neighborhood. STEVE is smart, secure in himself and his world, and is tired of being ‘correct’. 

BETSY (1959)/LINDSEY (2009): white/European descent, late 20s-30s. BETSY is married to Karl and seven months pregnant; sweet, kind, and deaf. She does speak but the characters other than Karl  have difficulty understanding her. LINDSEY is also pregnant; a young professional, ready to put down roots in her new neighborhood, and married to Steve.

JIM (1959)/TOM (2009): white/European descent, late 20s – early 30s. JIM is Russ and Bev’s minister. He is well-intentioned but not really clear on the best way to help them through their grief. TOM is an attorney working with the neighborhood coalition and trying to broker a solution between the new homeowners and the coalition. Please note that this actor will also play KENNETH, Bev and Russ’s son, in a brief epilogue.