The Chattanooga Theatre Centre will hold auditions for Neil Simon’s BAREFOOT IN THE PARK on Monday, February 3 and Tuesday, February 4 at 7:30 pm.

Directed by Scott Dunlap

Rehearsals for BAREFOOT IN THE PARK may begin as early as February 7, 2018 and will potentially run Sunday through Friday from 7:30 – 10:30pm. (We will, probably, only rehearse 4 days a week. Those days will be based on the availability of those actors who are cast. We will not rehearse from March 9 through 14.)

The show opens on March 27 and runs through April 19, 2020, with no performances Easter weekend (April 9-12). Performances are Fridays & Saturdays: March 27, 28, April 3, 4, 17 and 18 at 8:00 pm. Thursdays: April & 16 at 7:00 pm and Sundays: March 29, April 5 & 19 at 2:30 pm.

Summary: Fresh off a honeymoon at the Plaza Hotel, free-spirited Corie and her buttoned-down husband Paul find themselves struggling to adjust to married life in their run-down New York walk-up. Throw in a loopy meddling mother, an eccentric Bohemian upstairs neighbor, and a double date that goes disastrously wrong, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for laughter.  It was Neil Simon’s longest-running hit, and in the top ten longest running non-musical plays in Broadway history. In its initial Broadway run, the Biltmore Theatre had to double the size of its box office staff to deal with the demand for tickets. We will be looking at age appropriate casting and are committed to non-traditional casting, or color-conscious casting of ethnic minority actors in roles where race or ethnicity is not germane. Which means actors of all races are encouraged to audition.

The following is a character breakdown:

5 Roles (2+ Males/2+ Females)

MALE ROLES: (2+ TOTAL)

PAUL BRATTER (Age range: Early twenties to early thirties)

Paul is a newlywed. A young lawyer with a dry wit. Unlike Corie, he likes to stay in his comfort zone. Conventional. Wants to be a good husband by being a good provider. Very much in love with Corie. Sometimes matter of fact, but never cold. It is preferable that the actor is comfortable undressing onstage to underwear (boxers). However, understanding the nature of our theatre and the community, we will work with the actors who portray this characters to devise a tasteful way that serves the story and that will make both the actor and audience comfortable. The role has been played by Robert Redford (in the original Broadway Production and the film), Scoey Mitchell (in a television series, where the couple was African-American), Richard Thomas (of The Waltons fame), Patrick Wilson (in a recent Broadway revival) and recently Chris Lowell (Bash Howard on the Netflix series GLOW) in a very successful run at the Old Globe in San Diego.

Mr. VICTOR VELASCO (Age Range: Mid-forties or older)

Mr. Velasco is the eccentric, bohemian neighbor who lives in the attic of Paul and Corie’s brownstone apartment building. Speaks with a Hungarian accent. He is exotic, either by birth or by choice. Fancies himself a lady’s man, and can be very charming. He is the life of the party, despite his age. The character has been portrayed by Tony Roberts and Hans Conried (best known perhaps as the voice of Captain Hook in Disney’s classic animated film, “Peter Pan”) in the separate revivals. Nipsey Russell portrayed him in the African-American TV Series. Jere Burns (a character actor who came to attention from his role in the 80s sitcom, “Dear John,” in the 80s, but has also recently been seen on “Justified,” “Breaking Bad,” and “Burn Notice) recently played Victor in the successful Old Globe production.

TELEPHONE INSTALLER: (man or woman) Age Range Flexible. A good-humored New Yorker, who makes observations on everyday life and relationships as he/she installs and fixes telephones. Has been played by Herb Edelman (a great character actor, perhaps most famously known as Dorothy’s Ex-husband, Stanley, on “The Golden Girls”) and James Cromwell.

FEMALE ROLES: (2+ TOTAL)

CORIE BRATTER (Age Range: Early twenties to early thirties)

Corie is a carefree young newlywed, busily trying to set up and decorate the new home she shares with her husband, Paul. She may be flighty, or over-enthusiastic, but not a fool. She loves life and embraces it to its fullest. She is based on Neil Simon’s first wife, dancer Joan Baim. They were married for 20 years and had two children. Simon became a widower when Baim died of bone cancer. He had written the play as a “valentine” of sorts to her in the 10th year of their marriage. A good character reference might also be found in Miriam “Midge” Maisel on the show, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” It is preferable that the actress is comfortable undressing onstage to underwear (bra and panties). However, understanding the nature of our theatre and the community, we will work with the actors who portray this characters to devise a tasteful way that serves the story and that will make both the actor and audience comfortable. Corie was famously portrayed in the film by Jane Fonda, but was originally performed on Broadway by Elizabeth Ashley. She was also played by Tracy Reed on the African-American sitcom version of the show and has been also portrayed by Bess Armstrong and Amanda Peet in separate revivals. Most recently, Kerry Bishe (known from “Scrubs” and AMC’s “Halt and Catch Fire”) played the role in a successful production at the Old Globe in San Diego.

ETHEL BANKS (Age Range: Late forties to mid-sixties)

Ethel is Corie’s cautious and lovingly tolerant mother who is willing to endure anything for her daughter. Now that Corie is out of the nest, Ethel has grown lonely and struggles to find her next role. She is very sharp, with a good, dry wit of her own. Her confidant is her son-in-law Paul. Both love and understand Corie, though she drives them equally crazy. Famously portrayed by Mildred Natwick in both the original Broadway production and the 1967 film. Myrna Loy and Dorothy Lamour played Ethel on tour. Thelma Carpenter was ‘Mabel” (a renamed version of the character) in the African-American TV series. She was also portrayed by Barbara Barrie and Jill Clayburgh in revivals and recently Mia Dillon in the Old Globe production.

TELEPHONE INSTALLER: (man or woman) Age Range Flexible. A good-humored New Yorker, who makes observations on everyday life and relationships as he/she installs and fixes telephones. There is great potential (and preferred by the director) in this being portrayed by a woman, think Susie Myerson (brilliantly portrayed by Alex Borstein) on the show, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”

ABOUT THE AUDITION:

Parking is free. Obtain a parking pass upon your arrival for our parking lot, adjacent to CTC.

You only need to come to one initial audition, either Monday or Tuesday. Please DO NOT come to both days.

You do not need to prepare anything.

Callbacks will be held on Thursday, February 6 at 7:30 pm.

Your picture might be taken as a part of the audition process. This helps track who has auditioned and gives us a record of proportions compared to other actors who are auditioning.

ABOUT CONFLICTS:

Please be aware of any date you might have a conflict with our normal rehearsal schedule; Sunday through Friday from 7:30-10:30 pm. (We will, probably, only rehearse 4 days a week. Those days will be based on the availability of those actors who are cast.)

Rehearsals might begin as early as Friday, February 7 at 7:30 pm.

Be certain there are no conflicts with performances or tech week. (Tech Week: Sunday, March 29 through Thursday, March 26)

ABOUT PERFORMANCES:

Friday, March 27 at 8 pm ~ Opening Night

Saturday, March 28 at 8 pm

Sunday, March 29 at 2:30 pm

Thursday, April 2 at 7 pm

Friday, April 3 at 8 pm

Saturday, April 4 at 8 pm

Sunday, April 5 at 2:30 pm

Thursday, April 16 at 7 pm

Friday, April 17 at 8 pm

Saturday, April 18 at 8 pm

Sunday, April 19 at 2:30 pm

Call times for every show are 1 hour prior to the performance time.

Thank you and hope to see you there!

Frequently Asked Questions about Auditions

Where do I park?

You can park in the lot right across from the Theatre Centre. It is free to park there, though you will need to pick up a parking pass inside and place it in your car before you audition. We recommend that you pull up to the Circle Lobby doors and obtain the pass from the greeting station set up at the concession stand, before parking in the lot.

There are two days of auditions. Do I come to both?

The short answer is: “no.” You can come to either Monday or Tuesday, whichever works best for you. Please don’t come to both audition days, it doesn’t help your chances of getting a role. However, the Callbacks for the show will be held on the Thursday immediately following the audition, so if you have a conflict with that day, please let us know at the audition.

Is it okay to arrive at 7:30 pm for the audition?

Sort of. Yes, if you have to hurry from school and/or work to get here by 7:30 pm; that is fine. Just be aware that there is an audition form that must be filled out before you can audition, so if you can arrive 15-30 minutes early, it would be less stressful for you and more helpful for us if you can have that done by 7:30 pm.

How old do I need to be to audition?

For this show, all actors should be age appropriate for the characters. We are committed to non-traditional casting, or color-conscious casting of ethnic minority actors in roles where race or ethnicity is not germane. Which means actors of all races are encouraged to audition.

Do I need to prepare a monologue?

No, if there is a scene or “sides” we want you to read, we will provide that. The only preparation necessary is that you have a list of ANY conflicts you might have with rehearsal. This is vital! We MUST know any days you will miss in ADVANCE of casting.

Is there a fee to audition or perform?

Participation at CTC is COMPLETELY FREE! You don’t have to purchase a script, or your costume…there are no fees…nothing! All we ask is that you commit to arriving to scheduled rehearsals on time and agree to attend all the rehearsals and performances that are required!

Where do I find out if I have a callback?

“Like” our Facebook page and look for notices. If you don’t have Facebook, you can check our website: TheatreCentre.com. We typically announce callbacks on the Wednesday (February 5, in this case.) immediately following the Monday and Tuesday auditions. Callbacks are usually at 7:30 pm on Thursday (February 6, in this case.) of that same week. If your name isn’t on the callback list, you might still be cast, so check back for a complete cast list on Friday, after 12 noon (February 7, in this case).

When is the cast announced?

Usually a cast will be posted on our Theatre Centre Facebook page or TheatreCentre.com on Friday (February 7, in this case.) of the same week as the audition.

Where is the play performed?

This show will be performed in the Circle Theatre at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre.

Thank you and hope to see you there!