Open Auditions
Monday & Tuesday
March 21 & 22, 2016
7:00 p.m
Produced by LYNNE B. ROBINSON
Directed by D. SCOTT ROBINSON
Assistant Directed by CHRISTINE SCHAEFER
Musical Directed by MATTHEW K. TIPPEL
Assistant Musical Directed by JILL STEWART
Set Design/Tech Direction by AARON B. BAILEY
Costume Design by LINDA ROWAND
Lighting Design by JOANNE JOHNSON
Sound Design by JEFF ROWAND
Make-up & Hair Design by DANIEL KLINGLER
Stage Managed by GARY NELSON
Properties by MOLLY KRAUS
Special Effects by DAVID SCHLATTER
Buck Creek Playhouse will hold open auditions for ASSASSINS, a musical by Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman, on Monday and Tuesday, March 21 and 22, 2016, at 7 p.m. at the playhouse, 11150 Southeastern Avenue. Director D. Scott Robinson and Musical Director Matthew K. Tippel are looking for a diverse group of 12 men, 4 women, and one boy (age 7-10) for this Tony® Award winning musical. Please come with 16-20 measures of a prepared song (verse and a chorus) in the correct key. An accompanist will be provided. You may be asked to read from the script. All roles are available. ASSASSINS is scheduled for nine performances, weekends May 27-June 12, 2016. Please bring a list of all conflicts from March through mid-June 2016.
Please contact us to peruse a copy of the script.
Bold, original, disturbing, and alarmingly funny, ASSASSINS lays bare the lives of nine individuals who assassinated or tried to assassinate the President of the United States, in a historical "revusical" that explores the dark side of the American experience. From John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, writers Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman bend the rules of time and space, taking us on a nightmarish roller coaster ride in which assassins and would-be assassins from different historical periods meet, interact, and inspire each other to harrowing acts in the name of the American Dream.
March 21 & 22, 2016
7:00 p.m
Produced by LYNNE B. ROBINSON
Directed by D. SCOTT ROBINSON
Assistant Directed by CHRISTINE SCHAEFER
Musical Directed by MATTHEW K. TIPPEL
Assistant Musical Directed by JILL STEWART
Set Design/Tech Direction by AARON B. BAILEY
Costume Design by LINDA ROWAND
Lighting Design by JOANNE JOHNSON
Sound Design by JEFF ROWAND
Make-up & Hair Design by DANIEL KLINGLER
Stage Managed by GARY NELSON
Properties by MOLLY KRAUS
Special Effects by DAVID SCHLATTER
Buck Creek Playhouse will hold open auditions for ASSASSINS, a musical by Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman, on Monday and Tuesday, March 21 and 22, 2016, at 7 p.m. at the playhouse, 11150 Southeastern Avenue. Director D. Scott Robinson and Musical Director Matthew K. Tippel are looking for a diverse group of 12 men, 4 women, and one boy (age 7-10) for this Tony® Award winning musical. Please come with 16-20 measures of a prepared song (verse and a chorus) in the correct key. An accompanist will be provided. You may be asked to read from the script. All roles are available. ASSASSINS is scheduled for nine performances, weekends May 27-June 12, 2016. Please bring a list of all conflicts from March through mid-June 2016.
Please contact us to peruse a copy of the script.
Bold, original, disturbing, and alarmingly funny, ASSASSINS lays bare the lives of nine individuals who assassinated or tried to assassinate the President of the United States, in a historical "revusical" that explores the dark side of the American experience. From John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, writers Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman bend the rules of time and space, taking us on a nightmarish roller coaster ride in which assassins and would-be assassins from different historical periods meet, interact, and inspire each other to harrowing acts in the name of the American Dream.
Available Roles
The Balladeer
MALE – TENOR (C3-G4). Guitar/banjo playing ability is a bonus.
The Balladeer is a folk singer, narrator-type character. His lines are all sung, and he represents the voice of America. All lines are sung.
The Proprietor
MALE – TENOR (Gb2-F4)
The Proprietor is an ominous character who hands out the weapons and is present as presidents and assassins are killed. He runs the shooting gallery and acts as a seducer, representing that part of the psyche that allows people to commit unspeakable acts.
John Wilkes Booth
MALE – BARITONE (F2-G4) – Age 20s-40.
(1838-1865) Booth was a political radical who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln during a performance at Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C. on April 14, 1865. He is the inspiration to all the other assassins, and he acts as a leader and a mentor, convincing them to commit their acts.
Leon Czolgosz ( “CHOL-gosh”)
MALE – BASS (G#2-G4) – Age 20s to 30s.
(1873-1901) Czolgosz assassinated President William McKinley at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo on September 6, 1901. He was an impoverished radical who killed the president for the sake of the common citizen.
Giuseppe Zangara
MALE – TENOR (B2-A4) – Age 20s to 40 – Heavy Italian accent.
(1900-1933) An angry Italian immigrant, Zangara attempted the life of President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt as he greeted admirers in Bayfront Park, Miami, Florida, on February 15, 1922. He blamed capitalists for the fire he felt in his belly and was executed in the electric chair.
Sara Jane Moore
FEMALE – SOPRANO (F3-Eb5) – Age 35+.
(1930- ) Moore attempted the life of President Gerald Ford at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, California, on September 22, 1975. A five-times married, frazzled housewife who was a former FBI agent. She requires good comic timing.
Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme
FEMALE – MEZZO (A3-G5) – Age 20s-30s.
(1948- ) Fromme attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford on September 5, 1975, at the Capitol Park in Sacramento, California. She was a flower child and madly in love with Charles Manson.
John Hinckley
MALE – BARITONE (A2-G4) – Age 20s-30. Guitar playing ability a bonus.
(1955- ) Hinckley, a lovesick, clinically insane, and depressed college student, used his obsession with Jodie Foster as an excuse to attempt to assassinate President Ronald Reagan as he left the Washington Hilton on March 30, 1981.
Charles J. Guiteau
MALE – TENOR (A2-Ab4) – Age 30s-50s. A beard is a bonus, but not required.
(1841-1882) Guiteau was a dashing but deranged charlatan who assassinated President James Garfield in the waiting room of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station, Washington, D.C., on July 2, 1881. He is a man of many talents, careers, with a strong personality. Requires some choreography on stairs.
Samuel Byck
MALE – ANY VOCAL RANGE – Age 30s-50s – Philly accent.
(1930-1974) Byck attempted to hijack a commercial jetliner and crash it into the White House to end the life of President Richard Nixon. He was incredibly angry at the government, and he has two extensive, irate monologues in a Santa Claus suit. Sings with the entire cast, no solos.
Lee Harvey Oswald
MALE – ANY VOCAL RANGE – Age 20s-30s. Slight to average build.
(1939-1963) Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas, Texas, as the president’s motorcade drove through Dealey Plaza. Oswald only sings in the closing number, but is involved in the pivotal climax of the play in his exchange with John Wilkes Booth in the Book Depository. Requires strong dramatic actor. Sings with the entire cast, no solos.
Ensemble (3 males, 2 females, and 1 boy)
This is not an ensemble show in the traditional sense. The ensemble is used sparingly, but each will play a variety of roles. The ensemble parts are varied and demanding as each has their own solo vocal lines. Each ensemble member must be comfortable holding their own vocal part in the up-tempo “How I Saved Roosevelt” and also the haunting “Something Just Broke.” Although used infrequently, they are integral to the success of the piece.
We are looking for a young boy (7-10) who can play Billy, the 8-year-old son of Sara Jane Moore on stage. Parents, please see “Important Casting Notes” below for the mature content warning. The child’s rehearsal commitment will be much less extensive than adult cast members until later in the process.
Some of the roles the Ensemble members play include:
IMPORTANT CASTING NOTES
This production will be challenging and offer great opportunities for strong actors with solid musical background. The characters are, in most cases, actual historical figures, filled with their own dreams and nuances. The ensemble roles are equally challenging, as each ensemble actor will be playing up to six distinct characters, including accomplices, famous people, and everyday citizens. Age ranges are suggested and we may cast outside the range for some roles, where appropriate. The ages reflect playable age on stage and are subject to change.
ASSASSINS features mature content including strong language, on-stage violence and death, and mature themes. Actors may be required to work with replica firearms, and potentially with working guns that fire blanks. Please take this into consideration before you audition.
***Also, any performers involved in productions with April or May performance dates cannot be considered due to conflicting rehearsal periods. If you have questions regarding this, please e-mail the director using the form below.
MALE – TENOR (C3-G4). Guitar/banjo playing ability is a bonus.
The Balladeer is a folk singer, narrator-type character. His lines are all sung, and he represents the voice of America. All lines are sung.
The Proprietor
MALE – TENOR (Gb2-F4)
The Proprietor is an ominous character who hands out the weapons and is present as presidents and assassins are killed. He runs the shooting gallery and acts as a seducer, representing that part of the psyche that allows people to commit unspeakable acts.
John Wilkes Booth
MALE – BARITONE (F2-G4) – Age 20s-40.
(1838-1865) Booth was a political radical who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln during a performance at Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C. on April 14, 1865. He is the inspiration to all the other assassins, and he acts as a leader and a mentor, convincing them to commit their acts.
Leon Czolgosz ( “CHOL-gosh”)
MALE – BASS (G#2-G4) – Age 20s to 30s.
(1873-1901) Czolgosz assassinated President William McKinley at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo on September 6, 1901. He was an impoverished radical who killed the president for the sake of the common citizen.
Giuseppe Zangara
MALE – TENOR (B2-A4) – Age 20s to 40 – Heavy Italian accent.
(1900-1933) An angry Italian immigrant, Zangara attempted the life of President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt as he greeted admirers in Bayfront Park, Miami, Florida, on February 15, 1922. He blamed capitalists for the fire he felt in his belly and was executed in the electric chair.
Sara Jane Moore
FEMALE – SOPRANO (F3-Eb5) – Age 35+.
(1930- ) Moore attempted the life of President Gerald Ford at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, California, on September 22, 1975. A five-times married, frazzled housewife who was a former FBI agent. She requires good comic timing.
Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme
FEMALE – MEZZO (A3-G5) – Age 20s-30s.
(1948- ) Fromme attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford on September 5, 1975, at the Capitol Park in Sacramento, California. She was a flower child and madly in love with Charles Manson.
John Hinckley
MALE – BARITONE (A2-G4) – Age 20s-30. Guitar playing ability a bonus.
(1955- ) Hinckley, a lovesick, clinically insane, and depressed college student, used his obsession with Jodie Foster as an excuse to attempt to assassinate President Ronald Reagan as he left the Washington Hilton on March 30, 1981.
Charles J. Guiteau
MALE – TENOR (A2-Ab4) – Age 30s-50s. A beard is a bonus, but not required.
(1841-1882) Guiteau was a dashing but deranged charlatan who assassinated President James Garfield in the waiting room of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station, Washington, D.C., on July 2, 1881. He is a man of many talents, careers, with a strong personality. Requires some choreography on stairs.
Samuel Byck
MALE – ANY VOCAL RANGE – Age 30s-50s – Philly accent.
(1930-1974) Byck attempted to hijack a commercial jetliner and crash it into the White House to end the life of President Richard Nixon. He was incredibly angry at the government, and he has two extensive, irate monologues in a Santa Claus suit. Sings with the entire cast, no solos.
Lee Harvey Oswald
MALE – ANY VOCAL RANGE – Age 20s-30s. Slight to average build.
(1939-1963) Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas, Texas, as the president’s motorcade drove through Dealey Plaza. Oswald only sings in the closing number, but is involved in the pivotal climax of the play in his exchange with John Wilkes Booth in the Book Depository. Requires strong dramatic actor. Sings with the entire cast, no solos.
Ensemble (3 males, 2 females, and 1 boy)
This is not an ensemble show in the traditional sense. The ensemble is used sparingly, but each will play a variety of roles. The ensemble parts are varied and demanding as each has their own solo vocal lines. Each ensemble member must be comfortable holding their own vocal part in the up-tempo “How I Saved Roosevelt” and also the haunting “Something Just Broke.” Although used infrequently, they are integral to the success of the piece.
We are looking for a young boy (7-10) who can play Billy, the 8-year-old son of Sara Jane Moore on stage. Parents, please see “Important Casting Notes” below for the mature content warning. The child’s rehearsal commitment will be much less extensive than adult cast members until later in the process.
Some of the roles the Ensemble members play include:
- David Herold: Accomplice of John Wilkes Booth in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln
- President James Garfield: Twentieth President of the United States
- James Blaine: Secretary of State who received a deluge of letters from Charles Guiteau
- Emma Goldman: Anarchist known for her political activism who also interacted several times with Leon Czolgosz
- President Gerald Ford: Thirty-eighth President of the United States
IMPORTANT CASTING NOTES
This production will be challenging and offer great opportunities for strong actors with solid musical background. The characters are, in most cases, actual historical figures, filled with their own dreams and nuances. The ensemble roles are equally challenging, as each ensemble actor will be playing up to six distinct characters, including accomplices, famous people, and everyday citizens. Age ranges are suggested and we may cast outside the range for some roles, where appropriate. The ages reflect playable age on stage and are subject to change.
ASSASSINS features mature content including strong language, on-stage violence and death, and mature themes. Actors may be required to work with replica firearms, and potentially with working guns that fire blanks. Please take this into consideration before you audition.
***Also, any performers involved in productions with April or May performance dates cannot be considered due to conflicting rehearsal periods. If you have questions regarding this, please e-mail the director using the form below.
