Walpole Footlighters Auditions
All auditions are open to the public without appointment. The Walpole Footlighters is not an Equity theater and there is no pay for actors.
The Walpole Footlighters announce open auditions for THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, the Tony-award winning musical with music and lyrics by William Finn and book by Rachel Sheinkin.
Auditions will be held Tuesday, June 1 and Wednesday, June 2, with callbacks on Thursday, June 3 at 7:00 pm. There will be some rehearsals in June; full rehearsals will begin in August. Auditions will be held at the Footlighters Playhouse, 2 Scout Road, East Walpole, MA. The production will be directed by Marianne Phinney, with musical direction by Matthew Stern and choreography by Danielle Clougher. Performance dates are October 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30, 2010 at 8 pm and October 24 and 31 at 2:00 pm. No appointment is necessary.
Auditioners are asked to prepare one minute of a song in the style of the show. Please bring sheet music; a capella auditions are discouraged. Be prepared to sing your audition piece as a middle school child and as an adult. There will be piano accompaniment. During the dance auditions, the choreographer will go over a few simple steps. Dress prepared to move. Acting auditions will involve reading from the script. Physical age is less important than the ability to portray a middle schooler convincingly.
THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE is a hilarious tale of overachievers' angst chronicling the experience of six adolescent outsiders vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime. The show's Tony Award winning creative team has created the unlikeliest of hit musicals about the unlikeliest of heroes: a quirky yet charming cast of outsiders for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time. Six young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, learn that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser. The cast calls for 5 men and 4 women. One man (Douglas Panch) sings ensemble only.
SPELLERS:
Chip Tolentino (Tenor): The reigning spelling champion of Putnam County, relatively athletic and social, he expects things to come easily to him. Lately he’s been going through some weird changes, and things are slipping out of his control. His solo requires a lot of high notes. Also plays Jesus.
Leaf Coneybear (Baritenor): A second alternate, he never expected to compete here today. Home-schooled with his siblings, everything about this public bee is an adventure for him. Leaf doesn’t expect to win – or even spell one word correctly – but he finds absolutely everything incredible amusing. Also plays Carl Dad.
Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre (Schwartzy) (Soprano): Younger than most bee participants, she wants to win to make her two fathers proud. She lisps, is a little uncomfortable in her body, has some tics, but still manages to strike a strong presence with her political awareness and keen sense of justice. Also plays Leaf’s mom.
Marcy Park (Soprano/Mezzo-soprano): The ultimate over-achiever, Marcy has never been given another option. She comes from a family where excellence is expected and so simply produced. Her many talents include piano, dance, martial arts, baton twirling, and any other talents brought to the role by the actress.
Olive Ostrovsky (Soprano): A word lover, Olive has a fairly quiet life. An only child with often-absent parents, Olive spends a lot of her time alone reading the dictionary. She starts enormously shy and shyly blossoms. Also plays Leaf’s siblings.
William Barfee (Tenor): William has a host of health problems and has a lot to prove. Loud and combative as a defensive posture, he is the fat kid who becomes a bully to avoid being picked on. Taken out of competition last year because of an ill-timed allergic reaction, he’s here for vindication.
ADULTS:
Rona Lisa Peretti (Soprano), mid-thirties: Putnam’s long-time spelling bee hostess, a local realtor, and 3rd annual Putnam County spelling champion. Her interest in the competition is unflagging and drives it forward. This is Rona’s day to be queen. Also plays Olive’s mom.
Vice Principal Douglas Panch: Stuck in his current job, endlessly awaiting a promotion that isn’t coming, he was not happy to get the call this morning to substitute as the word pronouncer.
Mitch Mahoney (Tenor): With a bouncer’s physique and demeanor, Mitch appears an odd choice to be the bee’s “comfort counselor” but it’s part of his community service assignment. Also plays Dan Dad and Olive’s dad.
This production is sponsored by the Walpole Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
Click here for directions to the playhouse.
Please check our Audition Tips to help you prepare for auditions.
The Walpole Footlighters Playhouse is located at 2 Scout Road, East Walpole, MA, 508-668-8446. For inquiries concerning auditions, contact the Member at Large at
Call 508-668-8446 for general information and to be put on our mailing list. For more information, email us at audition_info@footlighters.com. You can download our Audition Form and bring it with you to auditions.
Auditions for all Footlighters shows are open to everyone. Most auditions consist of readings from the script. A prepared song is required for musical auditions. Details are usually posted a few weeks before the scheduled audition dates.
Footlighters auditions are typically held at 7:00 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. at the theater at 2 Scout Road. No appointment is necessary. Audition notices will be posted here regularly as well as in the Walpole Times, the Hometown Weekly, the Patriot Ledger, and Stage Source.
