Auditions for TABLE MANNERS

Auditions for Table Manners
by Alan Ayckbourn
directed by Bob Wilson

Playing July 14 - Aug 14, 2011

AUDITION DATES: 
Sat, April 23, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Sun, April 24, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
at The Barn Theatre
Marin Art and Garden Center,
Lagunitas and Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross

 

The Play
Table Manners is the initial play on Acykbourn’s comedy trilogy “The Norman Conquests”.  This play takes place in the dining room of a slightly shabby household in a small British town, over a weekend.  The other plays take place in the sitting room and the garden involving the same characters over the same period, and actors are encouraged to review all three plays for additional character insights.

Norman has arranged for a “naughty weekend” with his sister-in-law, Annie.  Since Annie is usually stuck in the house caring for her elderly mother, she has arranged for her another sister and her husband (Sarah and Reg) to come for the weekend and do the caretaking, without exactly telling them what she has planned.  Complications pile up with the arrival of Tom, Annie’s largely clueless erstwhile boyfriend; Norman himself and finally Ruth, Norman’s wife.

Characters
Casting 3 women, 3 men

Auditions
Sat, April 23, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Sun, April 24, 7:00pm - 9:00pm.

Callbacks:  
Wednesday, April 27, 2011  7:00PM 

Rehearsals: 
Evening Rehearsals start Monday, May 23rd

Performances: 
July 14— Aug 14, 2011

Auditions will be held at The Barn Theatre, Marin Art and Garden Center, Lagunitas and Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Ross.

Auditions will consist of reading sides from the script. 
British accents are encouraged.
Audition appointments required. 
Call (415) 461-8927 for appointments. 

Non-AEA. Actor Stipend of $100.00

Characters:
Annie (late 20’s-early 30’s)– the youngest of three siblings, she has accepted the role of caregiver for their mother.  She appears a meek personality, which has allowed her to often be taken advantage of by the others; but also has a dormant, tougher side she can exhibit.

Sarah(30’s to 40) – Reg’s wife and mother of two, although she serves largely as mother to Reg as well.  Sarah will find a crisis where none has existed, then try to resolve and control the outcome.  She is quite self-centered and a bit of a bully.

Ruth (40-45) – Sister to Annie and Reg, and Norman’s long-suffering wife. Ruth is a working woman with a position in finance – perhaps in an accountancy.  She is both passionate and intelligent – by far the brightest of the family.  She and Norman prove the adage that opposites attract.

Reg (30’s – 40’s) – Brother to Annie and Ruth, and works as an “estate agent” – real estate salesman – although he doesn’t put in much effort.  Superficially gregarious, jokey and a might vulgar, but he’s really just a little boy who has never really grown up.

Tom (30’s) – A local veterinarian, who is perceived as a suitor for Annie.  He is usually a beat behind what others see and say, appearing clueless in the extreme.  People to Tom are an unreadable book, although he does his best to please everyone.  Tom is far more comfortable with an injured horse, but he has passively been hanging around Annie for some time.

Norman (40’s) – Norman is an assistant librarian who sees himself as a Don Juan despite his shaggy beard and rumpled exterior.  He acts spontaneously, without concern of what others may think, making no secret of his desires.  The thrill of the chase is all important; and although he truly loves women, he usually backs off at the final moment.  Norman needs to be liked, if not loved, by everyone.