Auditions for “Six Degrees of Separation” at Greenwood Little Theatre

Audition Dates: April 27-28, 2015 at 7:00pm
Production Dates: June 18-21, 2015

Written by John Guare
Directed by Bobby VanDevender, assisted by Forrest Hodge

Winner of the 1993 Olivier Award for Best Play and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. No subject is left untouched in this comic, fast-paced and affecting piece. The title refers to a statistical theory which states that any two people in the world can be connected through only six other people. The play is an examination of the threads of chance that link one person to another. “Among the many remarkable aspects of Mr. Guare’s writing is the seamlessness of his imagery, characters and themes, as if this play had erupted from his own imagination in one perfect piece.” — NY Times.

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:

• Ouisa – 42-55. Nuevo riche NY socialite, Flan’s wife and mother of Woody & Tess. Deeply moved by her experience with Paul.
• Flan (Flanders) – 45-65. Ouisa’s husband, high-end art dealer. Taken in by, then rejecting Paul.
• Paul – 18-28, African-American, high end con artist tricking his way into wealthy homes. He desires the lifestyle but is not looking to rob the wealthy people to whom he ingratiates himself.
• Geoffrey – 50-70, South African businessman. Friend of Ouisa & Flan’s. Charmed by Paul.
• Hustler – Male 20-35. Rough trade picked up by Paul and brought into Ouisa & Flan’s home in the middle of the night. Volatile, threatening.
• Kitty – 45-55. Well-to-do New Yorker. Friend of Ouisa & Flan’s whose son, Ben, is in college with Woody & Tess. Also taken in by Paul.
• Larkin – 45-70. Well-to-do New Yorker. Married to Kitty. Runs a philanthropic foundation. Taken in by Paul.
• Detective – 30-60. Investigates the allegations against Paul.
• Tess – 18-25. Ouisa & Flan’s daughter. Testy, high-spirited. Strained relationship with her parents.
• Woody – 18-25. Ouisa & Flan’s son. Shallow, self-centered, only concerned with how the events negatively affect him.
• Ben – 18-25. Kitty and Larkin’s son. Resents his parents because their interest in him and is only that his success reflects well on them.
• Dr. Fine – 45-65. Jewish obstetrician taken in by Paul in his office; takes policeman to confront Paul in his home.
• Doug – 18-25. Dr. Fine’s son, classmate of Woody & Tess. Has a strained relationship with his father.
• Policeman/Doorman – 25-60. Actor to play dual roles, one investigating Paul, the other confronting Ouisa & Flan.
• Trent – 18-25. Teaches Paul and gives him the tools to manipulate the wealthy families of his former classmates in exchange for sex with Paul.
• Rick – 23-30. Struggling actor, dating Elizabeth. He is taken by Paul and the experience turns his life upside down.
• Elizabeth – 22-28. Blonde. Struggling actress dating Rick. She is devastated by Rick and Paul’s betrayals.

Six Degrees Of Separation is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

Greenwood Little Theatre
707 Sycamore Avenue, Greenwood, MS
greenwoodlittletheatre.com
662-947-1075
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Greenwood Little Theatre Announces 2014/15 Season

INTO THE WOODS
Music & Lyrics Stephen Sondheim, Book James Lapine
Directed by Cam Abel, music directed by Paul Brown
Production Dates: Oct 9-12, 2014

The story follows a Baker and his wife who wish to have a child, Cinderella who wishes to attend the King’s Festival, and Jack who wishes his cow would give milk. When the Baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a Witch’s curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. Everyone’s wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results.

THE BUTLER DID IT
Written by Tim Kelly
Directed by Forrest Hodge, assisted by Claudia White
Production Dates: February 19-22, 2015

This comedy parodies every English mystery play ever written: but it has a decidedly American flair. Miss Maple, a dowager with a reputation for “clever” weekend parties, invites a group of detective writers to eerie Ravenswood Manor on Turkey Island where they are to impersonate their fictional characters. The hostess has arranged all sorts of amusing incidents: a mysterious voice on the radio, a menacing face at the window, a mad killer on the loose. Who is that body in the wine cellar anyway? Why do little figurines keep toppling from the mantle? Then a real murder takes place, and Miss Maple is outraged. She offers an immense reward to the “detective” who can bring the killer to justice. And what an assortment of zany would-be sleuths! When they’re not busy tripping over clues, they trip over each other! Laughs collide with thrills, and the climax is a real seat-grabber as the true killer is unmasked, and almost everyone turns out to be someone else! Can be played as a pure farce, or as humorous satire.

THE FOX ON THE FAIRWAY
Written by Ken Ludwig
Directed by Erin Jacobs
Production Dates: April 23-26, 2015

A tribute from Ken Ludwig (Lend Me A Tenor, Moon Over Buffalo) to the great English farces of the 1930s and 1940s, The Fox On the Fairway takes audiences on a hilarious romp which pulls the rug out from underneath the stuffy denizens of a private country club. Filled with mistaken identities, slamming doors, and over-the-top romantic shenanigans, it’s a furiously paced comedy that recalls the Marx Brothers’ classics. A charmingly madcap adventure about love, life, and man’s eternal love affair with… golf.

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION
Written by John Guare
Directed by Bobby VanDevender
Production Dates: June 18-21, 2015

Inspired by a true story, the play follows the trail of a young black con man, Paul, who insinuates himself into the lives of a wealthy New York couple, Ouisa and Flan Kittredge, claiming he knows their son at college. Paul tells them he is the son of actor Sidney Poitier, and that he has just been mugged and all his money is gone. Captivated by Paul’s intelligence and his fascinating conversation (and the possibility of appearing in a new Sidney Poitier movie), the Kittredges invite him to stay overnight. But in the morning they discover him in bed with a young male hustler from the streets, and the picture begins to change. After kicking him out, Ouisa and Flan discover that friends of theirs have had a similar run-in with the brash con artist. Intrigued, they turn detective and piece together the connections that gave Paul access to their lives. Meanwhile, Paul’s cons unexpectedly lead him into darker territory and his lies begin to catch up with him. As the final events of the play unfold Ouisa suddenly finds herself caring for Paul, feeling that he gave them far more than he took and that her once idyllic life was not what it seemed to be.

Greenwood Little Theatre
707 Sycamore Avenue, Greenwood, MS
greenwoodlittletheatre.com
662-947-1075
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Auditions for INTO THE WOODS at Greenwood Little Theatre

Auditions: May 26-27, 2014; 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Production Dates: Oct. 9-12, 2014

Auditions for Into the Woods are scheduled for May 26 and May 27 from 6-8 p.m. at Greenwood Little Theatre, 707 Sycamore Avenue. Parts are available for 20 men and women, and adults or young adults play all parts. Those who wish to audition should come with sheet music prepared to sing a song of his or her own choice or one can be provided.

This popular Sondheim musical will open the 2014/15 GLT season with production dates scheduled for Oct. 9-12, 2014.

“This show is not your typical musical. It’s complex, lively and very entertaining for an audience. But it’s quite challenging for the actors so we are starting rehearsals four months in advance,” said Cameron Abel, who will direct.

Paul Brown will serve as music director, and Ray Smithee is acting as the music coordinator.

Into The Woods debuted on Broadway in 1987 to great acclaim and multiple Tony Awards and has been in revival multiple times. A movie version, starring Meryl Streep, will be released before Christmas this year.

The show draws characters from multiple fairy tales including Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and Jack & The Beanstalk.

Rehearsals begin in June. The cast will spend June and July working on music while GLT renovates its stage. Blocking and staging will begin in August.

Abel, Brown, and Smithee bring decades of music and performance experience to the show. Abel has directed three adult comedies at GLT and MDAA in Indianola. Brown has directed and performed at GLT for over 20 years and has become a renowned local singer and musician. Smithee is the music director and organist for First Presbyterian Church of Greenwood and directs the “Greenwood Chorale” community choir.

Greenwood Little Theatre
707 Sycamore Avenue, Greenwood, MS
greenwoodlittletheatre.com
662-947-1075