Wheaton Drama

Wheaton Drama proudly announces auditions for the brilliant Stephen Sondheim musical, “Company” at 7 o’clock the evenings of Sunday, March 25th, Monday, March 26th, and Tuesday, March 27th (if necessary), with callbacks scheduled for Wednesday, March 28th. Auditions are by appointment. Audition slots will be scheduled in 5-minute increments, and will be followed with a short dance audition. Auditions will take place at Wheaton Drama’s Playhouse 111 located at 111 N. Hale Street, Wheaton, IL 60187.

Beginning Sunday, February 25th, email wdicompany18@gmail.com with your preferred appointment time ( i.e., 7:00 p.m or 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 25th). We will respond to your request with an email containing an audition form, your scheduled appointment time, and further instructions. We will do our best to honor your choice. However, we reserve the right to issue a different appointment time if the one you choose is already full. Appointments will be given on a first come, first serve basis. If there are walk-ins, they will be seen as time allows.

Audition requirements: Director Pam Turlow is seeking to cast an ensemble of exceptional actors who sing well and are adept at treating songs as monologues. All ethnicities are encouraged to audition. Come prepared with a 1-minute contemporary monologue. Prepare 32 bars of a Sondheim song. You must provide your own sheet music in your key. An accompanist will be provided. You will also be asked to learn a simple dance combination, so please dress to move. All roles are available. This is a non-Equity production; there is no pay.

Show description:

On the night of his 35th birthday, Robert struggles to think of a wish to make. The lone bachelor, surrounded by “those good and crazy people” — his married friends – Robert struggles with finding his way out of his self-made constriction, yearning to embrace vulnerability but not sure how. Over a series of dinner parties, first dates, and thoughtful conversations, Robert attempts to understand the pros and cons of marriage from his diverse and frequently hilarious friends, and begins to make sense of his own persistent bachelorhood. Set in 1970, at the tail end of the turbulent 60s, Company, Stephen Sondheim’s groundbreaking modern musical, is a mature, intelligent, and wildly funny look at relationships, vulnerability, and “being alive.”

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN

Robert. Age range: must be able to believably portray age 35.
The story’s protagonist, the “constant in a world of variables”. He is the only one of his friends who is still single. Terrified of marriage yet fearing lifelong loneliness, he slowly learns how to embrace vulnerability, in all its messiness and uncertainty. Requires an exceptional actor who can take the audience along on his journey. Vocal range top: G5. Vocal range bottom: G3 (Baritone)

The Couples. Age range: 30s to 50s
Sarah
Harry’s often critical wife. She is an avid learner of karate and tends to overeat as a way of filling a void. Requires an excellent physical comedienne. Vocal range top: A5. Vocal range bottom: A3 (Alto)

Harry
Sarah’s husband. He is a recovering alcoholic continually falling off the wagon. Talks a big game. Believes the advantages of marriage outweigh the disadvantages. Requires an actor with excellent comic timing and physicality. Vocal range top: A5. Vocal range bottom: A3 (Baritone)

Susan
A delicate southern belle. Peter’s perfect wife. Motherly in her affection towards Robert. Requires a light Southern accent. Vocal range top: A5. Vocal range bottom: A3 (Mezzo)

Peter
Susan’s perfect husband … and ex-husband. We learn he is questioning his sexuality. Vocal range top: A5. Vocal range bottom: B3 (Baritone)

Jenny
Quietly manipulative, simultaneously square and wise. Loves her husband, David, and will indulge him from time to time. Vocal range top: A5. Vocal range bottom: A3 (Soprano)

David
Jenny’s husband, he is relaxed and always in control. Believes a man should be married and that the sacrifice of freedom is worth what you get in return. Vocal range top: A5.Vocal range bottom: B3 (Tenor)

Amy
A frantic neurotic engaged to Paul but terrified of marriage. After a mental breakdown, she finally realizes that Paul is, in fact, her soulmate. Requires a fearless comedic actress. Vocal range top: A5. Vocal range bottom: G3 (Alto)

Paul
Amy’s fiancé. Mildly clingy, but patient to her neurotic nature. He is fully committed to the idea of marriage and encourages Robert to do the same. Requires a strong vocalist. Vocal range top: A5. Vocal range bottom: B3 (Tenor)

Joanne
Acerbic, demanding, and blunt,, but extremely loving in her own way. Puts on a brassy front that melts when she is alone with her husband. Requires a strong, fearless, dynamic actress. Vocal range top: B5. Vocal range bottom: G3 (Alto)

Larry
Joanne’s husband. He is solid and centered, but is also comfortable with letting his hair down. Indulges his wife’s behavior but knows when to rein her in. Vocal range top: A5 Vocal range bottom: B3 (Tenor)

The Girlfriends. Age range 20s to 30s:
Marta
A girlfriend of Robert’s. A free spirit, an unbridled soul, who dives into the energy of NYC. She’s part muse, part mystic, and part Greek chorus. Requires an actress with a strong belt voice. Vocal range top: A5 Vocal range bottom: A3 (Mezzo)

Kathy
An old girlfriend of Robert’s, who is now considered a good friend. She plans to leave the City for a life of domesticity. Sweet and loving, she may be the “one who got away”. Vocal range top: A5 Vocal range bottom: A3 (Mezzo)

April
A girlfriend of Robert’s. Flight attendant who is, at turns, ditzy, wise, and innocent. Requires an actress who is able to tap into those layers. Vocal range top: A5. Vocal range bottom: A3 (Mezzo)

Please note, this is an ensemble cast. Ages listed above are approximations. Ages could be skewed depending on those auditioning. Any questions, please contact the director, Pam Turlow, at wdicompany18@gmail.com or message her on Facebook.

Production Team:

Director: Pam Turlow
Production Manager: Leah Rae Witt
Music Director: Bryan McCaffrey
Choreographer: Katy Smith
Assistant Director: Ben Dooley

Wheaton Drama is excited to announce next season’s shows and directors.

The season will open with the classic musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” a
story of maintaining traditions and transitions in an ever-changing
sociopolitical climate—a message as important today as when the show was
written. “Fiddler” will be directed by Carrie Dabelow, who has directed
productions for Steel Beam Theater, Riverside Theatre, and Woodstock
Musical Theatre Company, as well as in public schools in Illinois and
Minnesota.

Next on the schedule is an adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic romance
“Sense and Sensibility,” in which we follow the Dashwood sisters, Elinor
and Marianne, as they seek love and happiness in 1790s England. This
promises to be a show for families and Jane Austen aficionados alike and
will be directed by WDI veteran Randall W. Knott, who last directed “Play
It Again, Sam” and “Amadeus” for Wheaton Drama and “One Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest” at Woodstock Opera House.

Wheaton Drama will continue its tradition of holiday radio plays by
presenting that childhood classic “The Cinnamon Bear.” This old-time radio
show was first produced in 1937 and became popular nationwide, particularly
in Chicago when it was broadcast on WGN radio. It will be directed by Ben
Dooley, who has done numerous radio show reproductions with his own
company, Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear, and who directed the Christmas
classic “Miracle on 34^th Street” for Wheaton Drama.

Kicking off the new year, WDI will present a modern farce, “Sex in the
Title” by local playwright George Zahora. It concerns two playwrights whose
shows always have the word “sex” in the title, though their shows have
nothing to do with sex. This farce involves doors and windows—and lots of
people coming and going through them. It will be directed by Jay
Fontanetta, a newcomer to WDI who has directed extensively at North
Riverside Community Theatre, at Circle Theatre and in numerous area high
schools.

Following up in stark contrast, WDI will present a searing drama, “A Piece
of My Heart,” which tells of the role women played during the Vietnam War.
Like many of their male counterparts, their service went largely
unappreciated and unrecognized. This show will be directed by WDI veteran
Mike Boyna, who last directed the hilarious and successful “Shrek: The
Musical.”

The season will conclude with the perennial Stephen Sondheim favorite
“Company.” Though it debuted on Broadway in 1970, its theme of coping with
cultural changes and social upheavals remains relevant today. “Company”
will be directed by Pam Turlow, who has directed “A Christmas Carol” and
“Mad Mid-Mod Musicals” for Wheaton Drama.