Actor’s Theatre Announces Auditions for CLYBOURNE PARK

Saturday, January 7th
12:00p – 4:00p
Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte, 650 E. Stonewall Street

Auditions are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

A Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte would like to announce auditions for Bruce Norris’ CLYBOURNE PARK, directed by Dennis Delamar, which will rehearse weeknights and weekends beginning March 3, 2012 and will run April 6-28, 2012.

To arrange an appointment, contact Carrie Cranford at carrie_cranford@actorstheatrecharlotte.org or at 704-342-2251 ext. 71. Plan on arriving at least 15 minutes prior to your audition time to get signed in and bring a current headshot and current resume. Each audition will consist of readings from the script.

To prepare, Download the Clybourne Park Sides.

ABOUT THE PLAY: CLYBOURNE PARK is a 2010 play by Bruce Norris written in response to Lorraine Hansberry‘s play A RAISIN IN THE SUN portraying fictional events set before and after the play and loosely based on real life events. The play applies a modern twist to the issues of race and housing and aspirations for a better life. The play was awarded the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

ROLES AVAILABLE: The director will be casting 7 actors (3 female, 4 male). Each actor will play 2 contrasting roles throughout the course of the show. One character in Act I, set in 1959, and the other in Act II, set in 2009. Versatility is important. The subject matter of race is a primary plot point, so each role must be played by the race specified in the descriptions below. All roles compensated.

Woman 1 -  Bev – Kathy   (caucasian)

Act I:  Bev Stoller (40’s) 1959-  Housewife. Family and community are key to her. Mourning the death of her son Kenneth, a Korean War vet, who killed himself two years earlier in their house. Can be a bit scattered, overly pleasant, and high strung.

Act II: Kathy Lindner (40’s) 2009- Lawyer working for Steve and Lindsey who are buying the house.  We find out that Kathy is the daughter of Betsy (deaf character) and Karl we saw in  Act I. Born in Clybourne but grew up in Rosemont, an outer suburb. Thinks well of herself. Quite a contrast to Bev the homemaker in 1959.

Woman 2 –  Francine – Lena   (African American)

Act I: Francine (late 20’s/early 30’s) 1959- domestic who works for  Russ and Bev. Married to Albert.   They have 3 children. Discovered Kenneth’s body after suicide. Has patience and dignity. But pushed to her limit by the end of the act.

Act II: Lena  (late 20’s/early 30’s) 2009- working mother of 3. Lived in Clybourne Park her whole life.  Her great aunt (Lena Younger from RAISIN IN THE SUN) bought Russ and Bev’s house that eventually became a black neighbhorhood. As a child she played at this house on the Crepe Myrtle. She is well traveled and a member of the Homeowners Association. Opposed to demolishing the house. Married to Kevin.

Woman 3 –  Betsey Lindner – Lindsey   (caucasian)

Act I: Betsy Lindner (late 20’s/30’s) 1959- Karl’s wife. Pregnant. Deaf.  Lip reads. Able to speak some, but loud and not plainly. Pleasant. Signs and also writes notes. This is her second pregnancy after losing her first child.

Act II: Lindsey (late 20’s/30’s) 2009- High earning professional expecting a baby, wanting to move from Glen Meadow (suburb) and into Clybourne. Bought the house intent on making perfect new home. Well traveled. Thinks she has a cosmopolitan outlook.

Man 1 – Russ Stoller – Dan    (caucasian)

Act I: Russ Stoller (late 40’s/early 50’s) 1959- Rotarian moving to Glen Meadow, a suburb. Married to Bev.  Mourning the death of his son Kenneth, a Korean War vet who killed himself in the house in 1957. He’s packing to move in this act.  He has sold the house in Clybourne Park to Ruth Younger (famous African American character in Lorraine Hansberry’s play RAISIN IN THE SUN). Has a temper and an axe to grind with the people in the neighborhood he is leaving. Drives Act I dramatically and powerfully.

Act II: Dan (late 40’s/early 50’s) 2009- Builder.  At the home site where Act II takes place. The new buyers meet in the house with the neighborhood association representatives, a lawyer, and an estate agent.

Man 2 – Albert – Kevin    (African American)

Act I: Albert (30’s/early 40’s) 1959- Father of 3. Francine’s husband who comes to pick her up at the Lindner place where she works.  They live outside Clybourne Park in a predominately black neighbhorhood.  Just bought a Pontiac.  Good natured. Wants to lend a hand.

Act II: Kevin (30’s/early 40’s) 2009- Lena’s husband.  Father of 3. Professional who works in the center of Chicago in Steve’s building. Well traveled.  A skier.  Member of Homeowner’s Association.

Man 3 – Jim – Tom Driscoll      (caucasian)

Act I: Jim (late 20’s to 30ish) 1959-  Minister. Has a bad back, so he can’t help or lifting. Did not fight in the Korean War, as the Stoller’s son did. Has a desk job. Serves as “informal” community therapist” to his parish.

Act II: Tom Driscoll (late 20’s to 30ish) 2009-  Estate agent.  Homosexual. Grandson of  Ted Driscoll who sold house for Bev and Russ 50 years ago to Lena’s great aunt Ruth Younger (RAISIN IN THE SUN).   He called the meeting of the new buyers, the neighborhood association reps, a lawyer, and a builder.

Man 4  –  Karl Lindner – Steve   (caucasian)

Act I: Karl Lindner (30’s to 40ish) 1959- Rotarian and chair of  community association.  Was the white antagonist in RAISIN IN THE SUN.  Married to Betsy (who is deaf). They are expecting their first baby after losing a baby during childbirth.  Uses American Sign Language(ASL) with wife.  Tries to convince Russ not to sell his Clybourne Park house to a black family in the white neighbhorhood.

Act II: Steve (30’s to 40ish) 2009- Professional. Works where Kevin does in center of Chicago.  Wants to move from Glen Meadow suburb closer into the city. With his wife Lindsey, he has bought 406 Clybourne Street.  Plans to knock it down and rebuild.  About to be a first time father.  Well traveled.  Not much of a sportsman.

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