Vokes Players Auditions

Auditions

Information on this page was updated on 30 April 2008

Born Yesterday

Written by Garson Kanin

Directed by Doug Sanders

Auditions:
Sunday May 18 (6:00 - 9:00 PM) & Monday May 19 (7:00-10:00 PM)
Callback auditions will be held Tuesday evening May 20

These Auditions are by Appointment Only !

To schedule an appointment, please call (508) 358-4034, and leave a message with your name, number and preferred audition time. We will call you back with a confirmation of the exact time.
Other audition times may be arranged .

Place: Auditions and performances are held at Beatrice Herford's Vokes Theatre, Route 20 Wayland MA. Directions

Prepare:
A contemporary, comedic monologue of 2 minutes or less OR read from the script.

Rehearsals:
Beginning after Memorial Day (May 26) on weekday evenings (Mondays-Thursdays). Sunday rehearsals (evenings or afternoons) will be scheduled according to the availability and preferences of the cast. Rehearsal schedules are flexible.

Performances:
Every Thursday-Saturday evening July 17 - August 2, 2008 at 8:00 PM (and Saturday matinees on July 26 & August 2 at 2:00 PM).

About The Play:

Born Yesterday is one of those theatrical rarities: a romantic comedy with a political undercurrent that still hits home sixty years later. It sparkles with wit and intelligence without feeling the least bit dated. It centers on the love triangle of Billie Dawn, Harry Brock and Paul Verrall, whose lives converge in a unique way.

Billie and Harry have been living together for nearly ten years (and this is 1946!), and have developed a relationship based on specific roles. Their life together gets knocked around once they come to Washington, DC, where Harry is trying to score some key legislation for his junk business. His legal front-man for this is Ed Devery, who brings Senator Hedges in on the deal (for a price, granted). After an evening with the Hedges, Harry realizes that Billie is really out-to-sea in this environment. So he brings in Paul, to whom he has just given an interview, to teach Billie whatever she needs to know so Harry won’t be embarrassed with her at social events. Paul, though, is a dedicated newspaperman and he’s onto what Harry is doing there. He takes the job with Billie to stay close to what Harry is up to. But, once he gets to know Billie, he finds there are other perks to the job.

Although this play has some political statements to make (and we will make them), the emphasis of this production will be on the romantic relationships and on the comedy. These strong characters require fearless choices, and all efforts will be made to avoid caricature and “sit-com” attitudes. (But that doesn’t mean we won’t lower ourselves for some physical comedy, when it’s called for.)

Cast of Characters

Billy Dawn late 20s to late 30s; Once a chorus girl in Anything Goes, now in her ninth year as Harry’s “kept” woman. She is unaware and uninformed, but certainly NOT dumb. She’s got a strong personality and discovers a voracious appetite for learning. She displays a wide range of emotions; she can be volatile, playful, tough and even vulnerable. Billie Dawn is probably one of the great female roles in 20th-century American comedy.

Paul Verrall mid 30s to early 40s; A straight arrow. He’s smart, insightful, kind, highly principled & polite. He may be a bit of “nerd” when it comes to his work (which is writing for a newspaper in D.C.), but it’s work he takes very seriously and he is quite dedicated to it. He’s intelligent but is able to connect with Billie and help teach her a few things.

Harry Brock late 30s to late 40s; A brutish, successful junk dealer. He made his fortune the old-fashioned way: pushing his way up, knocking a few heads & making some threats. He’s not very couth, nor is he very bright. He isn’t evil, but he is quick to a violent temper – an animal in a suit.

Ed Devery 45 or older; A smart, sad, legal mind. He was once an “up-and-comer” in Washington, but he has sold his soul to Harry, for whom he works. He drinks to excess, considers himself something of a schmoozer, and displays more than a little self-loathing.

Eddie Brock any age; Harry’s cousin and loyal right-hand man. He’s a simple, “uncomplicated” soul who knows his place and is just grateful he’s being well taken care of by Harry. Eddie is a constant presence throughout the play, and can be a distinctive, humorous character role.

Senator Norval Hedges 45 or older; A man over his head in Washington. He is always worried about his next election and has no moral issues with performing some quid pro quo, as long as there’s enough in it for him. Not necessarily a shady politician, just someone who has been able to rationalize himself and his behavior.

Mrs. Hedges 45 or older; A proper, formal, politician’s wife. She has settled into the Washington scene after several years, performing the social obligations of the wife of a U.S. Senator. She knows her “role” in the social scene, and executes it well. She may be formal, but she needn’t be stiff or unfriendly. She could be quite pleasant, if a bit dull.

Hotel Staff any age; 4-8 men or women with varying levels of acting experience. This is an opportunity for folks looking to get involved on-stage but either don’t have a lot of time to rehearse or have limited theatrical experience. There are a couple of small speaking parts, but mostly, the staff waits on Harry and Billie. We will build some back-stories for each character and work on adding some comedic moments at the act breaks. There may be some role-sharing possible, for people who cannot commit to the entire run of the show. We also may end up using the hotel staff as the show’s run crew

	Cast of Characters
Billy Dawn	late 20s to late 30s; Once a chorus girl in Anything Goes, now in her ninth year as Harry’s “kept” woman. She is unaware and uninformed, but certainly NOT dumb. She’s got a strong personality and discovers a voracious appetite for learning. She displays a wide range of emotions; she can be volatile, playful, tough and even vulnerable. Billie Dawn is probably one of the great female roles in 20th-century American comedy.
Paul Verrall	mid 30s to early 40s; A straight arrow. He’s smart, insightful, kind, highly principled & polite. He may be a bit of “nerd” when it comes to his work (which is writing for a newspaper in D.C.), but it’s work he takes very seriously and he is quite dedicated to it. He’s intelligent but is able to connect with Billie and help teach her a few things.
Harry Brock	late 30s to late 40s; A brutish, successful junk dealer. He made his fortune the old-fashioned way: pushing his way up, knocking a few heads & making some threats. He’s not very couth, nor is he very bright. He isn’t evil, but he is quick to a violent temper – an animal in a suit.
Ed Devery	45 or older; A smart, sad, legal mind. He was once an “up-and-comer” in Washington, but he has sold his soul to Harry, for whom he works. He drinks to excess, considers himself something of a schmoozer, and displays more than a little self-loathing.
Eddie Brock	any age; Harry’s cousin and loyal right-hand man. He’s a simple, “uncomplicated” soul who knows his place and is just grateful he’s being well taken care of by Harry. Eddie is a constant presence throughout the play, and can be a distinctive, humorous character role.
Senator Norval Hedges	45 or older; A man over his head in Washington. He is always worried about his next election and has no moral issues with performing some quid pro quo, as long as there’s enough in it for him. Not necessarily a shady politician, just someone who has been able to rationalize himself and his behavior.
Mrs. Hedges	45 or older; A proper, formal, politician’s wife. She has settled into the Washington scene after several years, performing the social obligations of the wife of a U.S. Senator. She knows her “role” in the social scene, and executes it well. She may be formal, but she needn’t be stiff or unfriendly. She could be quite pleasant, if a bit dull.
Hotel Staff	any age; 4-8 men or women with varying levels of acting experience. This is an opportunity for folks looking to get involved on-stage but either don’t have a lot of time to rehearse or have limited theatrical experience. There are a couple of small speaking parts, but mostly, the staff waits on Harry and Billie. We will build some back-stories for each character and work on adding some comedic moments at the act breaks. There may be some role-sharing possible, for people who cannot commit to the entire run of the show. We also may end up using the hotel staff as the show’s run crew