Auditions are closed for this play.
A Comedy of Manners
by: A. R. Gurney
Directed by: Brent A. Stringfield
Produced by:Merrill Gill and Ruth Woodbeck
• PowPAC Theater is located at 13250 Poway Road, Poway, CA 92064 (Upstairs) – Elevator access in rear of building.
• Auditions Monday, March 28 and Tuesday, March 29, 2022. 7:00-9:00 p.m. (arrive early for paperwork and schedule comparison)
• Callbacks will be by invitation Wednesday, March 30, 2022, if required.
• First read-through will be on Saturday, April 2, 2022.
• Auditions will consist of cold reads from the script and other media chosen by director.
• No accents required.
• Please bring a resume of theatrical experience and a head shot.
• Appointments not necessary.
• For additional information and questions, please contact the Director at albeewoolf@yahoo.com (Subject: The Dining Room Auditions).
• Watch for updated information on our Auditions webpage at www.powpac.org and on our Facebook page.
Compensation & Union Contract Details
• No Pay – Volunteer Organization
Rehearsals and Performance Dates:
• Rehearsal schedule will be Monday -Thursday 6:00-10:00 p.m.; based on Cast availability.
• Sunday evenings might be added within the last two (2) to three (3) weeks of rehearsals, if required.
• Rehearsal Start Time will be based on availability of Cast.
• Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. from Friday, May 20, 2022 – Sunday, June 12, 2022.
• Saturday, June 4th and Saturday, June 11th will have a matinee performance at 2:00 pm and an evening performance at 8:00 pm.
About the Director:
Brent A. Stringfield has been involved with community theatre since the age of three. He began directing in his early twenties and has spent the years honing his craft through his love of theatre. At this point in his career, he only directs show for which he has a passion. Brent is eager to return to The Dining Room. Brent has served as Artistic Director of PowPAC and is currently the President of the theatre. In recent years, Brent has limited his directing to PowPAC and Patio Playhouse with productions of Greetings!, Mothers and Sons, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Deathtrap, Our Town, Nuts, and the world-premiere of People v. Beanstalk; to name just a few.
About the Producers:
Merrill Gill has been a volunteer for PowPAC for five years and as served in a variety of roles from hospitality to producing. As a Producer, Merrill has teamed with her dear friend Ruth and together they have been responsible for Making God Laugh, People v. Beanstalk, and Nuts. Merrill is eager to return to live theater after the craziness of 2020. Merrill currently serves as one of PowPAC’s Audition Managers, a newly created position, to better assist the casting process for the theatre as well as for actors.
Ruth Woodbeck has served in a variety of roles for PowPAC including hospitality, managerial roles, Rehearsal Assistant, Board Director, and Producer. Teaming with her “partner in crime” Merrill, she has Co-Produced Making God Laugh, People v. Beanstalk, and Nuts. Ruth is excited to be part of the production team for The Dining Room. In addition to her position on the Board of Director, Ruth is a Co-Audition Manager and is helping to create this new position as a benefit to actors and directors in the casting process and notification of casting opportunities at PowPAC.
Performer A:
Age: Any
Ethnicity: Any
Line Load: Heavy
Stage Time: Almost Always on Stage
Characteristics: Will play the characters of Father, Michael, Brewster, Grandfather, Stuart, Gordon, David, Harvey, and Host; ranging from a young boy to an elderly grandfather.
Performer B:
Age: Any
Ethnicity: Any
Line Load: Heavy
Stage Time: Almost Always on Stage
Characteristics: Will play the characters of Agent, Mother, Carolyn, Sandra, Dora, Margery, Beth, Kate, Claire, and Ruth; ranging from a young girl to an elderly lady.
Performer C:
Age: Any
Ethnicity: Any
Line Load: Heavy
Stage Time: Almost Always on Stage
Characteristics: Will play the characters of Client, Howard, Psychiatrist, Ted, Paul, Ben, Chris, Jim, Dick, and Guest; ranging from a teen-age boy to a middle-aged man.
Performer D:
Age: Any
Ethnicity: Any
Line Load: Heavy
Stage Time: Almost Always on Stage
Characteristics: Will play the characters of Annie, Grace, Peggy, Nancy, Sarah, Harriet, Emily, Annie, and Guest; ranging from a young girl to an elderly lady.
Performer E:
Age: Any
Ethnicity: Any
Line Load: Heavy
Stage Time: Almost Always on Stage
Characteristics: Will play the characters of Arthur, Boy, Architect, Billy, Nick, Fred, Tony, Standish, and Guest; ranging from a young boy to a middle-aged man.
Performer F:
Age: Any
Ethnicity: Any
Line Load: Heavy
Stage Time: Almost Always on Stage
Characteristics: Will play the characters of Sally, Girl, Ellie, Aggie, Winkie, Old Lady, Helen, Meg, Bertha, and Guest; ranging from a young girl to an elderly lady.
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The performers change roles, personalities and ages with virtuoso skill as they portray a wide variety of characters, from little boys to stern grandfathers, and from giggling teenage girls to Irish housemaids. Each vignette introduces a new set of people and events; a father lectures his son on grammar and politics; a boy returns from boarding school to discover his mother's infidelity; a senile grandmother doesn't recognize her own sons at Thanksgiving dinner; a daughter, her marriage a shambles, pleads futilely to return home, etc. Dovetailing swiftly and smoothly, the varied scenes coalesce into a theatrical experience of exceptional range, compassionate humor, and abundant humanity.
The Dining Room
May 20th-Jun 19th 2022
A Comedy of Manners
by: A. R. Gurney
Directed by: Brent A. Stringfield
Produced by:Merrill Gill and Ruth Woodbeck
Audition Notes:
PowPAC welcomes and encourages actors of all ethnicities, gender identities, and abilities to submit for these roles• PowPAC Theater is located at 13250 Poway Road, Poway, CA 92064 (Upstairs) – Elevator access in rear of building.
• Auditions Monday, March 28 and Tuesday, March 29, 2022. 7:00-9:00 p.m. (arrive early for paperwork and schedule comparison)
• Callbacks will be by invitation Wednesday, March 30, 2022, if required.
• First read-through will be on Saturday, April 2, 2022.
• Auditions will consist of cold reads from the script and other media chosen by director.
• No accents required.
• Please bring a resume of theatrical experience and a head shot.
• Appointments not necessary.
• For additional information and questions, please contact the Director at albeewoolf@yahoo.com (Subject: The Dining Room Auditions).
• Watch for updated information on our Auditions webpage at www.powpac.org and on our Facebook page.
Compensation & Union Contract Details
• No Pay – Volunteer Organization
Rehearsals and Performance Dates:
• Rehearsal schedule will be Monday -Thursday 6:00-10:00 p.m.; based on Cast availability.
• Sunday evenings might be added within the last two (2) to three (3) weeks of rehearsals, if required.
• Rehearsal Start Time will be based on availability of Cast.
• Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. from Friday, May 20, 2022 – Sunday, June 12, 2022.
• Saturday, June 4th and Saturday, June 11th will have a matinee performance at 2:00 pm and an evening performance at 8:00 pm.
About the Director:
Brent A. Stringfield has been involved with community theatre since the age of three. He began directing in his early twenties and has spent the years honing his craft through his love of theatre. At this point in his career, he only directs show for which he has a passion. Brent is eager to return to The Dining Room. Brent has served as Artistic Director of PowPAC and is currently the President of the theatre. In recent years, Brent has limited his directing to PowPAC and Patio Playhouse with productions of Greetings!, Mothers and Sons, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Deathtrap, Our Town, Nuts, and the world-premiere of People v. Beanstalk; to name just a few.
About the Producers:
Merrill Gill has been a volunteer for PowPAC for five years and as served in a variety of roles from hospitality to producing. As a Producer, Merrill has teamed with her dear friend Ruth and together they have been responsible for Making God Laugh, People v. Beanstalk, and Nuts. Merrill is eager to return to live theater after the craziness of 2020. Merrill currently serves as one of PowPAC’s Audition Managers, a newly created position, to better assist the casting process for the theatre as well as for actors.
Ruth Woodbeck has served in a variety of roles for PowPAC including hospitality, managerial roles, Rehearsal Assistant, Board Director, and Producer. Teaming with her “partner in crime” Merrill, she has Co-Produced Making God Laugh, People v. Beanstalk, and Nuts. Ruth is excited to be part of the production team for The Dining Room. In addition to her position on the Board of Director, Ruth is a Co-Audition Manager and is helping to create this new position as a benefit to actors and directors in the casting process and notification of casting opportunities at PowPAC.
Cast Requirements:
Casting six (6) Performers to portray fifty-seven (57) characters with minimal change in costume to delineate characters.Performer A:
Age: Any
Ethnicity: Any
Line Load: Heavy
Stage Time: Almost Always on Stage
Characteristics: Will play the characters of Father, Michael, Brewster, Grandfather, Stuart, Gordon, David, Harvey, and Host; ranging from a young boy to an elderly grandfather.
Performer B:
Age: Any
Ethnicity: Any
Line Load: Heavy
Stage Time: Almost Always on Stage
Characteristics: Will play the characters of Agent, Mother, Carolyn, Sandra, Dora, Margery, Beth, Kate, Claire, and Ruth; ranging from a young girl to an elderly lady.
Performer C:
Age: Any
Ethnicity: Any
Line Load: Heavy
Stage Time: Almost Always on Stage
Characteristics: Will play the characters of Client, Howard, Psychiatrist, Ted, Paul, Ben, Chris, Jim, Dick, and Guest; ranging from a teen-age boy to a middle-aged man.
Performer D:
Age: Any
Ethnicity: Any
Line Load: Heavy
Stage Time: Almost Always on Stage
Characteristics: Will play the characters of Annie, Grace, Peggy, Nancy, Sarah, Harriet, Emily, Annie, and Guest; ranging from a young girl to an elderly lady.
Performer E:
Age: Any
Ethnicity: Any
Line Load: Heavy
Stage Time: Almost Always on Stage
Characteristics: Will play the characters of Arthur, Boy, Architect, Billy, Nick, Fred, Tony, Standish, and Guest; ranging from a young boy to a middle-aged man.
Performer F:
Age: Any
Ethnicity: Any
Line Load: Heavy
Stage Time: Almost Always on Stage
Characteristics: Will play the characters of Sally, Girl, Ellie, Aggie, Winkie, Old Lady, Helen, Meg, Bertha, and Guest; ranging from a young girl to an elderly lady.
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Plot Synopsis:
The play is a comedy of manners, set in a single dining room, the place where the family assembled daily for breakfast and dinner and for any and all special occasions, where eighteen (18) scenes from different households overlap and intertwine creating a mosaic of interrelated scenes - some funny, some touching, some rueful—which, taken together, create an in-depth portrait of a vanishing species: the upper-middle-class America. Presumably, each story is focused around a different family during different time periods who has in their possession the same dining room furniture set, manufactured in 1898. The stories are about families; some scenes are about the furniture itself and the emotional attachment to it, while other scenes simply flesh out the culture of the family. Overall, it tells the story of the dying and relatively short-lived culture of upper-middle class Americans, and the transition into a much more efficient society with less emphasis on tradition and more emphasis on progress. Some characters are made fun of, as is the culture itself, but there is also a genuine longing for the sense of stability, comfort, and togetherness that the culture provides. The performers change roles, personalities and ages with virtuoso skill as they portray a wide variety of characters, from little boys to stern grandfathers, and from giggling teenage girls to Irish housemaids. Each vignette introduces a new set of people and events; a father lectures his son on grammar and politics; a boy returns from boarding school to discover his mother's infidelity; a senile grandmother doesn't recognize her own sons at Thanksgiving dinner; a daughter, her marriage a shambles, pleads futilely to return home, etc. Dovetailing swiftly and smoothly, the varied scenes coalesce into a theatrical experience of exceptional range, compassionate humor, and abundant humanity.
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boxoffice@powpac.org
858-679-8085
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858-679-8085
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