Audition Announcement: “The Beatle Club,” August 9 & 10

By Teresa Sullivan
Directed by Michael Donahue

It is the summer of 1965, and it is “the best of times and the worst of times” for global politics, America, and American families.  But in the quiet Township of Teaneck New Jersey, a suburb of New York City, 10-year-old Mary O’Shea and her three schoolmates are consumed with the imminent arrival of The Beatles at Shea Stadium.  Mary leads her lively band of friends in forming a fan club, intent on inviting the British band to stay in their homes and, in return, hopefully receiving a personal invitation to the concert. But events, both past and present, threaten to burst their youthful bubble. The Beatle Club is the story of a nostalgic and timeless memory full of endearing humor and love of friendship and family.

Providence Players of Fairfax is:

  • A non-profit community theater troupe. All participation is on a volunteer basis. No members of the cast or crew are compensated.
  • A membership organization. Membership is not required to audition. If cast, all actors (and in fact, all volunteers), are required to become members of Providence Players of Fairfax ($25 per individual or $60 per family – three or more) for the season (if not already a member).

Casting Announcement

Providence Players is casting 7 roles (3 female and 4 male).  No roles are precast, and all roles are open.  All backgrounds, ages, ethnicities welcome and encouraged to audition!  All welcome!

All those auditioning for this production, and all those cast or working as part of the production team must be vaccinated.  Please have your vaccine card or photo copy available when you arrive.

Download all three documents: Audition AnnouncementForm and Theater Access Schedule.

Audition Dates

  • 6:00 p.m. Monday, Aug. 9
  • 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 10
  • Callbacks are not currently planned.

PLEASE RSVP to info@providenceplayers.org with the date you plan to attend.

Actors who audition one night may be asked to come back a second night, if available. You are not required to be available multiple evenings to be considered. The Director reserves the right to extend the audition period pending initial audition response.

Audition Location

Italian Cafe
7161 Lee Hwy.
F
alls Church, VA 22046

Auditions will be held in the back room of the restaurant.

Performance Dates and Times

Preview:                              October 07, 2021; 7:00 pm
Evening Performances:    Thurs. Fri. Sat.; October 8 – 23, 7:30 pm
Matinees:                            Sundays, October 10  & 17, 2:00 pm

About the Director: Michael Donahue

Michael Donahue (Director) has been actively directing and acting with PPF since 2009. An award-winning director, Michael co-directed the PPF May 2021 outdoor play The Parking Lot with Jayne Victor and PPF’s October 2020 outdoor production of Lone Star.  On the PPF main stage he has directed August: Osage County , Front Page, Calendar Girls and House of Blue Leaves. Michael has an MFA in Theater Directing and was Artistic Director for Playhouse on the Square’s Professional Theatre for Youth in Memphis, TN and Associate Artistic Director for HITT Productions.

From the Director, Michael Donahue

The play reminds me of the history of why stories are the hub of clans, tribes, villages, and families.  I feel when the storyteller creates a tangible understanding of the mystery of life and brings joy, empathy, and moral dilemmas to the audiences we can all relate because those things are the fabric of us all.

REHEARSALS:  Download a copy of the Theater Access Schedule for this show.  This is NOT the specific rehearsal schedule (which will be supplied by Mike), but it will give you an idea for the commitment you are making in terms of rehearsals and performances, and how to identify conflicts.

A copy of the preliminary stage rehearsal schedule is included with this announcement and will be available online and at auditions. In addition to the stage rehearsal schedule, additional full cast readings of the play will take place, via Zoom, the evenings of Tuesday, August 24 and Wednesday, August 25.  A social gathering to pick up scripts is scheduled for the evening of Monday, August 23.  Unless indicated otherwise, all other rehearsals will happen at the James Lee Community Center. Rehearsals will be held in the evenings roughly from 6:30/6:45pm to 9:45pm and on Saturdays and Sundays as indicated.

Please come to auditions prepared to list any availability conflicts with rehearsal or the performance schedule.  Space is provided on the audition form for this purpose.

About the Play

Place

An older suburban home, in The Township of Teaneck New Jersey.

Time

Summer, 1965. A dark time politically in a nation consumed by the Vietnam War, student revolts, the Army’s draft lottery and the burning of draft cards. And then, the Beatles came.

The O’Shea Family

Notes on character ages:  While the ages of characters are described in the script the director may cast outside of those ages if it works for the overall casting.

  • MARY O ‘SHEA – President of the Beatle Club, spunky, bright, ten-year-old girl.
  • GRANNY – Mary and Rory’s grandmother, Irish, memory difficulties, seventy-eight years old.  Sings snippets from an old Irish tune throughout the play and speaks and sings with an Irish accent.
  • RORY O ‘SHEA – Mary’s brother, impulsive, rebellious, eighteen years old.
  • PATRICK (DAD) O ‘SHEA – Mary and Rory’s father, burdened, loving, forty-five years old. Speaks with an Irish accent.

Beatle Club Members – all ethnicities welcome and encouraged to audition for Karen and Eddie.

  • DAVID -African American, sharp, with a know-it-all attitude, twelve-year-old boy.
  • KAREN – affable, best friend to Mary, ten-year-old girl.
  • EDDIE – a good-looking, goofy boy who just wants to be one of the gang, twelve years old.

Additional Audition Information/Instructions:

  • HOW WE WORK: Most Providence auditions have actors up and down to read multiple times in multiple combinations and scenes. Most actors find this fun. As space allows, you will be able to watch the auditions. You may be asked to go outside with audition partners and work a bit on a scene. We will do our best to get you up multiple times reading for parts you are interested in. You will also be asked to read for other parts you may not be auditioning for. The Providence Players strives to make our productions open to interested and engaged actors & actresses, regardless of their level of experience. We try and make our auditions as relaxing and fun as possible.
  • AUDITION PROCESS & SIDES: Auditions will consist of readings from the script. No monologue required. Sides for the audition process will be supplied at auditions.
  • AUDITION FORM: Please ALSO COMPLETE the attached Providence Audition Form and bring it with you to the audition. Resumes and headshots will be accepted but are not required. We may ask to take a picture of you, but this is for internal use only and will not be shared.

We look forward to seeing you at Auditions!