Community Theater in Falls Church, VA
Providence Players is pleased to announce the cast of The Shadow Box.
From Barbara Gertzog, the director: “Auditions were amazing and there were a lot of talented, wonderful people who gave their time and creative energy to the experience. Thanks to all who came out!”
Joe: John Coscia
Maggie: Jayne Victor
Steven: TBD
Beverly: Sara Bennett
Brian: David James
Mark: Andy Izquierdo
Agnes: Leta Hall
Felicity: Mona Kay Helper
Interviewer: Chip Gertzog
It’s no secret that It’s a Wonderful Life is one of America’s holiday favorites. PPF is proud to bring this unique adaptation of Capra’s movie to the stage on December 10.
“Brian O’Connor has done a terrific job staging this ‘radio play’ version, and it has been a richly creative and wonderful rehearsal process,” says David Whitehead, the actor playing George Bailey.
Here are photos from one of this week’s dress reheasals. For more photos and a complete cast and production team list, visit the It’s a Wonderful Life show page.
Read the recent article in the Falls Church News-Press.
Each production, PPF hosts a special free preview performance for students and their guests, including teachers. This special preview of It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, Thursday, December 9 will start at 7pm. No reservations are required and seating is first come, first served. Hope you can join us! For dates and information on student preview performances for future shows, free tickets and other community resources, please visit our community resources page.
Download the flyer and share with other students and teachers – its free!
Providence Players of Fairfax announces open auditions for
“The Shadow Box” by Michael Cristofer
Directed by Barbara Gertzog
Casting: 3 Male, 4 Female, 1 Male or Female and 1 Male Teenager (some guitar playing experience desired for this role)
All Open
Monday, November 29, 7-9:30pm
Tuesday, November 30, 7-9:30pm
Wednesday, December 1 7-9:30 pm*
*This date may be used for some call backs as well as initial auditions. The director will not necessarily call back all of those who are being considered for roles.
Audition Location
The James Lee Community Center
2855 Annandale Road
Falls Church, VA 22042
Please Look For Signs To Direct You To The Room That Auditions Will Be Held in Each Evening.
From the Director
The Shadow Box takes place in three cottages on the grounds of a large hospital. It concerns one day in the life of three families, all of whom have a family member who is terminally ill. The play follows the patients as they deal with the reality of their illnesses and their relationships with their loved ones who try to caretake and deal with their emotions at the same time. All three of the families have large regrets that they confront over the course of the day as well as a great deal of love and moments of joy and acceptance and enjoyment in being together. Although the three families will inhabit the same space, and one cottage will represent all three, they do not interact as characters but there are periods of dialogue that overlap between the three family groups. Those moments in the play have great emotional impact.
The Shadow Box has unusually challenging and exciting roles for actors to undertake; the characters go through transformations, revelations, and there are profane and very funny moments. The play also can be sad due to its theme but the language and relationships between characters guard against bathos and overwrought “scenery chewing”. The play is too well written for the characters to be obvious in that manner. The play is also exciting for actors because all of the roles are “major” roles that will require you to fully embrace your character and your craft. Finally the play lends itself to substantial collaboration between actors within their families and the director as the character and relationships take shape.
General Rehearsal Schedule
Intensive rehearsals in the theater will take place in the month of March. Due to the limited theater time before April 2nd opening, the rehearsal schedule will be all consuming in that month and it will be necessary for all actors to be available as much as possible. In addition, during January and February there will be rehearsals scheduled in other venues, such as the director’s home. These rehearsals will be scheduled following casting. Fortunately the rehearsals can be divided into the three family groups initially which will be more efficient and productive for the actors. Due to the size of the roles and importance of character above plot and action, it will be expected that the actors will be “off book” prior to March rehearsals in the theater.
Performance Dates And Times
Thursday, Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m.
Apr. 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16
Sunday Matinees 2:00 p.m. Apr. 3 & 10
Cottage One
Joe (age 40’s-50’s- lead role), Joe is a working man from the Northeast. Strong, but gentle family man, very close to his son, Steve. Joe is relatively inarticulate about his own feelings toward his illness. All of his emotion is focused on his family. He is very worried about his wife’s acceptance of his terminal illness and how they will share this news with their son. Joe has no visible signs of illness or infirmity.
Steve (can act, look 14 to 16 yrs- featured role). Actor should be able to play the guitar, but doesn’t need to play well, just chords and strumming as he is practicing a song during the play. Steve has a mix of emotions, he is excited to be visiting his father, is perplexed by his mother’s erratic behavior and this role involves interacting with his parents during this visit to his father’s cottage.
Maggie (age 40’s-50’s-lead role). Maggie is a complex character, primarily a loving wife and mother, funny and warm, but wraps it up in a no nonsense, bossy demeanor as she comes for a visit to the cottage. But Maggie is very conflicted and has not accepted the terminal nature of her husband’s illness. She would like everything to be back to normal. She also bears the burden of not having told their son about the severity of his father’s illness. Also from the Northeast.
Cottage Two
Brian (age 40’s-50’s- lead role) Brian is a cerebral, literate man who is trying to reason his way through acceptance of his terminal illness. He generally keeps his tone light, but erudite, and his emotions in check. He is surprised and moved by a visit from his ex-wife who has always been more emotional, spontaneous, physical. He has to manage the hostility between his partner Mark and his ex-wife, Beverly. Brian has no obvious signs of illness except for tremors until the end of the play when he faints; the character also has a dancing sequence with Beverly
Mark (age 30’s-40’s- lead role) Mark is very good looking. He is Brian’s caretaker and lover. Mark is dealing with his emotions about Brian’s illness by pretending that he doesn’t have any. He has a great deal of conflict with Beverly who tries to make him confront his fears and, as a result, be a better, more loving caretaker to Brian.
Beverly (age 40’s-50- lead role) Beverly is Brian’s ex-wife, she is funny, full of life and fun, profane, sarcastic, prone to dancing and discussing her love life. Her brittle humor masks her love and concern for Brian. She is also someone who goads Mark and her scenes involve conflict with Mark and quick witted humorous interactions with Brian. Beverly is a life force, with an edge. Beverly is responsible for a lot of humor in the play.
Cottage Three
Felicity (ages 60’s-70’s- lead/featured role) Felicity is the character most obviously impacted by her illness. She is blind and in a wheelchair. She is an earthy, feisty, take no prisoner old lady who morphs from quick witted, no nonsense acceptance and lucidity to confused rambling due to her pain and illness. She often challenges her daughter and caretaker, Agnes.
Agnes (ages 40’s-50″s- lead role) Agnes is a repressed, restrained woman who is devoted to her mother but often frustrated by her behavior. She has been under a lot of tension as her mother’s illness has been protracted. She is also concealing a secret that is revealed during the play. Agnes is a character who surprises with her passion and representation of the challenges of being a caretaker for a parent.
Interviewer (featured role) Usually played off stage by a male, in this play the interviewer will likely be both off and on stage and acting as a counselor. Can be male or female, age range undetermined, but likely best to be 40’s or older. The Interviewer interacts primarily with the patients, Joe, Brian, and Felicity, but has some scenes with the caretakers as well. Interviewer is generally empathetic but can seem detached and clinical at times as well. Interviewer is present throughout the play and it is a large featured role.
Providence Players of Fairfax (PPF) is looking for talented individuals who are interested in directing. PPF is now accepting applications for directors for its 2011-2012 mainstage season. If you are a qualified director (have directed professionally or community theater productions in the area) and wish to be considered for a mainstage production, please read the Call for Directors information and submit the director interest form by the deadline, December 31.
Make sure you check out our volunteer opportunities page for other ways to get involved with Providence Players.
This is the final week of Waiting in the Wings. The end of a run means “Sunday Strike,” the dismantling of the set. This is a big production and we will need many willing hands. So, please join us! For just a little time or a lot. Even a little makes a big difference.
Date: Sunday, October 24
Time: 9:00am to 5:00pm
If you have not seen the show, you will want to be sure to catch it this Thursday, Friday or Saturday night.
Make sure you check out our volunteer opportunities page for other ways to get involved with Providence Players.
Enjoy this review from ShowBizRadio.
“Waiting in the Wings is a play in three acts by Noel Coward. It shares the life struggles of a group of elderly ladies, all retired actresses, living in a retirement home in England. Each of the ladies deals with their twilight years in her own way, ranging from acceptance to fear and dread. And some with not a care in the world…”
Each year, Providence Players works with worthy organizations to provide concessions to patrons at each PPF performance. Net proceeds benefit a worthy cause.
For its first production of the season, Waiting in the Wings, PPF will work with the
Chi Kappa chapter (at George Mason University) of Chi Omega Fraternity to raise funds for Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic which serves local children in Northern Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland and Delaware.
We are proud to support this exciting alliance between Chi Omega and the Make-A-Wish Foundation which provides a common goal for every Chi Omega collegiate and alumnae chapter; increased visibility of Chi Omega’s volunteerism and philanthropy nationwide; and combined the prestige of a national charity with grassroots support. In the last two (2) years, Chi Omega has raised nearly $840,000 and committed over 20,000 volunteer hours to this effort.
We are proud to work with Chi Omega in their efforts to help Make-A-Wish Foundation whose mission is to grant the wishes of children with life threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. “
Each production, PPF hosts a special free preview performance for teachers and students. This week’s preview of “Waiting in the Wings,” Thursday, October 7 will start at 7pm. No reservations are required and seating is first come, first served. Hope you can join us! For dates and information on teacher-student preview performances for future shows, free tickets and other community resources, please visit our community resources page.
We are pleased to announce the cast for the upcoming holiday production of It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, by Joe Landry. The director, Brian O’Connor, would like to thank all of those who shared their talent and participated in the auditions.
MEN:
David P. Whitehead………………………………….. George Bailey
Fred O. Lash……………………………………… Potter, Mr. Walsh
Michael Khatcheressian……………… Narrator, Harry, Sam, Ernie
Gerry Vans………………………………… Gower, Nick, Uncle Billy
Joseph LeBlanc……………………………… Clarence, Peter Bailey
Patrick David………………………….. Joseph, Bert, Bridgekeeper
WOMEN:
Helena Spadacene……………………………………. Mary (Bailey)
Stephanie Hearne…………………………………… Violet, Matilda
Laurie Hinners…………………………………….. Rose, Mrs. Hatch
Tina Thronson………………. Sadie, Ruth Bailey, Mrs. Thompson
CHILDREN:
Blake Phillips………………………………….. Young George, Peter
Ethan Phillips…………………………………. Young George, Peter
Nicole Owens…………….. Young Violet/Young Mary, Janie, Zuzu
Elise Welsh……………….. Young Violet/Young Mary, Janie, Zuzu