Auditions
AUDITIONS
Bell Road Barn Players is hosting open auditions for their first show of the summer.
LEND ME A SOPRANO
By Ken Ludwig
Directed by Megan Reynolds
MONDAY, APRIL 6th – 7 pm – 9:30 pm
TUESDAY, APRIL 7th – 7 pm – 9:30 pm
Callbacks by invitation only
PRODUCTION INFORMATION Rehearsals will take place April 14th through start of performance on Sundays 2-5pm, Monday-Thursday 7-10pm except for tech week.
PERFORMANCE DATES June 5th – June 14th
LOCATION: All “Bell Road Barn Player” performances are located in the David Theater, Park University, 8700 NW River Park Dr. Parkville, MO 64152
AUDITION DATES:
Monday April 6th 7:00-9:00pm
Tuesday April 7th 7:00-9:00pm
Callbacks Thursday April 9th 7:00-9:30pm – by invitation only
About the play
This farce follows Lucille Wylie, the manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, as she prepares to welcome world-famous soprano Elena Firenzi for her one-night-only performance as Carmen. However, things don’t go according to plan when Elena arrives late, her jealous husband Pasquale shows up, and passions flare.
A whirlwind of chaos and comedic situations follows, including romantic entanglements, mistaken identities, and backstage shenanigans. It is up to Jo, Wylie’s clever assistant, to save the day. The play is full of mistaken identities, bed-hopping, and physical comedy—everything a farce needs, but at its heart is a beautiful story about mentorship and self-discovery.
Character Breakdown
Mrs. Wylie — Female, 50s.
General Manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company. A force of nature. Confident. Extravagant. Outspoken. A little loony.
Jo — Female, Late 20s
Assistant to Mrs. Wylie. Frazzled. Scruffy. Practical-ish. A hidden talent. Must sing soprano and do a “fake” Italian accent.
Jerry — Male, early 30s.
Son of Mrs. Wylie and boyfriend to Jo. Early 30s. A romantic.
Elena Firenzi — Female, 30+ (Described as a diva in her prime)
A world-famous soprano. A force of nature. Elegant. Gorgeous. Magnificent. A celebrity and she knows it. Must sing soprano. Italian accent.
Pasquale — Male, 30s (age is less important than read alongside Elena)
Elena’s husband. As magnificent as Elena. A worthy consort. Jealous and passionate. Italian accent.
Bellhop — Any gender.
A bellhop. Eager and energetic. A little goofy.
Leo — Male.
Company tenor. Dutch. Handsome. Warm. Confident. Sexy. Dutch accent.
Julia — female, 60s
Chairwoman of the opera guild. High society.
Intimacy/violence notes:
Passionate kissing in a farcical style, and seductive/charged moments.
Leo and Jo, Jo and Jerry [standing and on a bed],
Jerry and Elena, Elena and Leo [on bed])
Comic violence (Bellhop and Mrs. Wylie)
Disrobing (Leo removes his shirt and appears on stage at different times wearing a bath towel, a bath robe, and in his underwear; Jerry strips down to boxers)
WHAT TO PREPARE:
Prepare a one minute, comedic monologue that will showcase your acting ability. Please make sure your audition piece is memorized. Sides from the show will be posted closer to the audition dates and you may be asked to read one or more scenes with another auditioner or reader. For the characters of Jo and Elena, you will be asked to sing 16-32 bars of a song in an operatic style. No accompanist will be provided. Please bring recorded accompaniment or sing acapella. If you aren’t sure what piece to choose, here are some suggestions:
“O mio babbling caro”
“Largo al factotum”
“L’amo come il fulgor del creato”
“O del mio dolce ardor”
WHAT TO DO:
Sign up for an audition time slot through the Signup Genius: CLICK HERE
Each auditioner will be required to fill out an online audition form. The form can be found here: CLICK HERE
Note that the form and the sign up Genius must be filled out together.
Please provide a resume and headshot if you have one. If no headshot is provided, be prepared for your picture to be taken.
Plan to arrive at least 5 minutes early.
Please contact Megan Reynolds at stagesong@gmail.com if you need to cancel or adjust your audition time, please do not fill out another registration form.
List any conflicts you may have leading up to performances. Conflicts affect casting and all conflicts will be taken into consideration.
The specified rehearsal schedule will be constructed based on conflicts.
PLEASE NOTE:
Actors are required to help build the set (3 hours) if physically able.
Actors will be required to help with striking the show after the closing performance.
Actors may be asked to provide pieces of their costumes from their own closet.
Review the notes of staged intimacy and violence below. These will be choreographed and talked through with an intimacy coordinator.
Passionate kissing in a farcical style, and seductive/charged moments:
-Leo and Jo, Jo and Jerry [standing and on a bed]
-Jerry and Elena, Elena and Leo [on bed])
Comic violence (Bellhop and Mrs. Wylie)
Disrobing (Leo removes his shirt and appears on stage at different times wearing a bath towel, a bath robe, and in his underwear; Jerry strips down to boxers)
CALLBACKS:
Callbacks will be by invitation only Tuesday April 7th from 7:00-9:00pm. Actors will be notified if selected for callbacks by email. Sides from the script will be provided.
VIDEO SUBMISSIONS:
Video submissions will be accepted through 11:59 PM on Friday, April 3rd.
For video submissions, you will need to include the following:
Video recording of you reciting a 1-minute, comedic monologue. These must be memorized.
Completed audition form linked above including resume and headshot.
All video auditions should be emailed to or shared with stagesong@gmail.com no later than 11:59 PM on Friday, April 3rd.
If you have any questions, please contact the director, Megan Reynolds, at stagesong@gmail.com
FIND MORE INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE: https://bellroadbarn.org/auditions