Auditions for The Wild Party
Synopsis:
Based on Joseph Moncure March’s 1928 poem of the same name, Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party tells the story of a vaudeville dancer named Queenie and a vaudeville clown named Burrs--her passionate and violent lover. Queenie is fed up with the life she lives and the pain Burrs puts her through, so she decides to throw the party to end all parties to shake things up a little. Burrs agrees and they invite a whole slew of colorful characters to their home. Queenie decides to make Burrs jealous, and when Kate (a high class prostitute who has her eye on Burrs) shows up with a mysterious man named Mr. Black, Queenie goes a little too far and begins to fall in love. As a long night of decadence begins to reach it’s peak, Burrs’ jealousy becomes too much for him and he turns to violence, which eventually leads to his own demise. Queenie is left to decide what is next for her in this violent and tragic 1920s world.
We welcome actors of all gender identities, sexualities, physical sizes, ages, & races. All roles contain some sexually explicit/intimate moments, be comfortable with body-to-body contact while dancing (The Juggernaut).
TRIGGER WARNING: This show contains scenes depicting both consensual sex & sexual violence.
Character Breakdown
QUEENIE (F3-F5): Age: 20 to 30. Gender: Female presenting. Ethnicity: Any but blonde, beautiful singer with an innocent but aging face. Sexually ambitious. Afraid of being alone. She has become addicted to Burrs' presence and ravenous sexual appetite.
BURRS (G3-A5): Age: 25 to 40. Gender: Male presenting. Ethnicity: All Ethnicities. Violent. Handsome. professional clown. Sadist. Dangerous and charming all at once. Has a damning Sexually ravenous obsession with Queenie that eats away at his sanity. Hurts somewhere deep inside and slowly descends into jealous insanity.
BLACK (F3-G5): Age: 25 to 35; Gender: Male presenting. Ethnicity: Any. An enigmatic loner. and killer for hire. Strong, handsome, and poised without being posed. An enigmatic loner. Protective. No-nonsense guy who cannot understand Queenie's attraction to Burrs.
KATE (F3-E5): Age: 20 to 30 Gender: Female presenting. Ethnicity:Any. Wild, young, lush, and nihilistic, but always looking out for number one, and is jealous of Queenie. Sexy, sensual, and confident but deeply flawed engaging in reckless sex, substance abuse, and hedonistic behavior. Commands a room with her presence.
THE GANG - ENSEMBLE Not your typical chorus - they are a conscience, voices of reality, a Greek Chorus; & one helluva backup. Think the ensemble of Chicago, Cabaret’s Kit Kat club boys & girls, & the Rich Man Frugs ensemble from Sweet Charity. Style, grace, power, & sex appeal rolled up in danger. Dark & twisty.
OSCAR & PHIL (A3-A5): Age: 25 to 35. Gender: Male presenting. Ethnicity: All Ethnicities. Brothers and lovers who dress as twins. entertainers in every sense of the word. Very flamboyant. Trouble makers who write under a pen name and are hiding as composers.
MADELINE TRUE (A3-E5): Age: 35 to 55. Gender: Female presenting. Ethnicity: All Ethnicities. Dry-witted lesbian with a cruel mouth. A tired woman with slanted eyes and a cruel mouth. An announced lesbian. Sexually hungry. Blunt and very dry.
EDDIE (A3-A5): Age: 30 to 45. Gender: Male presenting. Ethnicity: POC desired. Pugilist. Mae’s boyfriend who is perhaps even more dimwitted than she is. Can be a lovable teddy bear but also a quick-tempered brute. A showman. Cocky. Highly protective of women.
MAE (A3-D5): Age: 25 to 45. Gender: Female presenting. Ethnicity: All Ethnicities. Eddie’s girlfriend. Beautiful and dumb and sweet. Adores her husband and dotes on him.
NADINE (A3-A5): Age: looks 16 to 18; Gender: Female presenting. Ethnicity: Matches Mae. Precocious minor (actor playing this role must be at least 18). Think Iris (Taxi Driver), Mathilda (The Professional). Her presence at the party revolves around her own plot to seek revenge on Burrs. Drawing from March’s original poem (p.6), Nadine’s mother was beaten by Burrs.
JACKIE (Flexible): Age: 20 to 35. Gender: Male presenting. Ethnicity: All Ethnicities. A dancer – slim, elegant, beautiful – but with no tongue. (Who cut out Jackie’s tongue?) He is full of life and energy, both physical and sexual. He is adored but lonely.
SAM (A2-G4): Age: 30 to 50. Gender: Male presenting. Ethnicity: Caucasian Shady, weak-willed producer and "attention whore." Trying to avoid the outrageous pitches made by Dolores, until it becomes sexual.
DOLORES (A3-A5): Age: 30 to 45. Gender: Female presenting. Ethnicity: All Ethnicities. Prostitute. A party-goer pitching ideas and hoping to score with Sam. A wild woman of the night.
MAX (A3- B5): Age: 25 to 35. Gender: Male presenting. Ethnicity: All Ethnicities. One of the party goers and a member of the usual "gang." He is full of life and energy.