Auditions Announced for The Dining Room

Hamilton County Theatre Guild announces auditions for “The Dining Room,” the second show of The Belfry Theatre season. Diane W. Wilson of Carmel is director.

Auditions are at 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17, and Monday, Oct. 18, at The Belfry Theatre, 10690 Greenfield Ave., in Noblesville. Callbacks are possible and will be Tuesday, Oct. 19.

Show dates are Jan. 21-23 and 27-30. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays.

Play by A.R. Gurney. Presented with permission by Dramatists Play Service.

“The Dining Room” is A.R. Gurney’s attempt to take an in-depth look into the lives of a vanishing species: the upper-middle-class WASP. The two-act play can be done with as few as six actors playing as many as ten different characters. The play is broken up into short vignettes (18 total) that provide a slice of life view of many different families (1939 to 1979). They are funny and touching and uncomfortable.

A sampling of the 18 vignettes (not necessarily in order) with ages:

• a young couple (20s/30s) discussing the use (or how not to use) an inherited dining room table
• a brother and sister (mid to late 40s) arguing about who gets to keep the dining room after their mother has moved
• a child’s birthday party with her 3 friends in attendance (all age 7) and two adults (early 40s) discussing their affair during the party
• a mother (mid to late 40s) and her daughter (15) discussing the “right” choice ∙ a grandfather (75) with his grandson (12) and the maid (50s+); the grandson is asking for money to attend a boarding school; it’s obvious that his parents have sent him to get the money!
• An older woman with dementia (85) with her 3 grown sons (50s) and two of their wives (50s) attempting to make her recall “the dining room” and their “good times”
• An architect (50) attempting to have his client/psychiatrist (50) tear out the dining room and create an office

Actors will be asked to read vignettes/scenes from the script and possibly participate in improvisation. Actors will be called to the stage one or more times to try different scenes and to try different actor combinations. Actors should arrive on time for the audition and expect to stay for the entire evening. You are welcome to attend both nights, but you only need to attend one night.

An audition packet is available at this link below and an audition form must be completed and brought to the audition, which each night begins promptly at 7 p.m.

Click here to download an audition packet

For more information, contact the director, Diane W Wilson, at creationstation@swbell.net or 317-650-5648.