*OPEN CALL AUDITION NOTICE *
Ottawa Little Theatre
presents
Sylvia
Written by: A.R. Gurney
Directed by: Chantale Plante
Production Dates:
September 12th – 29th , 2018
Wed to Sat nights – 7:30 pm curtain;
Sun Matinees on September 16th and September 23rd – 2:30 pm curtain
All actors must be available for all performances.
AUDITION:
DATE: Saturday, April 21, 2018 at 2:00pm
AUDITION LOCATION: Ottawa Little Theatre
400 King Edward Avenue, Ottawa
(Please use Besserer Street entrance.)
PLEASE NOTE: Rehearsals start Saturday April 28th at 10am and run every Saturday except May 5th and 12th until the end of May or early mid-June. There may be a couple extra rehearsals at an off-site location in May depending on actor’s schedules. July will be off! This is to provide some time off for the cast and crew to have some summer time fun! Depending on the cast there may be and extra week or two before or after July to provide between 4 to 6 weeks off.
SYNOPSIS:
This play is for anyone who has ever owned a dog, loved a dog, or wanted to wring a dog’s neck.
A modern romantic comedy about a marriage and a dog.
Greg and Kate have moved to the city after twenty-two years of child rearing in the suburbs. Greg’s career as a financial trader is winding down, while Kate’s career, as public school English teacher is beginning to offer her more opportunities. Greg brings home a stray dog he found in the park – or that found him – bearing only the name “Sylvia” on her nametag. A street-smart Labradoodle, Sylvia becomes a major bone of contention between husband and wife.
Sylvia offers Greg an escape from the frustrations of his job and the unknown of middle age. To Kate, she becomes a rival for affection. And Sylvia thinks Kate just doesn’t understand the relationship between man and dog!
Thus a delicious and dizzy romantic triangle between Greg, Kate and a mongrel called Sylvia ensues, who, as Kate puts it, eats a serious hole in their 22 year marriage.
ROLES:
Sylvia (Female, 20s) – A stray dog found by Greg; she is lively and expressive, attractive; though she does not move on hands and knees for most of the play she will at times and, the role requires a degree of physicality and an ability to be uninhibited; actress should be convincing as a cute, bouncy female “labradoodle” . Strong comedic timing is essential.
Greg (Male, 40s, 50s) – Displays a wide range of quiet male emotion; he loves his suddenly –adopted dog Sylvia but seems to be going through an early midlife crisis in his work and his marriage.
Kate (Female, 40s, 50s) – Greg’s wife is a strong woman whose teaching career is on an upswing; she has little use for Greg’s issues and even less for his newfound best friend, Sylvia.
Tom, Phyllis, Leslie (Any Age – Actor plays all three roles) – Ideally, these characters are played by one single actor (but director may consider additional casting). Tom is a regular macho guy who educates Greg about dog ownership. Phyllis is a hotshot Manhattanite, Kate’s friend from college, and is prone to drama and drinking. Leslie is a psychotherapist whose gender is open to question.
AUDITION SIDES:
Please click on the links below to download PDFs of the audition sides.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
Interested in volunteering behind the scenes on this production? Come to the audition and meet the creative team and find out how you can be involved.