4TH WALL ANNOUNCES AUDITIONS FOR SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE

(Bloomfield, NJ) -- 4th Wall Theatre will hold open auditions for all roles in the musical Sunday in the Park with George, the 1985 Pulitzer Prize winner for Drama, written by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. The musical will be presented in concert form, directed by Kate Swan with music direction by Markus Hauck. The show will be presented at The Westminster Arts Center in Bloomfield, NJ, where the company is in residence. Rehearsals (which will be very sparse until after New Year's) will begin on or around December 2, 2013, and the performances are scheduled for February 21-23, 2014.


Sunday in the Park with George is about two artists, living 100 years apart, who are trying to reconcile their passion for creating art with how to live in the world around them. In Act One, set in 1884, painter Georges Seurat pushes away the people in his world (most notably his lover Dot) while creating his pointillist masterpiece Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grand Jatte. In Act Two, 100 years later, his great grandson, also an artist, struggles to rediscover his passion and creativity after being stuck in a rut of expectation and commerce. 4th Wall's production will be presented in concert format, without costumes or sets, and will focus on the journeys of all of the characters, the glorious Sondheim score, and the universality of the story.

Auditions are scheduled for Monday, November 11, and Tuesday, November 12, at 7:00 pm. Sign-up begins a half hour prior to the audition start time, and anyone auditioning must arrive no later than 8:00 pm. All auditions will be held at the Westminster Arts Center, 449 Franklin Street in Bloomfield, easily accessible by train or bus from Manhattan; directions are available on the 4th Wall website. Callbacks will be held on Wednesday, November 13, at an assigned time, if required.

We are seeking 15-20 very strong singers/actors, most of whom will play significant roles in both acts; the tracks and doubling listed below may change depending on who is cast. All roles are open. Non-traditional casting will be strongly considered. Prepare two contrasting 32-bar selections from classic musical theatre songs that show off your voice in the range and style of the character(s) you are auditioning for. Bring sheet music in your key; if you bring a Sondheim song, make sure your music is clearly copied and marked. An accompanist will be provided. Also bring a headshot and resume stapled together, and be prepared to provide all potential conflicts for evening and weekend rehearsals beginning November 30. No pay.

For additional information including directions to the theatre, please visit www.4thwalltheatre.org .

Character Breakdown
George Seurat, the artist/George - modern-day artist and the great grandson of Seurat
Age range: 20s-40s
Vocal range: Tenor to A flat
The 19th Century George is married to his work, necessarily and painfully separating himself from those around him in order to observe them and complete his painting, his obsession. The modern-day George is stuck in the rut where art, commerce, and expectation meet; it is Dot who helps him realize what he needs to do to move on. An enormously challenging role vocally and emotionally.

Dot - Seurat's mistress/Marie - modern-day George's grandmother
Age range: 20s-30s
Vocal range: Mezzo to F
Dot is a feisty and outspoken model who desperately wants George's full attention and love but ultimately realizes she must make other choices. Marie is a wise, sweet, simple woman who makes her points quietly. Dot returns in Act Two to help modern-day George understand the beautiful lessons of the past. This role requires maturity and serious acting and singing chops.

Old Lady - George's mother/Blair Daniels - an art critic
Age range: 50s-60s
Vocal range: mezzo to F
Old Lady is opinionated and a bit senile; George needs her approval, but she is unable to give it. Blair respects George but doesn't approve of his latest work and wants to help guide him.

Old Lady's Nurse & Mrs. - an American Southerner/Harriet Pawling - an arts patron
Age range: 30s-50s
Vocal range: Soprano to A flat
Nurse puts up with Old Lady and breaks the monotony of the job by having an affair with Franz. Mrs. is the counterpart to Mr., and they are typical uncultured tourists. Harriet cares more about being seen near the art than about the art itself.

Franz - a German coachman to Jules and Yvonne/Dennis - a technician
Age range: 20s-30s
Vocal range: Baritone or tenor to F
Franz has a German accent.
Franz resents his working class status. Dennis has been George's technical director for a long time but quietly reaches the end of his patience with his stuck collaborator.

Louise - the young daughter of Jules and Yvonne/no second act counterpart
Age range: 9-12
Vocal range: Soprano to F
Louise is loud and demanding because she wants attention, and since her parents don't give it to her, she seeks it everywhere she goes.

Jules - a well-respected artist/Bob Greenberg - a museum director
Age range: 30s-50s
Vocal range: Baritone to F
Jules is a successful artist who is both awed and puzzled by George's techniques; they want and need each other, but they remain cool and competitive due to their separate insecurities. Greenberg is trying to keep his museum solvent and open.

Yvonne - Jules' wife/Naomi Eisen - a composer
Age range: 30s
Vocal range: Mezzo to F
Yvonne is proper and dutiful, though she secretly admires Dot's passion. Naomi is an eccentric electronic music composer who collaborates with George on his art installations.

Boatman/Charles Redmond - a visiting curator
Age range: 20s-30s
Vocal range: Baritone to F
The Boatman may be rough and uneducated, but he sees through the class system and speaks plainly and coarsely about it. Redmond is a visiting curator.

Louis - a baker/Billy Webster - Harriett's friend
Age range: 30s-40s
Vocal range: Tenor to A flat
Louis is the successful, stable, everyman baker, as unremarkable as George is special; he
deliberately does not have spoken or sung solo lines. Billy is Harriet's date at the exhibition.

Soldier/Alex - an artist
Age range: 20s-30s
Vocal range: Baritone or tenor to F
The Soldier is a a typical good-looking, pompous braggart; he and his non-singing twin enjoy being pursued by the Celestes. Alex is a whiny artist who is jealous of George's career.

Celeste #1 - a shopgirl/Server at the museum
Age range: 18-20s
Vocal range: Soprano to G
The Celestes are giddy, gossiping girls who like coming to the park to fawn over men. The server is working at the exhibition for the night.

Celeste #2 - another shopgirl/Elaine - George's former wife
Age range: late 20s
Vocal range: Soprano to G
The Celestes are giddy, gossiping girls who like coming to the park to fawn over men. Elaine is still a good friend and supporter of George's, but she probably realized she couldn't stay married to an artist who couldn't put her before his work.

Frieda - German cook to Jules and Yvonne and Franz's wife/Betty - an artist
Age range: 20s-40s
Vocal range: Mezzo or soprano to F
Frieda has a German accent.. Frieda doesn't mind being a cook, doesn't mind her husband's dalliances, and doesn't mind dallying herself. Betty and Alex like chatting about George.

Mr. - an American Southerner/Lee Randolph - the museum's publicist
Age range: 40s-60s
Vocal range: to E flat
Mr. is the counterpart to Mrs., and they are typical uncultured tourists. Randolph would love to get a little piece of George to boost his own career.

Man Lying on the Bank & Man with a Bicycle/Museum Assistant
Age range: 20s-30s
Vocal range: TBD
This actor will serve primarily as a vocal ensemble member and will participate in some light staging in both acts.

Woman with a Baby Carriage/Photographer
Age range: 20s-30s
Vocal range: TBD
This actor will serve primarily as a vocal ensemble member and will participate in some light staging in both acts.

Possibly 2-3 more singers, vocal ranges TBD. Choral rehearsals only.