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Auditions for

Sylvia

a comedy by A.R. Gurney

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Directed by Joel Longstreth

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Saturday, June 20, 4:00 PM

Monday, June 22,  6:30 PM

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Performance Dates: September 18 - 20 and 25 - 27

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Auditions will consist of cold reads from the script.

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Please preregister for auditions here. 

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An empty-nester couple moves into the city to embark on their next chapter. Greg’s mid-life crisis is in full swing. Sylvia, an exuberant stray dog in Central Park, is looking for a new home. When they meet, it’s love at first sight. Things begin to get a little rough for Greg when his wife Kate is less than thrilled by the new arrival who jumps up, sheds, sits on her couch, and takes all of Greg’s attention. Sylvia promptly becomes a bone of contention between Greg and Kate...  as Kate puts it, eating a serious hole in their 22-year marriage.

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“Delicious and dizzy.” - The New York Times

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Character descriptions:

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Greg is at loose ends - he dislikes his job and is looking for meaning in his life. He’s not the type for a flashy convertible or a secret affair, but a dog is just the ticket to fill his emotional void. Character age is 40 - 60.

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Kate is thrilled that she and Greg have moved into Manhattan now that the kids are off to college, and she can finally work at her dream job - teaching high school English (she quotes Shakespeare quite a bit). She is serious but not stiff, practical but not rigid, and she sees no reason for a dog at this point in her life. Character age is 40 - 60.

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Sylvia is a dog, maybe part Lab and maybe part poodle. She’s not a puppy anymore, but she’s still enthusiastic, loyal, playful, protective, and definitely street-smart. She is not a cartoon dog - she takes herself seriously. There will not be furry costumes. Character age is 18 - 30, ish; 2 ½ - 4 in dog years. A physically demanding role, involving knee pads.

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The following three roles are written to be played by one actor:

Tom is a slightly macho fellow dog owner who meets Greg in the park. He has definite opinions about the dog/human relationship, and loans Greg his copy of “Play Now, Spay Later”.

Phyllis is a college friend of Kate’s, well-connected and well-off. A “society lady”. She also has opinions on dogs - “they’re like children. They must be disciplined from the ground up.”

Leslie is a therapist to whom Kate and Greg go for marriage counseling. Weird, and slightly deranged. Dresses androgynously, on purpose, to test her clients’ reactions.

Character ages: Tom, younger than Greg; Phyllis, in Kate’s age range; Leslie, 25+.

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