Casting Teenagers for "Brighton Beach Memoirs" Play
Looking for teenagers for the "Brighton Beach Memoirs" Play. Please see the details below. About the project: Here is part one of Neil Simon’s autobiographical trilogy: a portrait of the writer as a young teen in 1937 living with his family in a crowded, lower middle-class Brooklyn walk-up. Eugene Jerome, standing in for the author, is the narrator and central character. Dreaming of baseball and girls, Eugene must cope with the mundane existence of his family life in Brooklyn: formidable mother, overworked father, and his worldly older brother Stanley. Throw into the mix his widowed Aunt Blanche, her two young (but rapidly aging) daughters and you have a recipe for hilarity, served up Simon-style. This bittersweet memoir evocatively captures the life of a struggling Jewish household where, as his father states “if you didn’t have a problem, you wouldn’t be living here. Additional info: Tentative rehearsal schedule (final rehearsal schedule will be determined based on cast conflicts): M-Th evenings, avoiding weekends when possible Tech Week starts March 30 Dress rehearsal is on April 2 or 3. If interested, please apply.
4 roles
Eugene is a narrator, commentator and central axis of the extended family. He dreams of becoming either New York Yankee or writer, and he often spins out elaborate fantasies of himself in these roles. He is going through puberty and thinks about girls even more than baseball, particularly his cousin Nora. He learns about growing up from his older brother Stanley, whom he idolizes. His sense of humor helps frame what would otherwise be a period drama as a warm-blooded comedy about family.
Stanley went to work straight after high school to help support his family. He tries to live by the principles of fairness and risks his job standing up for a fellow employee. Stanley also is his brother’s confidante for issues and questions surrounding sexuality. He believes he has let his family down when he loses his salary, but by the end of the play, Stanley comes to realize that he can’t run away from his problems and needs to stick with his family.
High school student, Blanche’s daughter, and Laurie’s sister, Nora has spent years studying dance and wants to be a performer. She feels angry when her mother Blanche does not let her audition for a Broadway musical. Nora resents her mother’s inability to make the decision on her own or let her be part of the process, and she longs for more independence. Nora misses her father and feels like her mother neither pays attention to her nor shows her love.
Blanche’s daughter, and Nora’s sister. Laurie has been diagnosed with a weak heart, so her mother believes she is fragile and keeps her in the house. Laurie uses her weak heart to get out of chores. She has few responsibilities to the household and no friends. Laurie spends her time reading and studying. She has few memories of her father.
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