Jan
12
2010

Auditions For Metcalf-Directed Neil Simon Show

Sunset Playhouse’s, “Rumors,” Open For Actors

Posted at 05:00 PM

In Section: Curtains Posted By: Russ Bickerstaff
 

The name Neil Simon has become something of an automatic punch line in the younger crowd of Milwaukee theatre people. The playwright who was so popular .in the middle of last century continues to have appeal all over the country, but with so many contemporary comic playwrights providing such life to contemporary theatre, Simon seems a bit antiquated and out of touch. In spite of this, there still is some life in the old comedy yet. The Sunset Playhouse will be staging a production of Simon’s Rumors this Spring. It’s a farce that opened on Broadway in ’88. It’s a farce about an upper class dinner party at a deputy Mayor’s place marred by the host’s evidently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the earlobe prior to the guest’s arrival. It’s late period Neil Simon fun . . . a show that debuted just a few years before Lost In Yonkers. The show was one of Sunset’s most popular comedies. As it celebrates its 50th Anniversary, the Sunset Playhouse will be staging the show yet again, directed this time by Milwaukee celebrity Mark Metcalf. As Sunset generally doesn’t work with a professional cast, this is an opportunity for aspiring actors to work with a man who has appeared in Animal House, on Seinfeld and in countless stage productions.

Auditions for Sunset’s Rumors are on January 18th and 19th at the Playhouse on 800 Elm Grove Avenue from 6 – 9 pm. Callbacks are scheduled for the 20th. They’re looking for 5 women and 5 men in their 30’s – 50’s. Those looking to audition will be expected to read selections from the script.

�Rehearsals are March 15th – April 15th. The show runs April 16th – May 8th.

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"Sunset generally doesn’t work with a professional cast..." What qualifies people as "professional"? Run through their season cast list some time. Bet you'd be surprised to find just how many would absolutely qualify by *anyone's* definition of the term. ;)

 

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Sunset offers four different subscription series under its roof, three of which use only professionals. And I'd venture to say that half the performers in its main stage shows appear all over the area in a professional capacity every year. Community theatre ain't what it used to be.

 

Having been in the community theater scene since the 70's I know for fact that professionals also do community theater. These may not be Equity Union actors, as they are contracted through Equity. But they are people who also do most of the small semi-pro companies our town. In fact most community shows are so pro, that many upcoming theater folk lose roles to area semi-pros. I have also seen Union professionals, who gave up their career, and later in life do community shows. This is very popular in senior areas like Florida and Palm Springs. Every community show in our town has amazing talent in their productions. Keep attending community shows, and you will also see a star or two from many area semi-pro companies in the cast.

 

Sunset Playhouse is one of the top community theatres in the Midwest, featuring professional quality production values in their shows.  When you compare the quality of their productions to other professional union houses in the Milwaukee area, they come out very well.  Therefore it's no surprise that some very good actors who can & do get paid at other venues work at Sunset for free. Actors are artists who's medium depends on other people's money in order to practice their craft, so to some actors, it's all about the work, not the pay.

 

 
 
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