Casting Call: 'Speed-the-Plow'

Cranford Dramatic Club will hold auditions for "Speed-the-Plow," a satirical dissection of the Hollywood movie business.

The show focuses on two high-powered Hollywood executives, Bobby Gould and Charlie Fox, who have come up from the mail-room together. Charlie brings Bobby a surefire hit with a major star attached. Bobby has been reading an apocalyptic-ally spiritual novel that has deep “meaning,” but Charlie points out that this book would never make a great movie. Bobby seems certain to give the green light to Fox's project. Enter Karen, Gould's temporary office assistant. While Karen is out of the office, Charlie bets Bobby that he cannot get her to sleep with him. When she returns, Bobby asks her to read the novel and give him her thoughts later. That night, at Bobby’s home, she makes an impassioned case for filming the novel, saying that it’s Bobby’s chance to “do good.” They sleep together. The next day, Bobby tells Charlie he is green-lighting the novel instead of the movie Charlie suggested.

Auditions will take place at 7 p.m. November 2 and 4, with callbacks taking place November 5. Auditionees should arrive within the first hour of auditions.

Bobby Gould	A Hollywood movie producer. Jaded, devoid of idealism, ambitious, self-centered. He has earned his position by honoring the principle that a film is good only if it makes money. He has just been given the power to green-light any movie so long as its budget is under ten million dollars.
Karen	A young temporary secretary with a ravenous, but unspoken, desire to succeed by making a difference. A true idealist, full of youthful zeal and earnestness. She wants to transform Gould from just another sleazy film guy into a sleazy film guy with a purpose.

Performances will occur at at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays Feb. 6-21 and at 2 p.m. Feb. 15.

Audition sides can be found here, here, and here. Cranford Dramatic Club is located at 78 Winans Avenue, Cranford.