Villagers Theatre will soon hold auditions for the junior version of the off-Broadway show "Dear Edwina."Thirteen year-old Edwina Spoonapple is desperate to be a part of the Kalamazoo Advice-a-palooza Festival and prove herself the equal of her talented siblings. When a talent scout from the convention visits her hometown, she introduces her musical advice giving shows live from the family garage in hopes of finding her place in the spotlight. She is helped by her older siblings, quirky friends, and neighbors. Together they set out to tackle the world's problems with hysterical numbers about everything from birthday party etiquette to the proper table settings.
Auditionees should prepare a verse and chorus of an upbeat Broadway song, and agree to and sign the Villagers Liability and Photo Release form. The show is produced by Ana Kalet and directed by Devin Massi.
Auditions will occur at 7 p.m. January 17 and 21. If needed, calllbacks will be held at the same time January 21.
| Edwina Spoonapple (mezzo, 15-18) | The creator, director and choreographer of The Dear Edwina Show and is the main-staple of the play. Her character goes through a huge arc throughout the play; from frustration to relief, anger to joy, and horror to happiness. This character needs to pull off her bossy yet lovable self. This actor should be very comfortable onstage along with a strong clear voice with good diction. |
| Becky (8-18) | Edwina's friend, top of the cheerleading pyramid for the Paw Paw Wildcats. Cheerleading consumes her life and creating new cheers for everyday occasions brings her great joy. Becky is a vocally non-demanding role with only a few vocal lines. Stage presence is very important. Athletic ability is a plus, but not necessary. |
| Scott (tenor, 15-18) | Helplessly in love with Edwina. He dotes on her every move and is constantly trying to get her attention. This needs to be a strong actor who is comfortable with being bold with his emotions. |
| Kelli (8-18) | Edwina's neighbor and resident ballerina. Suggested ballet experience, but without use it as a comedic bit! (Any age) |
| Bobby (8-18) | Edwina's new next door neighbor. He is a friendly and compassionate character who goes out of his way to help others. |
| Lars (8-18) | One of the Vanderploonk triplets and a friend of Edwina's. He is incredibly accident -prone and twists his leg in the first scene, returning to the stage in a wheelchair, with crutches, or something similar. |
| Billy, Cordell (8-18) | The other two Vanderploonk triplets who perform double duty on stage in "The Dear Edwina Show" and act as Box Office Manager and House Manager. |
| Annie (8-18) | Edwina's friend, the Girl Scout who works for and collects her Girl Scout badges like they are buried treasure. No matter what problem may arise, she is prepared with know-how and resources to solve it in a flash. Should be perky, energetic, and helpful. |
In addition to the above, there are the following ensemble roles, which, depending on the size of the cast, may be selected from the company.
| Vladimir (baritone/tenor, 15-18) | Edwina's scary uncle from far away. The actor should be a strong enough singer to feel comfortable with their own song and a strong enough actor to engage the audience with their story. The lines for this character are written with a Transylvanian "Dracula" accent in mind. |
| Aphrodite, Carrie, Abigail, Periwinkle, Ziggy and the marching band (8-18) | The "Letter Readers" in the "Dear Edwina Show." They all, besides the marching band who sings backup, have vocal solos where they explain the dilemmas in hopes of receiving Edwina's advice. |
| Frank (8-18) | A non-singing role that requires the actor to speak their lines during the musical breaks in "Frankenguest." A rude, self-centered, bratty, offensive character. Must be very over the top. |
| Chef Ludmilla, William, Sonoma, Fairy Forkmother (8-18) | Form a team to instruct the rest of the company on how to set a table in "Fork, Knife, and Spoon." |
| Susie, Napkins, Johnny, Queen of Boola Boola (8-18) | A local band who have just come from a Battle of the Bands concert at Paw Paw Community Center to sing "Say No Thank You." This group should be able to move well. |
| Lola (8-18) | Has just arrived in America and expresses her shyness in the song "Hola, Lola." It would be helpful if this actor speaks Spanish or can do an accent. |
| Harry (8-18) | Lola's cousin, a fun, happy go-lucky character who just wants to make sure his cousin is having a good time. |
| Mary Sue Betty Bob (Mezzo, 15-18) | is Edwina's distant Southern cousin. This actor should have strong comedic ability who also sings well because she carries the song "Put It in the Piggy" |
| Farmer Jerry, girls and pigs | Support Mary Sue Betty Bob in "Put It in the Piggy." |
| Katie Spoonapple (8-13) | Edwina's little sister and a math whiz. Although she arrives at the end of the play, she has the very important role of influencing Edwina's thoughts and feelings. It is Katie that brings about the climax of the play, showing Edwina the best advice of all. |
| Myra/Myron and Joe/Jo Spoonapple | Edwina's other siblings who take part in "The Dear Edwina Show." |
Rehearsals will be at 7 p.m. Sundays through Wednesdays January 24-March 2. Not all cast members will be needed for every rehearsal. Performances will occur at 12 p.m. Saturdays and at 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays March 12-20.
For more information, contact the producer, Ana Kalet, at ana@villagerstheatre.com. Villagers Theatre is located at 475 DeMott Lane, Somerset.
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