DETAILS:
AFTER-PLAY by Anne Meara
Auditions, Rehearsals and Performances will be held at The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Hudson Valley 2021 Albany Post Road, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520
Director: Richard Troiano: richardtroiano22@gmail.com
Auditions: Monday, 4/7 and Tuesday, 4/8 at 7:00PM
The performance dates : Friday 6/6, Saturday 6/7, Sunday 6/8, Saturday 6/14, Sunday 6/15, Friday 6/20, Saturday 6/21, and Sunday 6/22. Performances are 8:00PM on Fridays + Saturdays and 3:00 on Sundays. Actors are encouraged to find out about the show ahead of time and be prepared. A resumé and headshot are extremely welcome but not necessary. Every actor will be filling out audition forms. There will be sides available.
SYNOPSIS The play is set in the newest “in” Manhattan restaurant as an ethereal server welcomes a party of four. Just as the two couples are about to enter, it magically begins to snow outside making the night a perfect and cozy after-theater supper. Determined to have a good time, everyone settles into the comfort of the restaurant, order cocktails and begin to reacquaint themselves. The two middle-aged couples, Marty and Terry, and Renee and Phil, old friends reuniting after three years, have just seen a new Broadway play. The old friends know each other very well despite the three years distance away. A third couple, Emily and Matt, stop by to say hello. They are convinced to stay for a nightcap, even though Emily has clearly had too much to drink already. Emily makes a drunken spectacle of herself forcing Matt and the server to literally carry her out of the restaurant. The ugliness of the moment is not lost on the rest, who are deeply affected. Having shared painful secrets and made new discoveries about themselves, the remaining four put their disagreements behind them and forge ahead in friendship until next time.
The play is set in the early 1990’s when AIDS was just becoming known and was not understood by many people. This especially affects the six restaurant guests.
Character Breakdown, total of 8 Actors are needed
1) RAZIEL: Any age, any gender, any ethnicity. The Encyclopedia Judaica defines Raziel literally as the Angel of Mysteries, the Angel of the Unknown. Raziel is a dignified, kind, patient Angel posing as a restaurant server. Caring and tolerant of their guests, they speak very precise English with an undefinable accent.
2) MARTY (late 50’s-70’s) A sweet, warm Jewish man who, with his wife, has had a successful career in television and the theater. He is very emotional and is keenly aware of the years swiftly passing by. He has discovered a new closeness with his wife.
3) TERRY (late 50’s-70’s) Marty’s wife and acting and singing partner. She loves Marty very much. She is an ex-Catholic of Irish descent. She is open, warm and quite opinionated. She has recently discovered psychotherapy and has a strong need to share her guilt and discoveries with her friends.
4) RENEE (late 50’s-70’s) She can be described as a “Champagne Socialist”. She proposes care for others but is used to being waited on which is very important to her. Renee is an ex-actress and has been a TV writer and producer. She has great wit and is convinced she is always right. Although she feels things deeply she rarely allows herself to dwell on her pain. She frequently spars with her third husband, Phil, although she loves him. She realizes that of the three, Phil is her best husband.
5) PHIL (late 50’s-70’s) A sitcom writer and producer whose “god” is comedy, specifically older comedy. He resents being out of the loop and that the comedy of his generation is considered passé. He also has great sadness about his failure as a father. He deals with his pain through humor and adores telling jokes. Though he spars frequently with Renee, he adores her wit and worships her.
6) EMILY (late 50’s-60’s) Devastated by the loss of her son to AIDS one year before, she barely hangs on by a thread. Emily vents her anger at her husband and drinks to try and blot out painful memories.
7) MATTHEW (late 50’s-60’s) Emily’s husband, he is a man trying to cope with his sorrow by atoning for his lack of understanding about his son’s homosexuality. He is emotionally wracked by his loss and terribly aware of his wife’s fragility.
8) RAZIEL’S ASSISTANT This character is not in the script and will assist Raziel in their duties. Like Raziel, this character can be any age, gender or ethnicity.