GUYS & DOLLS
Directed by Kristen Dickerson
Performance Dates August 2-18, 2024
Set in Damon Runyon's mythical New York City, Guys and Dolls is an oddball romantic comedy. Gambler, Nathan Detroit, tries to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town while the authorities breathe down his neck; meanwhile, his girlfriend and nightclub performer, Adelaide, laments that they've been engaged for fourteen years. Nathan turns to fellow gambler, Sky Masterson, for the dough, and Sky ends up chasing the straight-laced missionary, Sarah Brown, as a result. Guys and Dolls takes us from the heart of Times Square to the cafes of Havana, Cuba, and even into the sewers of New York City, but eventually everyone ends up right where they belong.
AUDITIONS: April 20-21, 2024
AUDITION INFORMATION BELOW!
Guys & Dolls is presented in part by Johnny Passmore- Realtor, Coldwell Banker RPM Group, Haynes Ace Hardware, and the Conway Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Directed by Kristen Dickerson
Performance Dates August 2-18, 2024
Set in Damon Runyon's mythical New York City, Guys and Dolls is an oddball romantic comedy. Gambler, Nathan Detroit, tries to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town while the authorities breathe down his neck; meanwhile, his girlfriend and nightclub performer, Adelaide, laments that they've been engaged for fourteen years. Nathan turns to fellow gambler, Sky Masterson, for the dough, and Sky ends up chasing the straight-laced missionary, Sarah Brown, as a result. Guys and Dolls takes us from the heart of Times Square to the cafes of Havana, Cuba, and even into the sewers of New York City, but eventually everyone ends up right where they belong.
AUDITIONS: April 20-21, 2024
AUDITION INFORMATION BELOW!
Guys & Dolls is presented in part by Johnny Passmore- Realtor, Coldwell Banker RPM Group, Haynes Ace Hardware, and the Conway Convention and Visitors Bureau.
SEEKING A DIVERSE CAST FOR THE FOLLOWING ROLES, ALL ROLES ARE AVAILABLE:
(You must be 12+ to audition)
(You must be 12+ to audition)
Nicely-Nicely Johnson – Just like his name suggests, he is the nicest and cheeriest of the gambling crooks. High-spirited and a bit naïve, but sincere and genuine. Nathan’s loyal friend and lackey. Singer, Dancer, Good comedic timing. Male-presenting; Age range: 20s to 40s; Vocal range top: B5; Vocal range bottom: D4
Benny Southstreet – Nathan’s right-hand man and a gambler himself. Smart, slick, always moving and shaking, but with what he thinks are Nathan’s best interest at heart. Singer, Dancer, Good Comedic timing. Male-presenting; Age range: 20s to 40s; Vocal range top: G5; Vocal range bottom: D4.
Sarah Brown – A bright-eyed woman who serves as Sergeant of the local Mission. She fully believes in her worthy cause and wishes to convert the gambling sinners to saints. Falls unexpectedly in love with Sky along the way. She is prudish and uptight, but eventually lets go. Female-presenting; Age range: 20s to 40s; Vocal range top: G5; Vocal range bottom: B3. This role requires onstage physical intimacy/kiss.
Arvide Abernathy – The bass drum and cymbal player in the Mission band, he is Sarah’s loving grandfather. Wise and sweet, he wants nothing but the best for her. Male-presenting; Age range: 50s+; Vocal range top: F5; Vocal range bottom: D4
Harry The Horse – A crook and gambler. He is a tough guy with dollar signs as his bottom line. Brings Big Jule into Nathan’s craps game and backs his cheating, but is also a man of his word in the gambling community. Male-presenting; Age range: 30s to 60s; Vocal range top: G5; Vocal range bottom: F3
Lt. Brannigan – A New York police officer who is on to Nathan’s illegal craps games and is dead-set on catching him. A tough, no-nonsense character. Male-presenting; Age range: 40s to 50s
Nathan Detroit – A good-hearted gambler and craps game organizer who could never hit the bigtime. He loves Adelaide, but cannot quit his gambling ways. A broke schemer with unwitting ways. Good comedic timing; Male-presenting; Age range: 30s to 40s; Vocal range top: F5; Vocal range bottom: D4. This role requires onstage physical intimacy/kiss.
Miss Adelaide – Nathan’s fiancé and a lead performer at the Hot Box nightclub. She loves Nathan more than anything in the world and desperately wants to get married. Pretty, outspoken, stubborn, excellent comedic timing. Female-presenting; Age range: 30s to 40s; Vocal range top: E5; Vocal range bottom: A3. This role requires onstage physical intimacy/kiss.
Sky Masterson – A high-stakes gambler whose luck never seems to run out, and a wild card who surprises himself when he falls in love with the unlikeliest of women. Suave, smart, handsome. Male-presenting; Age range: 20s to 40s; Vocal range top: E5; Vocal range bottom: B3. This role requires onstage physical intimacy/kiss.
Big Jule – A big time craps player from Chicago who uses a gun and his own pair of rigged dice to bully his way into never losing. Tough looking. A bit of an oaf. Male-presenting; Age range: 30s to 50s; Vocal range top: G5; Vocal range bottom: F3
General Cartwright – General Cartwright is the formidable leader of the Save-a-Soul Mission organization. She is strong and independent. Female-presenting; Age range: 40+
Ensemble – Sightseers, Mission Band (Agatha, Calvin, Martha), Crap Shooters (Liver Lips Louie, Angie The Ox, Rusty Charlie), Hot Box Girls, Waiters, Cuban Dancers. Many colorful moments with great bit parts. Age range: 16+. Dancers, singers, actors.
Benny Southstreet – Nathan’s right-hand man and a gambler himself. Smart, slick, always moving and shaking, but with what he thinks are Nathan’s best interest at heart. Singer, Dancer, Good Comedic timing. Male-presenting; Age range: 20s to 40s; Vocal range top: G5; Vocal range bottom: D4.
Sarah Brown – A bright-eyed woman who serves as Sergeant of the local Mission. She fully believes in her worthy cause and wishes to convert the gambling sinners to saints. Falls unexpectedly in love with Sky along the way. She is prudish and uptight, but eventually lets go. Female-presenting; Age range: 20s to 40s; Vocal range top: G5; Vocal range bottom: B3. This role requires onstage physical intimacy/kiss.
Arvide Abernathy – The bass drum and cymbal player in the Mission band, he is Sarah’s loving grandfather. Wise and sweet, he wants nothing but the best for her. Male-presenting; Age range: 50s+; Vocal range top: F5; Vocal range bottom: D4
Harry The Horse – A crook and gambler. He is a tough guy with dollar signs as his bottom line. Brings Big Jule into Nathan’s craps game and backs his cheating, but is also a man of his word in the gambling community. Male-presenting; Age range: 30s to 60s; Vocal range top: G5; Vocal range bottom: F3
Lt. Brannigan – A New York police officer who is on to Nathan’s illegal craps games and is dead-set on catching him. A tough, no-nonsense character. Male-presenting; Age range: 40s to 50s
Nathan Detroit – A good-hearted gambler and craps game organizer who could never hit the bigtime. He loves Adelaide, but cannot quit his gambling ways. A broke schemer with unwitting ways. Good comedic timing; Male-presenting; Age range: 30s to 40s; Vocal range top: F5; Vocal range bottom: D4. This role requires onstage physical intimacy/kiss.
Miss Adelaide – Nathan’s fiancé and a lead performer at the Hot Box nightclub. She loves Nathan more than anything in the world and desperately wants to get married. Pretty, outspoken, stubborn, excellent comedic timing. Female-presenting; Age range: 30s to 40s; Vocal range top: E5; Vocal range bottom: A3. This role requires onstage physical intimacy/kiss.
Sky Masterson – A high-stakes gambler whose luck never seems to run out, and a wild card who surprises himself when he falls in love with the unlikeliest of women. Suave, smart, handsome. Male-presenting; Age range: 20s to 40s; Vocal range top: E5; Vocal range bottom: B3. This role requires onstage physical intimacy/kiss.
Big Jule – A big time craps player from Chicago who uses a gun and his own pair of rigged dice to bully his way into never losing. Tough looking. A bit of an oaf. Male-presenting; Age range: 30s to 50s; Vocal range top: G5; Vocal range bottom: F3
General Cartwright – General Cartwright is the formidable leader of the Save-a-Soul Mission organization. She is strong and independent. Female-presenting; Age range: 40+
Ensemble – Sightseers, Mission Band (Agatha, Calvin, Martha), Crap Shooters (Liver Lips Louie, Angie The Ox, Rusty Charlie), Hot Box Girls, Waiters, Cuban Dancers. Many colorful moments with great bit parts. Age range: 16+. Dancers, singers, actors.
AUDITION DETAILS AND AGREEMENT
AUDITIONS: Auditions are available for ages 12+ and will be held on Saturday, April 20 at Red Curtain Theatre in Downtown Conway (913 W Oak Street). Callbacks, if needed, will be held the evening of Sunday, April 21. Please be aware that not all who audition are guaranteed a role. If you unable to attend auditions on April 20, please contact us at [email protected] for details regarding video submission. You will schedule an audition appointment as part of this sign up process.
AUDITION PREPARATION: Please prepare 32 bars of a song from the show or in the style of the show and come with a backing track for your accompaniment. We will have a speaker available to play your accompaniment. We may ask you to do a cold reading during your audition. You will also be asked to learn a short dance sequence with our choreographer. You can expect your audition to take 30-45 minutes.
REHEARSALS: Rehearsals will begin Monday, June 10 and will be on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays from 6-9pm. Not all performers will be called to all rehearsals. There will be tech rehearsals and a photo call the weekend of July 27-28 (Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday 12-7pm). A final dress rehearsal will be held Thursday, August 1 from 6-11pm.
PERFORMANCES: Performances are scheduled August 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, and 18 at Staples Auditorium on the Hendrix College campus in Conway, AR.
COSTUMES: Each cast member will be responsible for providing their own costume for this production. They will work closely with the director and a costumer to accomplish this.
A NOTE ON STAGED INTIMACY: Theatrical intimacy is any action on stage where the given circumstances of the scene or the overall production calls for touch, both physical and imaginative, or moments between actors of simulated sexuality or sexual violence. Red Curtain Theatre utilizes an Intimacy Coordinator to improve processes and incorporate safer practices for theatrical intimacy in our rehearsals. All scenes with intimacy follow a specific set of staging and rehearsal protocols rooted in consent and safety for the actors. Guys and Dolls is a high energy show with lots of physical movement and some partner dance. As such, some level of physical intimacy/touch is a part of many roles. Characters who engage in specific moments of physical intimacy and kissing are noted in character descriptions. Additionally, Miss Adelaide and the Hot Box Girls may wear revealing clothing with arms and legs exposed (such as short skirts/shorts or strapless tops) as well as perform in a comedic striptease removing gloves, scarves, and overskirt.
ATTENDANCE POLICY: Attendance at rehearsals is extremely important when preparing for such a large production and we encourage each cast member to be at every rehearsal they are called to if possible. We ask that all known conflicts are communicated during audition signups. Attendance at all rehearsals July 27 through performances is required. Not every cast member will be required to attend every full rehearsal. An excessive amount of missed rehearsals, as determined by the director, will be cause for removal from the production. Exceptions to this rule due to extenuating circumstances are at the discretion of the director.
ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR POLICY: Red Curtain Theatre's mission is to provide an atmosphere that nurtures and inspires actors of all ages and believes in fostering a safe environment for all artists. We follows a strict policy of equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism. Any behavior (speech, action, etc.) that does not strive to uphold these values will not be tolerated and will lead to the cast member's removal from the production by the director and/or producer. In addition, negative attitudes and/or behavior will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to the use of foul language, disrespect toward the director, crew, volunteers and/or cast members, bullying, teasing and unwillingness to participate.