Classic Theater Guild Inc. Presents:
Auditions for Broken Glass, written by Arthur Miller
Directed by Stephen Sanborn
(contact producer Laura Griffin at LAPGRIFFIN@GMAIL.COM with inquiries)
Audition Dates and Location:
Congregation Beth Israel, 2195 Eastern Parkway, Schenectady.
Park in back of building, by Union Street entrance.
Audition – Tuesday Nov. 23rd – 7pm
Audition – Sunday Nov. 28th – 2pm
Callbacks – Tuesday Nov. 30th – 7pm
We will be utilizing sides from the script; email to LAPGRIFFIN@GMAIL.COM to request PDF sent to you.
Show Dates and Location:
Rehearsals to begin with a table reading – Thursday Dec. 2nd – 7pm.
6 performances between Thursday January 20 and Sunday January 30
at Congregation Beth Israel, 2195 Eastern Parkway, Schenectady.
Synopsis:
Phillip and Sylvia Gellburg are a Jewish married couple living in Brooklyn, New York City, in the last days of November 1938. Phillip works on foreclosures at a Brooklyn mortgage bank. When Sylvia suddenly becomes partially paralyzed from the waist down, after reading about the events of Kristallnacht (the Night of Broken Glass) in the newspaper, Phillip contacts Dr. Harry Hyman. Dr. Hyman believes Sylvia’s paralysis is psychosomatic and though he is not a psychiatrist he begins to treat her according to his diagnosis. Throughout the play, Dr. Hyman learns more about the problems Sylvia is having in her personal life, particularly in her marriage. After an argument with his boss, Philip suffers a heart attack and lays dying in their home. He and Sylvia confront each other about their feelings. Before Phillip dies (although his death is never confirmed), his final words are “Sylvia, forgive me!”. Upon his “death”, Sylvia is cured of her paralysis. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_Glass_(play) for more.
Roles for 3 males and 3 females:
Sylvia Gellberg
Female, Stage age 40’s to early 60’s
Sylvia lives with her husband Phillip in a brownstone in Brooklyn, New York. She is smart, bright, and before marrying Phillip worked happily in a busy and stimulating office job. Sylvia has strong and happy memories of her family and her family’s ties with their European Jewish heritage. She loves Phillip but is unhappy with many aspects of their relationship. When we meet Sylvia she is already suffering from some form of paralysis of her legs and she’s unable to walk at all.
Philip Gellberg
Male, Stage age 40’s to early 60’s
Phillip works for a prosperous mortgage banking company. He is proud of his job and proud of the responsibility & trust that his employer Stanton Case places upon his work and on his judgement in selecting investment properties. Phillip feels he fits in well at work and in his community and he’s proud that both he and his son Jerome have made a place for themselves while also being Jewish. Phillip loves his wife, is proud of her brains and looks, but doesn’t recognize the roots of unhappiness in their relationship.
Margaret Hyman
Female, Stage age mid-30’s to mid-50’s
Margaret is the office manager for her husband Harry’s medical practice. She pays attention to what she hears in the office and hears the gossip about the residents of their Brooklyn community and the patients and families. She is proud of the fact that the local community relies upon the care her husband provides. Margaret is also her husband’s confidant and they often discuss difficult cases Harry encounters. Although her husband is Jewish, Margaret is not.
Harry Hyman
Male, Stage age mid-30’s to mid-50’s
Dr. Harry Hyman is a general practice physician. It is quite normal for family doctors in this time period to make house calls such as Harry does for Sylvia in the course of her illness. Harry is Jewish but in many ways has assimilated into the secular society around him. Harry is also an avid amateur equestrian, taking soothing weekend rides through the parks and tree lined avenues in the area.
Harriet
Female, Stage age 30’s to mid-50’s
Harriet is Sylvia Gellberg’s younger sister. Sylvia and Harriet have a close relationship and shared many happy memories of their family & their family’s ties with their European Jewish heritage.
Stanton Case
Male, Stage age 40’s to early 60’s
Stanton Case is Managing Partner of a prosperous mortgage banking company. He is a keen amateur sailor, with his own large boat to sail around the NY City waterways & out into the open ocean. Stanton values the advice & capabilities of Phillip, but only to a point. He’s smooth and urbane, but at the same time he’s quick to judge when deals go awry.
COVID-19 Information:
CTG will be following CDC/NYS Health guidelines, as well as the requirements of Congregation Beth Israel regarding COVID-19, including recommendations for vaccination. We intend to produce this and future shows without masks or social distancing among our cast. In order to do this, we require that all auditioners be fully vaccinated for the COVID-19 virus. Proof of vaccine status will be requested at the auditions.
Classic Theater Guild does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.