GHENT PLAYHOUSE ANNOUNCES AUDITIONS FOR THE FIRST PRODUCTION OF ITS 2024-2025 THEATER SEASON

THE OUTSIDER

Written by Paul Slade Smith

Directed by Sky Vogel

SUNDAY, JUNE 16 and MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2024

Sign-up 6:30 p.m. // Start time 7:00 p.m.

At The Ghent Playhouse, 6 Town Hall Place, Ghent, NY 12075

The Ghent Playhouse announces auditions for Paul Slade Smith’s razor-sharp satire, THE OUTSIDER, to be directed by Sky Vogel.

This hilarious and timely comedy skewers politics and celebrates democracy. In the midst of a political scandal, an ultimate policy wonk named Ned Newley, suddenly finds himself thrust into the position of Governor.

PERFORMANCE DATES:

October 11-13 and 18-20, 2024

Friday and Saturday Evenings at 7:30 pm

Sunday Matinees at 2:00 pm

Preview Performance, Thursday, October 10 at 7:30 pm

CHARACTERS:

PAIGE CALDWELL (20’s – 40’s) – a professional pollster. A smart, confident woman with a professional’s view of politics, which she sees as a series of contests to be won.

DAVE RILEY (30’s – 40’s) – The Chief of Staff to the new Governor. Very smart, but

despite years of experience in government, he is endearingly earnest and naïve on the

subject of politics.

LOUISE PEAKES (30’s – 50’s) – A temporary employee hired as the Governor’s

Executive Assistant. She is personable, likeable, impressively confident, and entirely inept.

Without knowing it, she has the air of a politician about her. The friendliness of her smile, and the confident way she looks you in the eye, would make you think, “I’d vote for her.”

NED NEWLEY (50’s – 60’s) – The new Governor; a person of impressive ability, but a complete lack of confidence. A man awaiting permission to enter a room in which he is already standing.

ARTHUR VANCE (50’s – 60’s) – One of the most experienced and successful political consultants in the country. His overbearing personality, and confidence in his own opinions, should make him unlikeable, but his ego is more than tempered by the joy – even glee – he brings into a room. He’s a showman, but his excitement is 100% genuine, as well as contagious.

RACHEL PARSONS (30’s) – A TV reporter with the looks to be an on-air correspondent – though, if television had never been invented, she would still have been a journalist. She is straight-forward and honest, and inquisitive by nature. She’s also seen enough of life – and politics – to be cynical, but is more apt to make a wry joke.

A.C. PETERSEN (Male, 30’s – 50’s) – A TV camera man; a working man, and – for most people – the guy you didn’t notice was there. Which is fine with him; he has a low tolerance for idiocy, and would rather interact with anyone. His near-silence doesn’t make him seem unfriendly, just a bit of a mystery.

THOSE INTERESTED IN AUDITIONING, WHO MAY BE YOUNGER OR OLDER THAN THE AGES LISTED BUT FEEL THEY COULD PLAY THE ROLE EFFECTIVELY, ARE STRONGLY URGED TO AUDITION.

THE GHENT PLAYHOUSE WELCOMES AUDITIONERS OF ALL AGES, GENDERS, ETHNICITIES AND PHYSICAL ABILITIES. NON-TRADITIONAL CASTING WILL BE OBSERVED.

THOSE AUDITIONING WILL BE ASKED TO READ SPECIFIC SIDES FROM THE SCRIPT, WHICH WILL BE AVAILABLE, PRIOR TO THE AUDITION DATES, BY CONTACTING THE DIRECTOR.

THE REHEARSAL SCHEDULE WILL BE BASED UPON THE AVAILABILITY OF THOSE WHO ARE CAST. THEREFORE, AUDITIONERS ARE REQUESTED TO BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE IN LISTING ANY AND ALL CONFLICTS ON THEIR AUDITION APPLICATION.

For more information, please visit the Ghent Playhouse website or contact the director, Sky Vogel, at skyvogel@aol.com or by calling (518) 421-9105

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