PLAY SUMMARY:

This is Neil Simon at his most humane, compassionate best.  It's a humorous confection divided into four parts:

In Visitor from New York, Hannah Warren is a Manhattan workaholic who flies to Los Angeles to retrieve her teenaged daughter Jenny after she leaves home to live with her successful screenwriter father William. The bickering divorced couple is forced to decide what living arrangements are best for the girl.

Conservative middle-aged businessman Marvin Michaels is the Visitor from Philadelphia, who awakens to discover a prostitute named Bunny unconscious in his bed after consuming a bottle of vodka. With his wife Millie on her way up to the suite, he must find a way to conceal all traces of his uncharacteristic indiscretion.

The Visitors from London are British actress Diana Nichols, a first-time nominee for the Academy Award for Best Actress, and her husband Sidney, a once-closeted antique dealer who increasingly has become indiscreet about his sexual orientation. The Oscar is an honor that could jump-start her faltering career, although Diana knows she doesn't have a chance of winning. She is in deep denial about the true nature of her marriage of convenience, and as she prepares for her moment in the spotlight, her mood fluctuates from hope to panic to despair.

The Visitors from Chicago are two affluent couples who are best friends. Stu Franklyn and his wife Gert and Mort Hollender and his wife Beth are taking a much-needed vacation together. Things begin to unravel quickly when Beth is hurt during a mixed doubles tennis match and Mort accuses Stu of having caused her injury by lobbing the ball. (play summary uses material from the Wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Suite).

Casting 3 men and 3 women, late 30s to early 50s, to play multiple characters.

Actor 1- Hannah and either Beth or Sue
Actor 2 - Billy and either Mort or Stu
Actor 3 - Marvin and either Mort or Stu
Actor 4 - Millie and either Beth or Sue
Actor 5 - Diana (and the prostitute in scene 2 - non speaking)
Actor 6 - Sydney

Visitors from New York:
Hannah Warren, early 40s, very driven and doesn't like to show emotion. Not cold but rather exuberant, insightful, sharp and sarcastic as a replacement for positivity.

Billy Warren, 45, California successful and hip. Has found a more agreeable mate. There is still sexual tension/attraction that runs through the scene, especially from Hannah, but she fights it.

Visitors from Philadelphia:
Marvin Michaels, 40-50, a man who always does the right thing, mostly because he tends to panic. He must get out of a situation not of his own making - a prostitute passed out on his bed and his wife has arrived.

Millie Michaels, 40s, married to Michael for 15 years. It has been a pleasant, regular relationship...until now.

Visitors from London:
Diana Nichols, late 40s, a diva from England who is here for the Academy Awards where she is nominated for Best Actress. Flighty, boisterous, self-centered, driven, and can be devastatingly mean when someone angers her.

Sidney Nichols, early 40s, Diana's husband, kind, understanding, supportive, and forgiving.  He has a secret, but lately he's been less discreet about it.

Visitors from Chicago:
Mort Hollendar, 40s, professional man who is used to taking command. Has orchestrated a vacation (into it's 3rd week) with his wife and two best friends.

Beth Hollendar, 40s, has an injured ankle as the scene begins.

Stu Franklyn, 40s, feels like he hasn't been consulted as much as he would like and, like the other three, has grown tired of the foibles of his co-vacationers.

Gert Franklyn, 40s, witty, sharp, used to being the wife of a professional and living the good life. Unused to things not going her way.

There is a lot of action in this scene and the actors must be agile and able to move quickly.  In order to bring the comedy to light, the actors must be able to make ordinary life slightly elevated yet honest and truthful.

AUDITION DETAILS:

WHEN: General Auditions: 7-10 p.m. Monday, January 23 and Tuesday, January 23 with possible callbacks Wednesday, January 25. Appointments may be made by sending an e-mail to Auditions Coordinator, Dani DeCarlo, at auditions@scrippsranchtheatre.org.

WHERE: Legler Benbough Theatre, Alliant International University campus, on Avenue of Nations, off Pomerado Road in Scripps Ranch. (Detailed directions will be provided with confirmation of audition appointment).

OTHER SPECS: Please bring a current headshot and résumé, and please come prepared with a one-minute memorized comedic piece. Sides will be sent with audition confirmation. Please read the sides and make choices for your character. Visitors from London will use British accents.

Rehearsals will start on April 16, 2012.

NOTE: SCRIPPS RANCH THEATRE PAYS STIPENDS TO CAST & CREW.

For further information and directions, go to www.scrippsranchtheatre.org.

Produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc.