Bus Stop Auditions

Plot Synopsis: In the middle of a howling snowstorm, a bus out of Kansas City pulls up at a small roadside diner. All roads are blocked, and the weary travelers on board have to take refuge in the diner until morning.

Registration:

Auditions for the Fly Community Theatre’s production of Bus Stop by William Inge will take place at the following times:

• Sunday, June 25, at 3:00 PM

• Monday, June 26, at 6:00 PM

Please register for your audition date here: https://forms.gle/wANs9r4QxnQzF9tn9

For the audition, please also bring a current headshot. If you are cast in the production, your headshot will also be used for promotional material.

Monologue Preparation:

Auditioners are asked to prepare a monologue for their audition.

• Contemporary romantic/comedic monologue (to match the genre of Bus Stop)

• 1-2 minutes or 200-300 words

• May be from a film, television show, or play

• Monologues from Bus Stop are welcome.

• Memorization is encouraged but not required.

Special Notes:

• Auditioners who wish to be considered for the role of Cherie are also asked to prepare 16 bars (or a verse and a chorus) of a song to be sung acapella.

• Auditioners who wish to be considered for the role of Virgil are also asked to also prepare 16 bars (or a verse and a chorus) of a song to played with an acoustic guitar.

There will be no readings of scene samples for these auditions.

Rehearsal and Performance Schedules in Brief:

• Rehearsals will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:30 and will begin on the week of July 3rd.

• Blocking and pacing rehearsals comprise the months of July and August.

• Walkthroughs begin the week of September 4th (and another rehearsal date may be added during this week).

• Dress rehearsals begin the week of September 11th. Attendance to these rehearsals is as mandatory as to the performances themselves.

Performances are as Follows:

• Friday, September 15, at 7:00 PM

• Saturday, September 16, at 7:00 PM

• Friday, September 22, at 7:00 PM

• Saturday, September 23, 7:00 PM

• Sunday, September 24, at 2:00 PM

Cast and Crew are expected to help strike the set after the final performance.

Runtime: About 120 mins

Cast Breakdown: 5 men, 3 women

In the middle of a howling snowstorm, a bus out of Kansas City pulls up at a cheerful roadside diner. All roads are blocked, and four or five weary travelers are going to have to hole up until morning.

Cherie, a nightclub chanteuse in a sparkling gown and a seedy fur-trimmed jacket, is the passenger with most to worry about. She’s been pursued, made love to and finally kidnapped by a twenty-one-year-old cowboy with a ranch of his own and the romantic methods of an unusually headstrong bull.

The belligerent cowhand is right behind her, ready to sling her over his shoulder and carry her, alive and kicking, all the way to Montana. Even as she’s ducking out from under his clumsy but confident embraces, and screeching at him fiercely to shut him up, she pauses to furrow her forehead and muse, “Somehow deep inside of me I got a funny feeling I’m gonna end up in Montana…”

As a counterpoint to the main romance, the proprietor of the cafe and the bus driver at last find time to develop a friendship of their own; a middle-aged scholar comes to terms with himself; and a young girl who works in the cafe also gets her first taste of romance.

Character Summaries:

• Elma Duckworth: Elma is an innocent and naïve high-schooler, full of dreams, working as a waitress at the Bus Stop diner. (Age: actor should be able to play 12-16)

• Cherie: A nightclub chanteuse (a singer - ability to hold a tune important but doesn't have to be a 'great' singer), pretty, fragile, grew up too fast. She wears too much makeup and is from the Ozarks. She has a southern accent. (Age: 18-26)

• Grace Hoyland: Owns the diner. Her husband deserted her years ago and she's finally come to terms with life. She's wise and motherly but can be a bit of a flirt if the right man is around. (Age: 30-60)

• Bo Decker: Ranch owner, attractive, cowboy, brash, impulsive, naive, child-like, innocent and simple. (Age: 20-30)

• Virgil Blessing: Ranch hand, good-hearted simple cowboy, like a father to Bo, laid back, must be able to play some guitar! (Age: 40-60)

• Will Masters: Sheriff, big, stern, means business but friendly. (Age: 40-60)

• Dr. Gerald Lyman: Former professor. Graying, alcoholic, divorced, struggling with his inner demons. (Age: 50-70)

• Carl: Bus driver, hearty, a flirt, has seen just about everything. (Age: 30-60)