Quality community theater on Boston’s North Shore
There are two very different brothers who run a Hollywood movie studio known for its’ cartoon dog, Petey Pup. The creative brother wants to produce a feature-length animated film set to classical music. His loyal brother manages everything else. Set against the backdrop of the US’s entry into World War II in 1941, this thinly veiled critique of a certain cartoon mogul highlights the tension between art and commerce as the world face and adapt to new challenges.
Please note for character descriptions ages are identified for use in relationship building between the characters, but age will not necessarily dictate the casting.
Tony Wiston – The eccentric creative genius behind Wiston Studios. A force of nature who can be only marginally pacified by his brother, Dale. He rose from nothing to create an indelible mark on society, but his satisfaction is always fleeting and the inevitable crashes are always devastating. He constantly worries about his legacy. Mid 30s to mid 40s.
Dale Wiston – The glue holding all the pieces together. He handles the money (and the headaches) at Wiston studios, doing his best to rein in his brother’s flights of fancy. A dedicated family man, Dale struggles to balance his life outside the studio with the chaos swirling around inside it. Mid 30s to mid 40s.
Sonia Feldman – Dale’s psychologist. Modestly trailblazing her own path to dispel the trope of analysis as “quack science” ridiculed in popular culture. A lover of movies and candy, which fits into her recent turn as a “psychoanalyst to the stars” – a moniker she doesn’t hate as much as she wished she would. Late 30s to mid 50s.
Leo Baxter – Tony’s semi-closeted protégé. Struggles with the abuse and exploitation that comes with being a cog in the Wiston machine. Incredibly talented, he craves acceptance and acknowledgement from the one person who won’t give it, while life with his “roommate” falls apart. Mid 20s to late 30s.
Please note: Doc Bartelli and Gustav Von Meyerhoff will be played by the same actor. Late 40s to late 60s.
Doc Bartelli – A shrewd, thoughtful businessman. Chairman of the bank that provides funding to Wiston Studios. Though the relationship has been fruitful, Bartelli is always weary of “creative types”. Bartelli was a dentist but gave it up because of his talent with numbers and his hatred of putting his hands in other people’s mouths.
Gustav Von Meyerhoff – A world-famous maestro hired by Tony to help bring his vision to life. Graceful, overconfident, and morally bankrupt, with a flair for the theatrical. His latest
Please sign up for what night of auditions you plan to attend. There are no assigned slots
Sign Up Genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B094BACA62DA5F49-59620102-something
Here are the sides for auditions. And note there is no side 2.
Side 10 Tony Dale Leo VonM.pdf