Auditions will be held: Mar 25th-Mar 27th

The Butler Did It

May 17th-Jun 9th 2024
A Comedy
by: Walter & Peter Marks

Directed by: Dennis Floyd
Produced by:Darrell Datte

Audition Notes:
The scene is the stage and wings of an Off-Broadway theater in 1980, where Tony/Toni Lefcourt, Auteur director, is rehearsing their new play, The Butler Did It, a "classic whodunit" (in which all the characters are named Butler). The play-within-the-play is set in the 1930’s in the luxurious New York penthouse apartment of the wealthy Butler family. Lefcourt hopes to regain the success that has eluded them in recent seasons. Desperately eager to stimulate the actors to their best efforts, Lefcourt goes method on the cast; hiding the last scene from the actors, and plotting to stage the “murder” of one of the actresses. Plans go awry and Lefcourt is double crossed, and the plot begins to twist and turn until there is a final, fatal unexpected ending.
Auditions Info:

PowPAC welcomes and encourages actors of all ethnicities, gender identities, and abilities to audition for these roles.

● Auditions will be held at: PowPAC Community Theatre, 13250 Poway Rd, Poway, CA 92064
○ Auditions are upstairs; Elevator access in rear of building.
• Auditions Monday, March 25 and Tuesday March, 26, 2024. 7:00-9:00 p.m. (Arrive early for paperwork and schedule comparison).
• Callbacks will be by invitation Wednesday, March 27, 2024, if required.
• The first read-through will be on Monday, April 1, 2024 at 6:30 p.m.
• Auditions will consist of readings from the script and other media chosen by the director. Audition sides will be available in advance by emailing the director at TheButlerDirector@gmail.com. There will also be some movement involved in the audition, so please come dressed in comfortable clothing.
• Accents are noted in the character descriptions below.
• Please bring a resume of theatrical experience and a head shot.
• Appointments not necessary.
• For additional information and questions, please contact the Director at TheButlerDirector@gmail.com Subject: The Butler Did It Auditions).
• Watch for updated information on our Auditions webpage at www.powpac.org and on our Facebook page.

Compensation & Union Contract Details
● No Pay – Volunteer Organization

Rehearsals and Performance Dates:
● Rehearsal schedule will be: Monday through Thursday OR Sunday through Wednesday, 6:00-10:00 p.m.; based on cast availability
● Sunday evenings might be added within the last 2 (2) to three (3) weeks of rehearsals, if required.
● Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. from Friday, May 17th through Sunday, June 9th, 2024.
● Saturday, May 25th and Saturday, June 8th will have a matinee performance at 2:00 pm and an evening performance at 8:00 pm.
Cast Requirements:
Casting 6 performers: 2 women, 2 men, 2 open
About the Characters:

Anthony/Antonia Lefcourt
Age: 40-60’s
Gender: Casting Tony/Toni as either male or female.
Ethnicity: Any
Line Load: Heavy
Characteristics: Director: Former wunderkind director (ala Orson Welles, Julie Taymor), planning to make a comeback. Desperate and willing to do anything to make their play a success; including murdering an actor to protect the secret plot twist.

Michael Severino (Aldo)
Age: 20’s
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Any
Line Load: Moderate
Characteristics: Ambitious and handsome young actor from the streets of New York. Smooth with the ladies. Lovers with Natalie Simpson. Part will call for some kissing with both Natalie Simpson and Claudia Barnes (in character as Vickie Butler). Michael plays Aldo, the English Butler in the play-within-the-play. Actor should be able to do a convincing New York accent and a, perhaps, over the top stuffy British accent.

Natalie Simpson (Angela Butler)
Age: 40-early 50’s
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: Any
Line Load: Moderate
Characteristics: Former ingénue, now relegated to minor supporting roles. Still beautiful by the standards of the world but over-the-hill by the standards of Broadway and Hollywood. Conniving and manipulative; willing to do anything to become a star again. Lovers with the much younger Michael Severino. Part will call for some kissing with Severino. Natalie plays Angela Butler, wealthy society matron.

Claudia Barnes (Vickie Butler)
Age: Early 20’s
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: Any
Line Load: Moderate
Characteristics: Young, recent Yale acting school graduate. Appearing in her first Broadway play. Gives the appearance of innocence and naivete but looks can be deceiving. To smart to be impressed by Michael’s rough edges. Claudia plays Vickie Butler, the rebellious young daughter of the wealthy Butler family. Part will call for Vickie to kiss Aldo (the butler) as an act of rebellion.

Robert Lattimore (Raymond Butler)
Age: 50’s-70’s
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Any
Line Load: Moderate
Characteristics: Aging stage actor, struggling with his memory. Robert plays Raymond, the patriarch of the wealthy Butler family.

Sam Farber (Detective Mumford)
Age: 40’s-50’s
Gender: Male or Female
Ethnicity: Any
Line Load: Moderate
Characteristics: Out of work actor, forced to work in catering since he/she was blacklisted. Sam plays two roles: first as a smarter than they look homicide detective right out of Law & Order or Columbo; then as a British “Consulting Detective” in the play within the play. Actor should be able to do a convincing British accent.
Plot Synopsis:
The scene is the set where Anthony J. Lefcourt, writer and director, is rehearsing his new play, a “classic whodunit” (in which all the characters are named Butler) with which he hopes to regain the success that has eluded him in recent seasons. Desperately eager to stimulate his cast to their best efforts, he has deliberately withheld the final scene of the play from them, but his patience is worn thin by the petty jealousies and romantic rivalries that detract from their concentration. In an effort to spur them on he “stages” the murder of one of the actresses, after which the plot begins to twist and turn with such dazzling ingenuity—and hilarity—that soon actors and audience alike have lost track of what is real and what is make-believe—until a surprise ending sets matters straight in a most bizarre and ironic way.

In Memoriam
  • Brent Stringfield
  • Memorial Fund



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