[Capdist-auditions] MISSING LINK - Schenectady Civic Players

[LWAndruski at aol.com]

Auditions for Seth Rozin’s Missing Link will be held on Tuesday, November 16, 
and Thursday, November 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Schenectady Civic Playhouse, 
12 S. Church St., Schenectady.  Registration for auditions begins at 7:00 p.m. 
each night.
     
Nathan and Gloria Berman relish the freedom brought on when their 13-year-old 
daughter Annie takes her first overnight trip to Paris on a school trip, 
until the shocking news of the mid-air explosion of her flight topples their 
marriage and their world. Jettisoned into separate grief-induced journeys through 
the roots of their spiritual pasts, they are forced to re-examine the faiths 
they both rejected years previously. A rich tapestry of flashback and visions, 
this surrealistic play examines the role that faith plays in our cultures.

Director Ward Dales, has announced the following roles:

Nathan Berman: a 39-year-old atheist Jew. He comes from a mixed background of 
secular scientists and deeply pious Jews. Nathan is a successful 
anthropologist. He is very intellectual and attempts to process his pain through reason, 
unsuccessfully: he needs to know how his daughter’s plane crashed. The actor 
playing Nathan must be able to create an emotional tempest without spilling it.

Gloria Berman: a 38-year-old agnostic. Raised a strict Catholic, she has 
unresolved feelings about the Church due to the tragic death of her father when 
she was a teen. Gloria is a social worker and is plagued by the desire to 
understand why her daughter is dead.

Grandpa: a 50-60-year-old, devout Jewish gentleman. He is full of old-world 
wisdom and spends most of the play trying to help Nathan connect with his soul. 
He is passionate and uses humorous anecdotes to cajole Nathan into embracing 
his Jewish heritage and faith. (This role will probably be double-cast with 
Australopithecus.)

Australopithecus:  He is the fantasy embodiment of Nathan’s companion 
skeleton. He appears for the climax of the play to help Nathan understand the nature 
of lineage and the randomness of life’s tragedies. He is a wry and wise “
caveman.” (This role will probably be double-cast with Grandpa.)

Mother: 50ish, unquestioning Catholic. She maintains her faith after her 
husband’s death, while Gloria loses hers. She sometimes becomes Nathan’s mother 
in overlapping flashback scenes.  (May double as Ella Mims.)

Ella Mims: 50ish. Ella is a self-actualized Catholic woman. She is a groupie 
who follows a group of regular Virgin-Mary-sighting chasers. She is 
methodical, wise and deeply understanding and compassionate. She is mentor for Gloria. 
(May double as Mother.)

Jean Staley: 30-40 years old—(non-Caucasian actresses are encouraged to 
audition for this role). She’s Ella’s traveling companion, but is jealous of Gloria
’s new bond with Ella. She is motivated to seek the Virgin in order to escape 
an abusive marriage. She’s not truly devout, and struggles with this fact. 
(May double with Rabbi Marla Shener.)

Rabbi Marla Shener: a 40ish widow, who once was a militant Zionist. She has 
learned volumes from her personal grief and is somehow an unexpected lifeline 
for Nathan. (May double with Jean.)

Mark Silvera: 30’s (minority actors are encouraged to audition). He is a 
Spanish teacher at the school where the Bermans’ daughter went to school. A 
fair-weather Catholic, he wants to blame the crash on Annie’s Jewish heritage in 
order to facilitate his own school field trip. Strong character actor needed. 
(Probably to be triple-cast with the following characters.)

Gravedigger: 30ish Pakistani man (Minority actors are encouraged to 
audition). He is blind. He is very wise and forthright. (Probably triple-cast with Mark 
and the vendor.)

Vendor: 30ish working-class “Joe” who puts Gloria in her place (minority 
actors are encouraged to audition). He is straightforward and coarse in his 
language.  (Probably triple-cast with Mark and the vendor.)

Annie: 13-15 years old. Nathan and Gloria's daughter. She appears in one 
scene only as an apparition of the Virgin Mary. This character speaks broken 
French, just as a second- or third-year student would. Rehearsals for this 
character will be limited.

Each role has been described separately, though the director hopes to double- 
and triple-cast several roles if possible. He also encourages actors to 
contact producer Michael McDermott at 669-5414 to obtain a copy of the script and 
sides, if available.  Mr. Dales encourages minority actors to audition for the 
production.
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