GLT to hold auditions for upcoming play
Greenwood Little Theater will hold open auditions for its upcoming play “84, Charing Cross Road.”
The auditions will be held Monday and Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the W.M. Whittington Jr. Playhouse.
“84, Charing Cross Road” is a play about a 20-year correspondence between real-life American author Helene Hanff and Frank Doel of Marks & Co., an antiquarian bookstore located at the eponymous address in London, England.
The play was made into a 1987 film starring Anne Bancroft, Anthony Hopkins and Judy Dench. The film was nominated for several British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards, and Bancroft won for Best Actress.
Hanff is an American writer searching for obscure titles that she cannot find in New York bookstores. Right after World War II, Hanff writes to Marks & Co. Booksellers and through correspondence develops a lasting friendship with Frank and the staff. She even sends them parcels filled with items unavailable in postwar Britain. Through a series of unfortunate events, she never seems to be able to make it to London herself to visit her beloved booksellers.
“The bittersweet ending and comical celebration of arts and literature make this play a must for all audiences,” said Alicia Pernell Dallas, the play’s director. “It’s a simple yet powerful story of lasting bonds and deep friendships through letters. I was drawn to it because these were real people, and the play captures both their lofty ideas and their mundane tasks and the difficulties we all face in life.”
Dallas added, “The audience will enjoy Hanff's manic New York-style humor, which comes across as more caustic than playful when juxtaposed to the booksellers on the other side of the pond.”
Previously, Dallas directed Neil Simon’s “Rumors” at GLT. She has been in several performances, including “The Buddy Holly Story,” “Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” “Moon Over Buffalo” and “Six Degrees of Separation.”
“We are also very excited to have this be the last performance of the season before the Shakespeare Boot Camp for our young people this summer and our 60th Anniversary Gala,” said Dallas. “It should make for an exciting summer for those who enjoy our Little Theatre.”
Her son, Brendan Pernell, 12, is appearing in the current GLT production, “On Golden Pond,” which debuts tonight at 7:30 p.m. and will run through Sunday.
“84, Charing Cross Road” will be performed June 23-26.
For more information about auditions and helping with this and other GLT productions, call Dallas at 299-1364.