Auditions for “Brighton Beach Memoirs”

Prairie Players Civic Theatre announces auditions for their next production, Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs, on Monday and Tuesday, November 26 and 27, at 6:30 p.m. at Prairie Players Civic Theatre, 160 South Seminary Street, Galesburg.

The play is a semi-autobiographical comedy that follows 14-year-old Eugene Jerome, the narrator and central character, who lives with his family in a crowded, lower middle-class Brooklyn walk-up in 1937.

Dreaming of baseball and girls, Eugene must cope with the mundane existence of his family life: formidable mother, overworked father, and his worldly older brother Stanley. Throw into the mix his widowed Aunt Blanche, her two young (but rapidly developing) daughters, and you have a recipe for hilarity, served up Simon-style.

This bittersweet memoir evocatively captures the life of a struggling household where, as his father states “if you didn’t have a problem, you wouldn’t be living here.”

The cast includes three males and four females:

• Eugene Jerome (younger son) He has recently discovered girls in a big way and wants to be a baseball player, but will settle for being a writer.
• Stanley Jerome (older son) He is the older brother of Eugene who must work a factory job to help support the family.
• Jack Jerome (father) Father of the Jerome family who feels the pressure of supporting an extended family by working two jobs.
• Kate Jerome (mother) The very strong mother who attempts to hold the family together.
• Aunt Blanche (mother) Kate’s younger sister, recently widowed, who is very indecisive and dependent.
• Nora (older daughter) The daughter of Blanche and cousin to the Jerome boys is a very beautiful and ambitious teen with dreams of Broadway.
• Laurie (younger daughter) The daughter of Blanche and cousin to the Jerome boys is a studious, quiet young teen.

Actors can come to one or both auditions, which should take about two hours. Individuals auditioning will be asked to read portions of the script with other actors. There are no requirements to prepare for the audition, but please bring a list of dates when you will not be available for weekday evening rehearsals from November 29 through January 31.

Productions dates for Brighton Beach Memoirs are February 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, and 10 at Prairie Players Civic Theatre.

Learn more at prairieplayers.com.