Auditions!
Join us for auditions for Parfumerie, adapted by E.P. Dowdall.
Auditions will take place on Saturday, July 5th, and Sunday, July 6th, at 2051 Cypress Creek Rd. Suite K, Cedar Park, TX from 7:00 PM - 9:45 PM each night and will consist of cold readings from the script. Rehearsals are currently scheduled to run Monday through Thursday from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Please bring calendars to note rehearsal conflicts.
Performances will be at Trinity Street Playhouse (901 Trinity Street) in Austin with dates in September: Friday, the 12th and Saturday, the 13th, at 7:30 PM, and Sunday, the 14th at 3:00 PM. Thursday, the 18th and Friday, the 19th at 7:30 PM, and Sunday the 20th at 3:00 PM.
About the Play
Parfumerie is a play that, though popular in Europe, never quite made it to the United States in its original form. Instead, it is best known by its adaptations: The Shop Around The Corner (1940), In The Good Old Summertime (1949), She Loves Me (1963), and You’ve Got Mail (1998). The play tells the story of Hammerschmidt’s Parfumerie, a family business in Budapest, and the lives of the employees who work there. The characters are affected by anonymous letters, rumors, and suspicion, and learn to look beyond the things they expected and find love in unexpected places.
Cast of Characters
Men
Miklos Hammerschmidt - Owner of the shop, which was founded by his grandfather.
He is dedicated to his business and is suspicious of his employees after having received an anonymous letter confirming that his wife is having an affair with one of his clerks.
Age range: 50s-60s
George Horvath - Senior clerk.
He loves his job but has lately found himself on the bad side of Mr. Hammerschmidt for reasons he does not understand. He loves to read and has a romantic side to him, falling in love with a woman he knows only from letters.
Age range: stated in the script as about 28, but flexible
Note: engages in a brief fight.
Sipos - Senior clerk.
Sipos is very much about self-preservation. A father of young children, he is very careful not to ‘rock the boat’ at work and always stays on the good side of everyone, even if it means taking blame for things he didn’t do.
Age range: 40-50s
Steven Kadar - Clerk.
A stylish but vain man who loves to live beyond his means. He is all about the high life and the fashion of the day and has great ambition.
Age range: 30s through early 40s
Note: engages in a brief fight.
Women
Amalia Balash - Clerk.
Soft-spoken but not afraid of confrontation. She won’t pick a fight, but she can certainly hold her own when the situation arises. Despite a sometimes-thorny exterior, she is warm hearted and has a romantic heart.
Age range: stated in the script as about 25, but flexible
Ilona Ritter - Clerk.
Glamorous, in a way a shopgirl wouldn’t be expected to be. She claims to be younger than she actually is. Was previously involved with Mr. Kadar, but they have split up, despite still working together every day.
Age range: claims to be 25 (she isn’t)
Elizabeth Molnar - Cashier.
Doesn’t say much, but makes her words count. She’s no fool.
Age range: flexible
Any gender
Arpad Novack - Delivery person.
Rides a bicycle, much to the dismay of the citizens of Budapest, who often find themselves the victims of a crash. Young and enthusiastic, with big dreams and more energy than can be contained. Written as male, but open to any gender.
Age range: 20s
Fritz - Delivery person.
Small role, doubles as a customer. Written as male, but open to any gender.
Age range: 20s
An officer.
Small role, doubles as a customer. Written as male, but open to any gender.
Note- A nazi type uniform maybe worn
A private detective.
Small role, doubles as a customer. Written as male, but open to any gender.
Various customers.
Several customers have lines and interactions with the clerks of the shop, and there is also an opportunity for scenes to have customers browsing and shopping while dialogue is ongoing.
Note:
Though written as male, we do have permission from the publisher to cast Arpad, Fritz, the detective, and officer as any gender.