The Longwood Players

The Heidi Chronicles
by Wendy Wasserstein

The Heidi Chronicles is directed by Catherine M. Bertrand and will be performed November 14, 15, 20, 21, and 22, at 8pm, and November 22 at 2pm, at the Cambridge Family YMCA Theatre in Central Square, Cambridge, MA.

Below is information on auditions and on joining the production staff.

Audition Information

Tuesday and Thursday auditions will be held at Temple Israel, 477 Longwood Ave, Boston (directions). Sunday auditions and callbacks will be held at the Cambridge Family YMCA Theatre, 820 Mass. Ave, Cambridge (directions).

Auditions:
Tue, Sept 2, 6-9pm
Thu, Sept 4, 6-9pm
Sun, Sept 7, 12-1pm

Callbacks:
Sun, Sept 7, 1-5pm

Auditionees should sign up for a one-hour audition slot on Tuesday or Thursday using this web form. You will receive a confirmation email. If you wish to reserve a slot by phone, please contact Vilas Sridharan by phone at 617-877-3868. Please reserve a Sunday 12-1pm slot only if you cannot attend on either Tuesday or Thursday.

If you have signed up for an audition slot and need to cancel or change for any reason, please contact Vilas Sridharan at vilas@longwoodplayers.org or 617-877-3868 as soon as possible.

Please bring your head shot and resume, if available. If you do not have a head shot, one will be taken at the audition. Please also fill out this audition form and bring it with you to auditions. Actors of all ethnicities and ages are encouraged to apply.

Auditions will consist of one contemporary monologue, comedic or dramatic, no longer than 2 minutes, and not from The Heidi Chronicles. A piece centering around women or feminism is encouraged. We suggest, though do not require, that monologues be memorized. In addition, we strongly encourage you to read (or be very familiar with) the show prior to callbacks.

Cast of characters

Note: Actors should be able to convincingly portray the age ranges specified, but do not necessarily need to be within the age range themselves.

Women

Heidi Holland. Plays 16 years old to 40 years old. Independent, dry sense of humor, extremely intelligent, strong but sensitive and subtle, observant.

Susan Johnston. Plays 16 years old to 40 years old. Energetic, always changing with the times, also very smart, Heidi’s best friend.

Lisa Friedlander. Late 20s. Classy. Southern. Children’s book illustrator. Marries Scoop.

Denise Friedlander. Mid-late 20s. Lisa’s younger sister. Not as Southern. Works in TV production. Lots of energy.

April Lambert/Voice over Sandra Zucker-Hall. Mid-late 30s. TV morning show host. Big personality. Charming, but a bit smarmy. Scene stealer.

Fran/Molly/Betsy. Mid 20s-early 30s.

Jill/Debbie. Early-mid 20s.

Becky/Clara. Late teens-early 20s.

Men

Peter Patrone. Plays 16 years old to 40 years old. Similar energy to Heidi’s, Intelligent, Dry-witted, Gay, aware of what he wants in life.

Scoop Rosenbaum. Plays 19 years old to 40 years old. Extremely charming and confident. Always striving for success. A ladies man.

Hippie/Mark/TV Assistant/Chris/Waiter/Ray. Mid 20s-mid 30s.

Synopsis

Heidi Holland is a gifted art historian and feminist who we first meet at the end of the self-indulgent eighties. In the play, we travel with Heidi on her journey from the turbulent and idealistic sixties and through the jaded seventies to the self-awareness she eventually finds in the late eighties. Through The Heidi Chronicles, playwright Wendy Wasserstein gives insight to contemporary society about the role of women in America during three decades that were driven by the demand to support civil rights, equal rights and women’s rights.

Wasserstein’s vivid characters are full of humor and anecdotes, but underneath the dry wit lie very real issues. Without preaching to the audience, the play presents such issues as feminism, homosexuality, AIDS and single motherhood in an unpretentious and relatable fashion. Entertaining and honest, amusing and thought-provoking, The Heidi Chronicles tells the story of an incredible woman who is fearless and persistent as she moves through life. From the idealism of her adolescence to the reality of being a single woman in a man’s world, through Heidi Holland Wasserstein provides an historical perspective on the choices women faced in the final decades of the 20th century in a story which still resonates for women and men today.

Production Staff

We are currently looking to fill the following production staff positions for The Heidi Chronicles. If you are interested in one of these positions, please send an email stating your interest along with a theater resume to the Production Manager, Vilas Sridharan, at vilas@longwoodplayers.org. Please note that experience is helpful but not necessary, and we welcome first-time designers and staff.

Open positions:

Props Designer
Master Carpenter
Master Painter
Stage Crew
Light Board Operator
Sound Board Operator
Head Dresser / Wardrobe Manager

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