Open Auditions for ‘Rumors’ April 18

Pentacle Theatre will hold open auditions for Neil Simon’s Rumors on April 18

When: 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 18

Where: Pentacle Theatre – Downtown Office (197 Liberty St. SE) in downtown Salem.

CASTING CALL:

● Casting actors able to play 5 male-presenting roles, 5 female-presenting roles.

● Pentacle Theatre affirms, promotes, and celebrates the participation of all, without regard to race, color, sex, disability, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, or socioeconomic status.

THE STORY:

At a large, tastefully-appointed Sneden’s Landing townhouse, the Deputy Mayor of New York has just shot himself. Though it’s only a flesh wound, Charlie Brock’s self-inflicted injury sets off a series of events, causing four couples to experience a severe attack of farce.

As their tenth wedding anniversary party commences, Charlie lies bleeding in another room, and his wife Myra is nowhere in sight. The first guests, lawyer Ken Gorman and his wife Chris, scramble to get “the story” straight before the other guests arrive. As the confusion and miscommunications mount, the evening spins off into classic farcical hilarity.

THE CHARACTERS:

Casting actors able to play the following roles, genders, and ages:

KEN GORMAN – (40) A well-to-do lawyer. Wealthy, but by no means pretentious. Takes charge of the situation. Married to Chris. Halfway through the show, a gunshot causes his temporary deafness.

CHRIS GORMAN – (mid-30’s) Another lawyer, married to Ken. Beautiful, easily flustered. Frantically tries to maintain normalcy at the party. Has recently quit smoking, which drives her to drink a bit more.

LENNY GANZ – (50’s -early 60’s) A wealthy accountant, distraught over the recent destruction of his new car. Starts the show with an extreme case of whiplash. Intolerant of the gossipy lifestyle that he is often involved in.

CLAIRE GANZ – (50’s -early 60’s) Lenny’s wife. Very concerned with appearances (hers and others’). Starts the play with a swollen lip. Likes to gossip.

ERNIE CUSACK – (Late 40’s – early 60’s) A psychiatrist. Affable, smokes a pipe. Loves his wife very much. Tries to be as helpful as possible, cooking the evening’s dinner.

COOKIE CUSACK – (Late 40’s – early 60’s) Has her own cooking show. Suffers from extreme back spasms. Loves her husband very much. A bit absent-minded at times.

GLENN COOPER – (late 20’s – early 30’s) A handsome man running for State Senate. Worried about his own reputation. Struggles with placating his wife, who is convinced he is having an affair (which he may or may not be).

CASSIE COOPER – (late 20’s, early 30’s) Glenn’s beautiful wife. Obsesses over her husband’s relationships with other women. Quick to anger. Must rub her quartz crystal to calm herself down.

OFFICER WELCH (M) – (40-50) A city police officer having a rough night. Does not tolerate lying. Sees through the “classy” façade that these high-society types put up.

OFFICER PUDNEY (F) – (Late 20’s) A rookie cop, new to the force; a strong but silent type. Minimal lines. (Only appears in Act 2)

THINGS TO KNOW:

● Doors open at 12:30 p.m. and open auditions for all roles begin promptly at 1 p.m. Please be on time and plan to stay through 5 p.m.

● Please arrive early to fill out an audition form. We encourage you to download the form at PentacleTheatre.org/auditions and complete it in advance. Please write clearly, especially your contact information. Headshots and resumes are not required but are always appreciated.

● Bring your calendar and provide a complete list of your conflicts through February 21, 2026. If you have a conflict with the audition date, please contact the director.

Callbacks: TBA if needed.

Rehearsals: Generally, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays.

● The director will set weekend rehearsals and work sessions as needed. Please keep this in mind when providing your list of conflicts.

● Rehearsals will be scheduled to make the best use of everyone’s time. Cast members are required to attend every rehearsal once Rumors moves into the theatre. If you have questions about rehearsals, please contact the director. Pentacle Theatre is Salem’s premier community theatre, celebrating 72 years of professional-quality productions staged in an intimate setting. Pentacle Theatre affirms, promotes and celebrates the participation of all, without regard to race, color, sex, disability, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion or socioeconomic status.

Show dates: June 26 – July 18, 2026

● Cast members may be required to make special appearances for marketing purposes in the weeks before the show opens.

Suitability: Rumours is suitable for all ages.

Information: If you have questions or a conflict on the audition date, please contact director Robert Barnett at shakspur85@gmail.com or 425-931-8328

Author: The Instigator