Casting 3 male and 3 female actors for a staged reading of the new play “Mothers-In-Law and
Other Natural Disasters” Written by Frank Nelson. Directed by Barbara Surloff.
Audition
Date: October 21, 2023 at 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm
Location: Womack Recital Hall 1875 N Central Ave. Phoenix AZ, 85004. On the Central United
Methodist Church Campus.
Register for an audition time slot at:
Performance
Date: January 20, 2024
Location: Womack Recital Hall 1875 N Central Ave. Phoenix AZ, 85004. On the Central United
Methodist Church Campus
Roles
Lucas Stevens. 30’s male
Kyle Houston. 30’s male
Gertrude Vandemere. 50s-60s female
Melissa Talbot. 30’s female
Roger Talbot. 30’s male
Margaret Spencer 50’s-60’s female
Sides will be provided via email
For more information, contact Frank Nelson at 760-831-2850 or frankenelson2@gmail.com
Synopsis
Lucas Stevens and Kyle Houston are hosting their first dinner at their new apartment.
Unfortunately, it’s the same night that a huge storm has reached New York. Melissa and Roger
Talbot, friends that live in the building, are attending, as well as their next door neighbor,
Gertrude Vandermere. An unexpected guest arrives right before dinner, Margaret Spencer,
Lucas’ mother and Kyle’s biggest life critic. Between the storm, interpersonal drama, and a
surprise related to the guys adopting a baby and starting a family, it’s a tense evening that
leads to unexpected conversations and consequences.
Character Descriptions
Lucas Stevens. 30’s male: Lucas is a dentist in Manhattan. He and his husband have recently
purchased apartment 37 D They’ve been married about a year, and have been dating for the past 3.
Lucas grew up in Manhattan and attended prep school on the upper east side, before attending
Columbia. He works in a midtown practice, close to their apartment. Lucas’s mother is a central figure in his life, especially as his father passed away when he was a teenager. He feels a responsibility to look
out for his mother, and at times overlooks some of her overbearing behavior. Lucas can be the cynic in
the relationship, partly due to his upbringing, and partly because of some self doubt about who he is as
a person, and whether he’s “good enough” at whatever task he takes on. He and Kyle are looking to
adopt a baby, but Lucas still has some apprehension about becoming a parent.
Kyle Houston grew up in a small town in Iowa. After getting accepted to Columbia, he moved to New
York and fell in love with the city. But he’s never left behind his midwestern upbringing. Down to earth
and unpretentious, at times he’s at loggerheads with many in New York, especially his mother in law.
Kyle created a tech startup, took it public, and quickly realized he did not enjoy the superficiality of Wall Street backers and high finance so he sold out to pursue his true passion, designing and building
furniture, eventually opening up his own shop in New York. Kyle comes from a large family and his family has always been important to him. He’s always wanted a large family of his own and is leading the charge to adopt a baby with Lucas.
Gertrude Vandermere lives next door to Kyle and Lucas. Known affectionately as Mrs. V by Kyle, but
rather formally as Mrs. Vandermere by everyone else, she is an aging socialite who’s memory and
common sense were left somewhere behind her. Gertrude is a widow, with at least one son who lives in
Florida with his new wife. Never one to turn down a drink, most people see her as eccentric because of
her background and bank account, or crazy because of her behavior. Gertrude lives her life by a few
rules, mainly be kind to those close to her, and never turn down a new adventure.
Margaret Spencer is one of the reigning queens of New York society, a position she’s inherited from her
mother, grand mother, great grandmother, all the way back to when New York was called New
Amsterdam. Margaret grew up believing that setting a standard of taste and elegance is her
responsibility. Raised by nannies, and raising her son with nannies, she’s always been a hands off
mother, but still has high hopes for his future. Perception is truth to Margaret and how people see her is
intrinsic in how she sees herself. Gertrude is one of her oldest friends While Gertrude’s behavior on it’s
own would preclude the friendship, Gertrude’s family history my as well as her wealth have cemented
their bond.
Melissa Talbot is an old college friend of Kyle’s. An interior designer, she is the one that helped Kyle
realize that he should leave tech behind and start building furniture as a career. Melissa is a member of a large New Jersey family, and she’s always thought her role in her family is to be the peacekeeper.
Between various aunts, uncles and cousins, Melissa is the one that everyone turns to for advice and
analysis. That role has spilled over to her friendships as well, and she thinks her personal mission in life, besides her daughter, husband and family, is to make sure that she solves everyone’s conflicts for them.Unfortunately, Melissa tends to open up more cans of worms than she closes.
Roger Talbot is a former college athlete who lasted one season in the pros. After an injury ended his
career, he did what many former athletes do, and went into broadcasting. Roger doesn’t tend to look
past the surface of most issues, and looks forward to life being interesting and fun. The exceptions are
his wife Melissa and their daughter, Victoria, who are the highlights of his life. While he tends to be
Lucas’s nemesis, he actually likes Lucas and would like to be a better friend. But on his own terms, and
not through his wife’s efforts.
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