[NEohioPAL] Lakeland Theatre Auditions: An Ideal Husband

[Martin Friedman]

Lakeland Theatre
announces auditions for
An Ideal Husband
by 
Oscar Wilde
Wednesday, July 21 @ 7-8:30 pm
Sunday, July 25 @ 1- 2:30 pm
(no auditions times needed)
Directed byMartin Friedman  
Sets Designed byTony Kovocic 
Lights Designed by  Keith Nagy
Costumes Designed byCraig Tucker       
 Sound Design byBill Amato
Featuring Jeffery Grover as Sir Robert Chiltern
 
 THE STORY: 
An Ideal Husband premiered in London , England , on January 3, 1895 and was the 
third of Wilde’s four comedic plays to be staged. 

An Ideal Husband is often called a ‘‘social comedy’’ because it has both a 
serious (‘‘social’’) as well comedic plot line. On the one hand, the play is 
about a prominent politician who is in danger of losing his reputation as a 
paragon of integrity, owing to a youthful indiscretion that the play’s villain 
is threatening to expose. Although the politician’s transgression is not 
exposed, this plot line conveys the idea that there are very few people in the 
world who are wholly good and to pretend so is hypocritical. This is a message 
for Wilde’s contemporaries, a late-Victorian group obsessed with purity and 
goodness but, of course, as imperfect as the people of any other age. On the 
other hand, the play is supposed to be funny, as it is, thanks to the witty 
bantering of the characters, especially in moments when the play is not directly 
concerned with the ‘‘social’’ plot. 

 
Auditions:
Wednesday, July 21, 20107:00pm 8:30pm  
Sunday, July 25, 20101:00pmtill 2:30pm
All auditions will be held at Lakeland Community College 's Performing Arts 
Center (PAC). Sorry, no Equity contracts for this production. No need to prepare 
a monologue.  I will have you read directly from the script. These folks are 
VERY English so please bring your "A list" dialect. Additional auditions and 
callbacks only as necessary;  ALL ROLES ARE COMPENSATED.
 
Production and Rehearsal dates:
An Ideal Husband will open on Friday, September 24and run through October 10, 
2010--Friday through Sunday. Of course you will be compensated for all 
performances. Rehearsals will begin sometime in early to mid August. Don't worry 
we will work around vacation schedules. THERE WILL BE ONE STUDENT MATINEES (THAT 
WILL BE COMPENSATED ALSO) on Thursdayor Friday October 7 or  8; 9:30amtill 
12noon). In regards to rehearsals, you will not be called for rehearsal unless 
needed as this play is easily broken down into french scenes. 

 
EACH CHARACTER IS  WONDERFUL AND COMPELLINGLY DRAWN. SURELY EACH OF THESE ROLES 
WILL BE CHALLENGING AND FUN TO PLAY. A VERY THEATRICAL PIECE.  This is a 
wonderful play, both political and moral at the same time.  
 
The Roles:
Mrs. Cheveley: Approximately the same age as Lady Chiltern (late 20’s to early 
40’s). Mrs. Cheveley, enters the society of the Chilterns and Lord Goring 
determined either to get her own way or to destroy those who will not help her 
achieve her ends. Mrs. Cheveley is a very strong, wealthy, woman trying to make 
her mark in a man’s world. You will love her or hate her. Among her many 
qualities is that she is a blackmailer and habitual thief and liar. 

Lady Gertrude Chiltern:Married to Sir Robert Chiltern. Late 20’s to early 40’s. 
Gertrude Chiltern is a sheltered, good woman who worships perfect goodness most 
especially in the form of her "ideal husband." The problem with her worship of 
perfection and of her husband is that her husband is not in fact perfect; 
indeed, he has an extremely disreputable secret in his past — a secret that 
could ruin his career. Lady Chiltern is appropriately noble in character. She is 
involved in all sorts of good works. For example, she is a feminist campaigning 
for the right of girls and women to have a higher education. She is, in short, a 
moneyed woman with principles. Lady Chiltern learns a stern lesson in the play: 
that nobody is perfect and that to wish this is naive and dangerous. 

Miss Mabel Chiltern: Sir Robert’s sister in her early to mid 20’s. Mabel 
Chiltern is pretty, intelligent, and witty. Knowing that Lord Goring is the man 
for her, Mabel Chiltern is waiting gracefully and humorously, albeit somewhat 
impatiently, for him to realize that she is the perfect woman for him.  Mabel is 
a foil to Gertrude because she is a young woman who does not expect perfection 
from any human being. She declares that one of the reasons she likes Lord Goring 
is because he has faults.
Sir Robert Chiltern:This role will be played by Jeffery Grover. A respected 
parliamentarian, Robert Chiltern is confronted by his disreputable past, 
blackmailed, and finally saved from any public scandal. 

Earl of Caversham: Late 50’s to early 80’s. The Earl of Caversham (Lord 
Caversham) is Lord Goring's father, who is perplexed by a son he simply cannot 
understand. He spends his time chastising his son and lecturing him about what 
he should do with his time. Short of doing something worthwhile with his life, 
Lord Caversham advises Lord Goring to marry at the very least. Clearly, despite 
his exasperation, Lord Caversham is fond of his lazy son.
 Viscount Lord Arthur Goring: Late 20’s to late 30’s. Lord Goring, a close 
friend of Sir Robert Chiltern, saves the day for his friend by foiling Mrs. 
Cheveley's blackmail attempt. Goring's involvement in the serious plot line of 
this play is far less entertaining than his involvement in the comedic goings-on 
of An Ideal Husband. Lord Goring speaks the play's funniest lines, many of which 
are still quoted today. Lord Goring is a dandy with substance. He is not simply 
in fashion but trendsetting in dress; he pretends not to take anything 
seriously; he values witty repartee and excels at it. Alerted to his duty by his 
father to produce heirs, Goring opens his eyes and sees that the best companion 
for him as wife is close at hand in the person of Mabel Chiltern.
Lady Markby and Lady Basildon:30’s to 50’s. Lady Markby and Lady Basildon are 
Mrs. Cheveley's immediate connection to Londonsociety. Lady Markby and Lady 
Basildon introduce Mrs. Cheveley to persons whom she does not yet know and 
chaperones the younger woman around town. They are established, well-liked, 
older members of the moneyed, aristocratic society depicted in Wilde's play.
Phipps:Male. Any age between mid 20’s and 80’s.  Lord Goring's "ideal" butler. 
Phipps is self-effacing and discreet. His job is not to assert himself or his 
own personality in any way. Yet, in conversation with Lord Goring, he is not 
above subtle humor — delivered quite impassively, however.
 The aforementioned roles are great and demand great actors!
 
For more information please feel free to either email me, Martin Friedman, at 
martinfriedman98 at yahoo.comor call 440.525.7034(and press #1 to bypass the 
message). 

 
Auditions will be held in Performing Arts Center at Lakeland Community College . 
Take I 90 east and exit at the second exit, Route #306. Turn right (south) on 
Rt. #306. Turn left into the Lakeland Community College , the first light. Get 
in the right lane. Turn right at the stop sign. Turn right at the next stop 
sign. Turn left into the faculty/staff parking lot. Park at the other end of the 
parking lot and walk past the Clocktower and enter into Building D on your left. 


      
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