Theatre 8:15 presents ... THE BOYS NEXT DOOR AUDITIONS! By Tom Griffin Directed by Ron Church Sunday, February 24th, 2:00 pm-5:00 pm Monday, February 25th, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm Performance dates: May 10 - May 25, 2019 Fridays & Saturdays @ 8:15 pm Sundays @ 2:15 pm The Story: The Boys Next Door is set in a group home in a New England city where four mentally challenged men live under the supervision of an earnest but increasingly ‘burned out’ social worker named Jack. Each of the four men have different disabilities, and their stories are woven into scenes where ‘little things’ can become momentous (and often very funny) events, and they are mixed with moments of great poignancy when, with touching effectiveness, were are reminded that ALL people want only to love, laugh, and find some meaning and purpose in the brief time we are allotted on this earth. The Cast: (7 Men, 2 Women) Main Characters • Arnold Wiggins, the ringleader of the group, is a man who lives with a mild mental disability who works at a movie theater as a janitor. He tends to be very obsessive compulsive. He is hyperactive and talks constantly. He's also often abused by coworkers and afraid to fight back. When he becomes angry or scared, Wiggins repeats the word 'nyеt', meaning no in Russian, and threatens to run away to Russia. • Norman Bulansky is a middle-aged man with mental disabilities who works at a doughnut shop. Eating doughnuts at his job has caused him to become overweight. His girlfriend, Sheila, lives at another group home. Bulansky is very proud and possessive of a large ring of keys. • Lucien P. Smith is a large African-American man who faces extremely debilitating mental disorders. Despite the fact that he cannot read, Smith insists on checking out armloads of books from the library. He is at risk of losing his disability funds when the state senate accuses him of faking his mental condition. Smith doesn't understand what is around him when he goes to the "State Sneck" resulting in a profound scene. • Barry Klemper is a 28-year-old man with schizophrenia who believes he is a pro golfer. He gets highly agitated over small things. This is partly because Barry has had a traumatic life growing up. Later in the story, when Klemper's abusive father visits him for the first time in years, it proves harmful to his mental condition. • Jack Palmer is the social worker for the four men. He's found himself increasingly burned out and is thinking about a new line of work. At the end of the play, Palmer leaves the men and becomes a travel agent. • Sheila is Norman's girlfriend. Like Norman, she faces mental disabilities. She is also obsessed with Norman's prized keys and is "no skinny minnie herself". • Mr. Klemper is Barry's abusive father. During the course of play, he decides to visit Barry while in the Boston area. "THE BOYS NEXT DOOR is one of the most unusual…and one of the most rewarding plays in town." —BackStage. "Griffin's play hits squarely on the truth of life with its constant interplays and shadings of triumphs and tears." —NY Daily News. "THE BOYS NEXT DOOR moves the audience to an awareness of how many things in everyday life we take for granted…" —NY Times. Theatre 8:15 4740 Massillon Road Green, OH 44232 (330) 896-0339 www.theatre815.com