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Current Auditions
Now casting: Don't Dress for Dinner
Now casting: Don't Dress for Dinner
by Marc Camoletti, adapted by Robin Hawdon
Directed by Johanna Spencer · Performances February 12–28, 2027
The laughter is back, and this time dinner is the least of their problems! After the tremendous fun of KHT's 2024 production of Boeing-Boeing, we're thrilled to bring another Camoletti comedy to the stage. Don't Dress for Dinner takes the classic French farce formula and turns the chaos up to eleven. When a carefully planned romantic weekend goes spectacularly wrong, a cast of characters must scramble to keep their stories straight, and the faster the lies fly, the funnier things become.
Overlapping alibis, mistaken identities and frantic cover-ups: this fast-paced French farce needs six quick-witted comic actors. Bernard plans a romantic weekend with his Parisian mistress while his wife is away. He ropes in his best friend Robert as an alibi and hires a gourmet cook named Suzette. Then his wife cancels her trip, and the cook is mistaken for the mistress.
Audition details
- Saturday, November 7
- Check-in: 2:15 pm · Auditions: 2:30 to 5 pm
- Where: Keizer Homegrown Theatre, 2nd floor of the Keizer Heritage Center, 980 Chemawa Rd NE, Keizer
- Format: cold readings from the script (no monologue needed), then movement and farce-timing work in small groups
- Who: 6 roles (3 men, 3 women). All experience levels welcome!
What to bring
- Your completed audition form. Pro tip: download it, print it and fill it out before you come to save time at check-in.
- A list of every scheduling conflict from November 7 through the last performance.
- A headshot and resume, if you have them (welcome, not required).
- Wear comfortable clothing you can move around in.
Audition schedule, November 7
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 2:15–2:30 pm | Check-in and paperwork. Turn in your audition form and conflict calendar. Headshots and resumes are welcome but not required. |
| 2:30–2:45 pm | Welcome and overview. The director's introduction, the tone of French farce, and how the cold readings will work. |
| 2:45–4:00 pm | Cold readings. Actors read assigned scenes from the script in pairs or small groups. The focus is comic timing, pace and energy. |
| 4:00–5:00 pm | Movement and farce timing. Small groups to test chemistry between Bernard, Robert, Jacqueline and Suzanne, and the help (Suzette and George). |
| 5:00 pm | Auditions conclude. |
The characters
| Role | Gender | Age range | Who they are |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bernard | M | 30–50 | Jacqueline's husband and Suzanne's lover. A handsome, self-assured, dapper businessman and country gentleman who owns a converted French farmhouse. A smooth, smiling cad and an expert at weaving elaborate lies to juggle his secret romance right under his wife's nose. |
| Jacqueline | F | 30–50 | Bernard's sophisticated, sharp-witted wife, who matches him in age, lifestyle and romantic secrets: she is Robert's secret lover. Chipper and cheerful at first, she turns into a jealous, cutting and fiercely clever adversary when the weekend plans unravel. |
| Robert | M | 30–50 | Bernard's long-time best friend and Jacqueline's lover. Seemingly reserved and fainthearted, he gets dragged into Bernard's web of deception as the alibi and spends much of the play in comic panic, physical contortions and frantic improvisation. |
| Suzette | F | 20–45 | The gourmet cook hired for the evening. She first appears timid and mousy, then quickly turns mercenary, demanding cash to play along with a ridiculous series of false identities (Robert's mistress, a guest, even Robert's niece) while gleefully enjoying the food and wine. Can be cast across a wide age range; sharp comic wit is a must. |
| Suzanne | F | 20–40 | Bernard's chic, high-fashion mistress, a Parisian model and actress. Alluring, classy and platinum blonde, often in a fur coat. She arrives expecting a luxurious romantic weekend and is completely bewildered by the rapid-fire chaos and forced identities. |
| George | M | 20–45 | Suzette's fiercely protective, imposing husband; his age generally aligns with Suzette's. Hot-blooded and jealous, he arrives unexpectedly, grows exasperated by everyone's hemming, hawing and tangled stories, and finally bursts into the center of the madness. |
Can't make it on November 7, or rather help behind the scenes? We always need backstage crew, from props and costumes to lights, sound and set building. Email info@keizerhomegrowntheatre.org.
A New Approach to Auditions
For the past several years, Keizer Homegrown Theatre has done things a little differently. We've held auditions for most of our season in a single weekend, so actors could audition for multiple shows at once. It's an unconventional approach, and it has worked well for us, offering convenience for actors and directors alike.
We've also heard from actors who would prefer to audition for one or two shows at a time throughout the year. We listened, and we're making an adjustment! This season, auditions will happen in three rounds:
| When | Which shows |
|---|---|
| 1. Saturday, November 7 | Don't Dress for Dinner, the first show of our 2027 season (performances Feb 12–28) |
| 2. Date to be announced | Our April and June productions |
| 3. Later in the year, date to be announced | Our September and November productions |
We'll post each round on this page, and on Facebook and Instagram, as soon as dates are set.
We hope this new approach is a happy compromise: it keeps the spirit and efficiency of our season auditions while giving actors more chances to focus on the shows that interest them most. As always, we're grateful for the talented actors who bring our productions to life, and we look forward to seeing you at auditions!
Your stage is waiting at Keizer Homegrown Theatre!
Keizer Homegrown Theatre is committed to inclusive casting and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected status.