The Little Foxes
By Lillian Hellman
Directed by Hal Simons
About the Play & Director's Notes:
Written in 1939, the play originally starred Tallulah Bankhead as Regina. When it was filmed in 1941, directed by William Wyler, Bette Davis was cast as Regina. The Little Foxes concerns the machinations of the Hubbards, a nouveau riche southern family at the turn of the 20th Century. The Hubbards are your basic "capitalist pigs," having acquired their money by cheating customers and marrying into aristocracy (and the plantation that came with the deal.) There are some "good" characters in the play, but the Hubbards – Ben, Oscar, Leo, and most of all, Regina – are deliciously opportunistic and conniving. Think "Dynasty" and "Dallas," but in 1900. Long known as "a well-made play," it has elements of tragedy, humor, melodrama, and social commentary. It's a great script with great characters, good and evil. NOTE: The "N" word is used throughout by characters both Black and White. It is representative of the times the play is set in.
Looking for
Cast List:
| Addie | Female, 40s to 60s, African-American. Strong, watchful, grounded. Mindful of her place in the household, but not afraid to speak up when necessary. Very protective of Alexandra, Birdie, and Horace from the rest of the family. |
| Cal | Male, 30s to 50s, African-American. Good natured, caring. |
| Birdie Hubbard | Late 30s to mid-50s. Well-mannered, withered Southern belle. Genteel, pleasant, warm, melancholy. A closet alchoholic. Married to Oscar, mother to Leo. Tragic character. Representative of the destruction of old values and old wealth. |
| Oscar Hubbard | Late 30s to mid-50s. A bully who is frequently bullied by his own kin. Not clever like his siblings, Ben and Regina. Gets what he wants or tries to by force, verbal and physical. Frequently coming up with the short end of the stick. Has married Birdie because Ben wanted him to, so they could acquire her family's plantation. Wouldn't hurt if he were good-looking. |
| Leo Hubbard | Late teens to late twenties. Son of Birdie and Oscar. Attractive, but a dull cad. Smarmy, lazy, and a source of humor in the play. Afraid of his father and uncle. |
| Regina (Hubbard) Giddens | Late 30s to mid-50s. Uses her physical attributes and sexuality to get what she wants. Ruthless, shrewd, clever. Good sense of humor. A smart businesswoman born in the wrong era for smart businesswomen. Actress cast must be totally comfortable with playing a character the audience may not like. |
| William Marshall | 40s to 50s. A solid businessman. A gentleman from Chicago. Flirtatious with Regina, but cautious. Appears in one long scene, so rehearsal time will be appropriate. |
| Benjamin Hubbard | Late 30s to late 50s. The eldest sibling of the Hubbards. Crafty, well-constructed veneer. Full of good humor, except when crossed. Then incredibly direct and ruthless and just plain nasty. Lots of fun. A confirmed bachelor. |
| Alexandra Giddens | Teens to early 20s. The daughter of Regina and Horace. Genuine, sweet, innocent, but not naïve. Matures very quickly by the end of the play. |
| Horace Giddens | 40s to 60s. A truly kind, sentimental gentleman. Married to Regina. Dying of heart disease. Capable of great anger, but truly infirmed and on the verge of death. Pensive, thoughtful, but also not without humor. |
Audition dates:Saturday, August 14, 2010 9am-12 noon
Callbacks: Saturday, August 14th 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Location: The Vortex Theatre, 2004 1/2 Central Ave. SE, Entrance on Buena Vista Drive
Format: Auditions will be readings from the script.
Show dates: October 8-31, 2010 Fri-Sat 8pm; Sun 6pm
Rehearsals start: On or around August 29th
Contact for further information: Please contact the director with any questions at
hssimons@aol.com.
Audition Notices: