Auditions

Brookfield Theatre announces open auditions for

A Flea In Her Ear

a new version of Georges Feydeau's farce by David Ives

directed by Tony & Eric Bosco-Schmidt

Audition Dates: Sunday Nov. 24 & Monday Nov. 25 at 6 PM

Show Dates: Feb. 21-March 15, 2025

Brookfield Theatre announces open auditions for A Flea In Her Ear to be held on Sunday Nov. 24 and Monday Nov. 25 from 6-8 p.m. at the theatre located at 184 Whisconier Road (Rt 25) in Brookfield, just behind Brookfield Library.

"A Flea in Her Ear", a new version of George Feydeau's farce by David Ives, will be directed by Tony & Eric Bosco-Schmidt. It is the greatest of French farces, often included in the list of greatest farces ever written alongside "Noises Off", "Boeing-Boeing", "Rumors", and "The Play That Goes Wrong". Set in 1900 Paris, in the era of La Belle Époque, the play is a traditional bedroom farce, full of sexual pairings and recombinations as the characters move through improbable situations and slamming of doors.

Raymonde Chandebise suspects that her husband, Victor, a placid and successful insurance executive, is secretly having an affair. To find out, she and her friend, Lucienne write him an anonymous love letter suggesting a rendezvous at the shady Frisky Puss hotel. The entire Chandebise household, including servants and friends, steal away to the hotel, where the hotel staff and additional guests add more confusion and hilarity to the mix.

There are roles for 9 men and 5 women and EVERY PART is COMEDIC GOLD! Diversity casting is preferred. All actors age 18 and older are welcome to audition for any role. Understudies, who will also be guaranteed performances during the run, will also be cast.

The play runs four weekends, from February 21 to March 15, on Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm. Character descriptions and audition sides are posted below. Auditioners should bring a headshot or recent photo and all schedule conflicts—rehearsals will be scheduled based on conflicts listed.

Come HAVE FUN with us as we bring to life this AMAZING FARCE—"A Flea in Her Ear"!

 

Characters & Sides for "A Flea In Her Ear"

14 ROLES [gender presentation and age range is noted in brackets]:

Victor-Emanuel Chandebise [M 30-55] - The managing director of the Paris Life Insurance Company for all of Paris and the provinces, he is a no-nonsense sort of fellow with shrewd business savvy and little sense of humor. In every way he has lived the life of a successful bourgeois gentilhomme. He has a thriving business, a comfortable home, adequate servants, and, most importantly, a beautiful wife who absolutely adores him. At least, she used to adore him, until a dark cloud concerning his bedroom performance, or lack thereof, begins to loom.
Tags: husband faithful anxious sick serious businessman wealthy middle-aged savvy straight man
Poche - The actor who plays Chandebise also plays Poche: A former soldier, he is now employed as a porter at the hotel The Frisky Puss. He is also a persistent drunk, which Feraillon, the owner of the hotel, tries to combat with frequent and violent beatings. As circumstances would have it, he is also an exact double of Victor Emmanuel.
Tags: bellboy porter identical twin drunk veteran abused depressed alcoholic lazy confused working class uneducated

Raymonde Chandebise [F 30-55] - The presently unhappy wife of Victor Emmanuel, she is everything a turn-of-the-century bourgeoise French wife should be: elegant, charming, beautiful, scheming, jealous, and, at present, extremely insecure. She thinks Victor Emmanuel has, of late, lost all romantic interest in her, and she has come to mistrust his fidelity. Thus, with this “flea in her ear,” she decides to take matters into her own hands.
Tags: wife suspicious beautiful sexual betrayed wealthy gorgeous distressed bourgeoise housewife charming elegant snotty selfish insecure

Camille Chandebise [M 18-30] - The young nephew of Victor Emmanuel, he lives in his uncle’s house and works for him as a secretary. He has had a difficult time finding employment due to a rare speech impediment that will not allow him to pronounce consonants, only vowels–until Dr. Finache provides him with a silver palate. Still, he is good hearted and industrious; and, although he is certainly not irreproachable, he is very adept at projecting an image of innocence and naivety.
Tags: nephew speech impediment young naive sexual clever secretary

Lucienne Homenides de Histangua [F 30-55] - The oldest and dearest friend of Raymonde Chandebise. With her strong will and fiery temperament, she is a perfect confederate to help Raymonde “trap” Victor Emmanuel.
Tags: best friend wife trickster clever witty fiery friend wise level-headed loyal strong resilient

Don Carlos Homenides de Histangua [M 30-60] - The Spanish husband of Lucienne and a potential client of the Paris Life Insurance Company, he gives added meaning to the image of the hot-blooded and jealous Latin lover.
Tags: husband quick-tempered wealthy violent spanish hot-tempered

Dr. Finache [M 30-65] - The chief medical officer of the Paris Life Insurance Company, he is an old friend of the Chandebise family and Victor Emmanuel’s closest confidant. He is also one of the most dedicated rogues and libertines in all of Paris.
Tags: doctor comedian charming clever sexual bachelor well-liked rogue lecherous lech incompetent

Romaine Tournel [M 30-55] - An employee of the Paris Life Insurance Company, he has worked for Victor Emmanuel for some time. Although a trusted friend of the family, he is absolutely dedicated to having an affair with his employer’s wife, an idea which she coquettishly encourages but continually rebuffs. He fancies himself quite the ladies’ man, but obviously wears his brilliantine too thick and his charm too thin.
Tags: friend co-worker businessman charming ladies’ man manipulative persistent egotistical self-important handsome suave eager obvious car salesman

Antoinette [F 25-50] - The wife of Etienne and cook in the Chandebise household, she is pert, saucy, sly, and every ounce a coquette—with everyone but her husband. At the moment the object of her flirtatious attentions is Camille, and she seems determined not to let her marriage to Etienne disrupt her social life.
Tags: maid cook flirt cheat saucy sexual coquettish liar manipulative witty clever charming married wife adulteress

Etienne [M 25-40] - The haughty and egocentric butler of the Chandebise household and the husband of Antoinette, he is a much better butler than he is husband.
Tags: husband butler valet jealous arrogant self-important irritable condescending judgmental

Augustin Ferraillon [M 45-65] - The owner and manager of the Frisky Puss hotel, he is a former colonel with the French military and believes that his hotel should be run with the same sort of precision and discipline.
Tags: businessman husband veteran disciplined strict

Olympia [F 45-65] - The devoted and loving wife of Ferraillon, she is a former courtesan of no little reputation. It was her reputation and savings that allowed Ferraillon to resign his commission in the army, and together they have created their dream hotel.
Tags: wife partner whore flirt kind

Eugenie [F 20-65] - The upstairs maid at the hotel.
Tags: maid servant naive ditzy disobedient

Baptiste [M 65+] - An ancient employee at the hotel, he is a rather unusual decoy to help ensure the privacy of the hotel patrons and confuse any ill-timed police raids.
Tags: uncle drunk sick decoy rheumatic slow lazy alcoholic indifferent

Rugby [M 20-65] - Frustrated and confused, he is a British guest of the hotel who, unfortunately, does not speak the language.
Tags: guest British desperate confused sexual needy eager

• 1 - Etienne, Antoinette, Camille
• 2 - Etienne, Finache
• 3 - Lucienne, Raymonde
• 4 - Camille, Finache
• 5 - Finache, Chandebise
• 6 - Camille, Chandebise, Tournel
• 7 - Ferraillon, Eugenie, Olympia, Baptiste, Rugby
• 8 - Ferraillon, Eugenie, Oympia, Baptiste
• 9 - Raymonde, Tournel
• 10 - Raymonde, Tournel, Baptiste, Poche (Chandebise)
• 11 - Etienne, Antoinnette
• 12 - Homenides, Chandebise, Poche (Chandebise)
• 13 - Lucienne, Homenides, Tournel, Raymonde

Sides by Role:
Chandebise 5, 6, 10, 12
Raymonde 3, 9, 10, 13
Etienne 1, 2, 11
Antoinette 1,11
Camille 1, 4, 6
Finache 2, 4, 5
Lucienne 3, 13
Tournel 6, 9, 10, 13
Homenides 12, 13
Ferraillon 7, 8
Eugenie 7, 8
Olympia 7, 8
Baptiste 7, 8, 10
Rugby 7