auditions for "six degrees of separation"

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Ouisa Kittredge Female Lead, character is in her 40s

Wife of Flan, who supports him in his art dealing business while also acting as a society wife. She is passionate about art. She is witty, clever and compassionate. She is easily taken in by Paul, the young con artist who disrupts their lives, and continues to support him throughout the play. She sympathizes with the idea of someone who needs to be given resources and help to realize his full potential.

Flan Kittredge  -- Male Lead. Character is in his 40s

An art dealer who dreams primarily of triumphing over the toughest of sales. He is quick witted and charismatic. He is exhilarated by the fast pace of the art trading world and the elusive high to be chased that comes with passing over something as simple as a painting for an enormous sum of money. He is charismatic, a bit wild, and a realist. Flan’s love of art is not just in the numbers; he finds solace in the mystery of how iconic pieces come to be.

Paul -- Male Lead. Character is in his 20s, black

A master of deceit, Paul’s charisma is electric and his ability to deceive is remarkable. He longs for connection with people who make him feel happy and safe. Paul is motivated by this desire to fit in when he cons a series of wealthy families in New York, persuading them to let him into their homes by staging faked muggings and claiming to know their children from college, simply to spend the evenings in their company and achieve a kind of human connection he struggles so deeply to access. It is implied that he is gay.

Geoffrey  -- Male Supporting. Character is in his 50s

An affable friend and fellow art dealer of Flan, he emphasizes that he is wealthier than the Kittredges. He lives in South Africa, a white man during apartheid, who benefits from the privileges allotted to him without question and sees the oppression of apartheid segregation as merely an inconvenience to his own life because it garners so much unrest in his country.

Kitty -- Supporting Female. Character is in her 40s

A socialite and housewife, She and her husband Larkin are friends of Ouisa and Flan. They are also conned by Paul. She is bubbly, brash, and gossipy. Kitty may be cheating on her husband, but is defensive when the idea is suggested.

Larkin – Supporting Male. Character is in his 40s

Husband of Kitty and friend of Flan and Quisa, he is the wealthy chair of a foundation. He is aloof, prideful and dramatic. Larkin is threatened by the idea of his wife cheating.

Dr. Fine -- Supporting male. Character is in his 40-50s

Another victim of Paul’s scam, when he gives Paul the keys to his apartment by mentioning that he knows Dr. Fine’s son Doug in college. Dr. Fine believes that he can relate to minorities because his Jewish grandparents were killed during World War II but it becomes clear that he is racist and prejudiced. He is extremely cynical and egotistical.

Tess Kittredge – Supporting Female. Character is in her 20s

Outspoken and liberal daughter of Ouisa and Flan, frequently calling out her parents for what she sees as racist behavior and espousing pacifist political beliefs. 

Woody Kittredge – Supporting Male. Caracter is in his 20s

Sensitive and somewhat immature son of Ouisa and Flan. Woody takes strongly to his parents’ signs of affection, because he feels they are few and far between. At school he spends time lifting weights and building muscle.

Doug Fine  -- Supporting male. Character is in his 20s

Dr. Fine’s rebellious son.  Doug finds his father’s personality repugnant and harbors a great deal of resentment towards his father for the judgments he believes his father makes of him.

Rick—Supporting Male. Character is in his 20’s

He and his girlfriend moved to New York from Utah to become actors. They meet Paul in the park and believe his story about being Flan’s ostracised son. Rick secretly withdraws money from his and Elizabeth’s account to give to Paul. Through a dizzying whirlwind evening filled with forbidden lust with Paul, Rick comes to terms with the fact that he’s betrayed his girlfriend and lost all their money and commits suicide.

Elizabeth—Supporting Female. Character is in her 20’s

Rick’s girlfriend.  When Paul asks them for money, Elizabeth refuses but later learns of Rick’s deceit. After Rick kills himself, Elizabeth presses charges of theft against Paul. She believes that he has taken everything from her.

Trent Conway—Supporting Male. Character is in his 20’s

Attended the same boarding school as the Kittredge children. Trent met and started an affair with Paul at MIT. Over the course of their three-month affair, Trent told Paul about the wealthy New York families that he knew, leading to Paul’s con game. Trent is withdrawn, insecure, and unable to see beyond his own desires to be able to connect the way he wants.

Ben – Supporting Male. Character is in his 20s

Kitty and Larkin’s son. Ben is unhappy about getting dragged into something that he sees as ridiculous. He is frustrated by the lack of love in his parents’ marriage, and feels betrayed by their possible infidelity to each other.

These roles can be doubled with each other or with other roles:

Hustler – Male, 20’s – 30’s

The man found with Paul when his lie is uncovered.

Police Officer – Male, any age

Detective – Male, any age