AUDITIONS -- PRELUDE TO A KISS
by Craig Lucas
Directed by Bryan Bergeron
📍Surfside Playhouse – 301 Ramp Road in Cocoa Beach
đź“… March 15 & 16 @7pm, Doors open @6:30pmÂ
Casting actors of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels.
All roles are open. All genders will be considered during casting.
About The Show
Prelude to a Kiss by Craig Lucas is a romantic, quietly supernatural play about what love demands
when certainty disappears.
Peter and Rita fall in love quickly and marry just as fast. At their wedding, a dying stranger asks for a
kiss—and in that private moment, the impossible occurs. Souls are exchanged, and a marriage must
survive when love no longer looks, sounds, or feels familiar.
This play offers rich, layered roles for actors of all ages. The Old Man is a deeply human meditation
on mortality and longing. Rita’s parents bring humor, wisdom, and emotional ballast, grounding the
play in lived experience. Friends and family serve as moral counterweights—voices of reason, denial,
and compassion—challenging the leads at every turn.
Prelude to a Kiss rewards actors who value listening, restraint, and emotional precision. It’s an ensemble-driven story where every role matters—and every character leaves a mark.
PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS
Peter Hoskins – The groom; a thoughtful, somewhat cautious publishing employee who falls deeply in love with Rita. After their wedding he must grapple with the bizarre aftermath of her body/soul swapand rediscover what love truly means. (Male- Playing 20’s – 30’s)
Rita Boyle – The bride and female lead; a free-spirited, skeptical woman who fears life’s risks. After a magical soul exchange with an old man at her wedding, she (in his body) and Peter struggle with
identity, love, and commitment. (Female – Playing 20’s – 30’s)
Old Man – A mysterious elderly man with terminal illness whose soul swaps with Rita’s when they share a kiss at Peter and Rita’s wedding. He represents the longing for life’s beginning after a long life
nearing its end. (Male – Playing 70’s – 80’s)
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Taylor – Peter’s friend/colleague; provides outside perspective on Peter’s relationship and helps
reflect Peter’s emotional journey. (Male – Playing 20’s – 40’s)
Mrs. Boyle – Rita’s mother; typically warm, chatty, and protective, representing family expectations
and concern. (Female – Playing 40’s – 50’s)
Dr. Boyle (Mr. Boyle) – Rita’s father; another voice of the older generation, often humorous but also
grounding the family’s view of Rita and Peter’s marriage. (Male – Playing 40’s – 50’s)
Leah/Aunt Dorothy (double-cast) – A female supporting role that sometimes combines two characters (Leah — the Old Man’s daughter and Aunt Dorothy — a family member at the wedding. (Female – Playing 40’s – 50’s)
ENSEMBLE ROLES
Tom/Jamaican Waiter – Brief featured part(s) encountered during Peter and Rita’s honeymoon
phase. (Male or Female – Age Flexible)
Uncle Fred – A family member typically present at the wedding. (Male – Playing 30’s – 50’s)
Minister – Officiant at the wedding scene. (Gender Neutral – Playing 40’s – 60’s)
WHAT TO PREPARE
Upcoming Auditions
COVID-19 Precautions
Surfside no longer requires patrons to wear a mask while seated but we do ask all auditioners to wear a mask when entering the building. Once you arrive at your seat, you may remove your mask if you are inclined to do so. Please remember that many are still not vacinated. We protect our own so please act accordingly. If you have not been vacinated, we highly recomend that you keep your mask on except for when you are auditioning on stage.
Please look at the following bullet points to see how the process has changed:
- Always apply the 6ft distancing rule when attending auditions. We will consider this as part of our onstage audition guidelines as well.Â
- You will be asked to attend only one night of auditions.Â
