Lotus Flour Cafe

7/8/13

Lotus Flour Café: Overbooked is a one-half hour sitcom pilot by award-winning writer Les Golden of Oak Park, Illinois.

A ghost saves a struggling café from a corrupt Chicago building inspector.

Logline

After the distressed ghost of the founder of a struggling café emails the Chicago newspapers that the Rolling Stones will make a surprise appearance, hopeful opening acts and middle-aged Hell's Angels appear and join a raucous, free-spending crowd.

Cast Breakdown

Of the recurring roles in "Lotus Flour Cafe," 5 are women and 7 are men. The ages of the characters ranges from about twenty to Golden agers. The play was written by an actor/playwright, for actors. As a result, every actor has a “meaty” role. Note that the “musicians” need not actually play the instruments described.

ESTHER, 50’s to 60’s, owner of the Lotus Flour Café. Lotus Flour regular.

RICH, about 25, plays DRUMS. He is the bartender and Esther’s son. Lotus Flour regular.

ART, about 25, plays KEYBOARDS. Lotus Flour regular. Has a pet hamster.

DAVE, about 25, plays GUITAR.

JUDITH, about 20, waitress and aspiring dancer. Lotus Flour regular.

HARVEY, about 45, a fashion designer and Lotus Flour regular.

RAY, about 30, an immigrant from India, cab driver, and engineering student. Speaks with Indian accent. Lotus Flour regular.

ORA, about 60, a spiritualist and Lotus Flour regular.

KARL, 40’s to 60’s, a believer in extraterrestrials, Lotus Flour regular.

MR. RYAN, about 60, corrupt City of Chicago building inspector (sorry for the redundancy). Lotus Flour regular.

STANLEY PRYZBLYSKI, about 45, polka band leader and accordion player. Speaks in thick Polish accent.

KIM, about 25, spacey dancer and choreographer. Lotus Flour regular. Lives upstairs of the Lotus Flour Café.

LIZ, about 30, free-lance writer. Roommate of Kim. Lotus Flour regular.

LANCE STEELE, about 30, self-absorbed, fastidious host of the Friday night radio show broadcast from the Lotus Flour. Lotus Flour regular.

SUBRAMANYAN BERKOWITZ, about 35, stand-up comedian from India, Ray’s cousin. Speaks with Indian accent.

UFO INDUCTEES, various ages and types.

ENOCH HUBER, 40’s to 70’s, a Leonard Nimoy celebrity look-alike.

SIR MALCOLM LONGHAIR, 50’s to 60’s, British astronomer. Speaks with thick British accent.

DOROTA, a Marilyn Monroe look-alike, singer and accordion player with polka band.

FORMER HELLS ANGELS, assorted men and women, 60’s, overweight, thinning or balding hair.

VARIOUS EXTRAS at the café.

The Project

Because the pilot will be shot at an actual bar, we can avoid hassles by only those of legal drinking age in Illinois submitting materials. The filming of the pilot will occur in September or October, 2013. All those cast will be provided a copy of the edited pilot.

The edited pilot will be submitted to production houses and will be marketed at film marketing fairs. Actors selected for the pilot will be provided call-back status for the actual filming if the pilot is bought. All actors cast in the actual filming will have to join the Screen Actors Guild if not already a member.

Audition Process

Please email a headshot and resume to elagencywest@aol.com. If you have no prior acting experience please do not submit. Those with improvisation background are especially encouraged to audition. This is a sitcom; we hope you have a comic flair and a sense of comic timing.

We are looking for all ethnic and national types. Note the roles for which you would like to be considered. If your type is appropriate, we will send you a portion of the script which we would like you to record and send via email. Please do not go to the expense of fancy sets, costumes, or hard media sent by U.S. mail. You can ask a friend or family member to read the other parts in the scene. If we like your interpretation and comic intuition, we will then ask you to come in for a live audition with other actors being considered.

About the Author

The award-winning writer Les Golden learned his craft under Ann Woodworth, the distinguished professor of theatre at Northwestern University and Del Close, the legendary guru of Chicago’s Second City improvisation nightclub, among others. He has over 100 professional theatre and film credits and is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.