Music and lyrics by Sara Barielles

Book by Jessie Nelson

Adapted from the film “Waitress” by Adrienne Shelly

Production team:

• Director – Natalie Guess
• Music director – Kari Peden
• Band leader – Scott Peden

Email:  natalieguess95@gmail.com with questions!

Performances:

February 13th-March 2nd

Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

Rehearsals:

Rehearsals will begin Saturday, January 4th, 2025

Typically, rehearsals will be Monday-Thursday from 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Tech week rehearsals are February 10-12 from 6:00 p.m.-11:00p.m. at the latest

There will be a Q2Q rehearsal on Saturday, February 8th from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Video auditions:

Please complete and submit this Google Form by Thursday, December 12th at midnight:

AUDITION FORM

Please submit a single video file of a 32-bar cut of a song in the style of the show, but not from the show

Kids auditioning for Lulu:

Please submit a single video file of a 30-60 second monologue that shows your personality

You are strongly encouraged to submit an acting resume and headshot in addition to your video file

Callbacks:

Callbacks will be by invitation only

Sunday, December 15th from 6:00-10:00

Waco Civic Theatre, 1517 Lake Air Dr, Waco, TX 76710

Production description:

Waitress, based on the 2007 movie of the same title, follows the story of Jenna, a woman who is pregnant without any desire to be, trapped in an abusive relationship in a small town with no hope for a future outside of fear and false positivity. She escapes from her trauma through the baking of pies, creations of her own that she names after their uniquely combined themed ingredients and the events that inspired them, and recipes of her mother’s that once instructed her own baking. She sells her goods at Joe’s Pie Diner, where she’s also a waitress, and this job and the friends she has there exist as her only world outside her husband Earl. The two other waitresses at the diner, Becky and Dawn, are Jenna’s best friends and closest confidantes, women with their own nuances and quirks, but like Jenna, harboring fantasies of better love than they’ve seen and lives that aren’t so sheltered and full of drudgery. When Jenna meets her new male gynecologist Dr. Pomatter and sparks of lust start to fly between them, she’s forced to face up to all the things inside her that are hurting, and take action to change them. What begins as a story of a romantic love that helps to free Jenna from all the things chaining her to a miserable life becomes a story of love in so many other contexts. Jenna finds her happiness by accepting the kinds of love she truly deserves, especially the love that will be there for her the longest, and rejecting those who compromise her potential to feel powerful in her own life.

Character listing:

Jenna – Female, late 20’s-early 40’s, any ethnicity. A woman stuck in her life as an unhappily married waitress in a small town. Finds some happiness and expression through her meticulous baking of pies and her friendships with her coworkers, Dawn and Becky. Lives her life paycheck-to-paycheck, day by day, and wants nothing more than to get away and start fresh, unbeknownst to her destructive husband, Earl. Must have a fantastic pop/rock voice with great range. 

Dawn – Female, 20’s, any ethnicity. She is the youngest of the waitresses. Thick glasses, hair parted 14 centimeters to the left — eccentric is the nice way to say she’s slightly unusual, and not so slightly OCD. She sets the tables, painstakingly ensuring each salt and pepper-shaker is equidistant from the napkin holder. Must have an excellent pop/rock/folk voice. 

Becky – Female, 30’s-early 50’s, any ethnicity. The oldest of the three waitresses. Irreverent, irascible, been there, made it back, and somehow kept her forward and sometimes wicked sense of humor with excellent comedic timing. Must have a soulful pop voice with an excellent pop belt.

Dr. Pomatter – Male, late 20’s-early 40’s, any ethnicity. Handsome, endearing, and neurotic. Has a warm, if clumsy, matter. Jenna’s gynecologist with whom an unexpected extramarital affair is born. Has a quirky sense of humor and a big heart, despite the fact that he’s contributing to the affair. Must have impeccable comedic timing, a very strong pop/rock tenor, and must move well.

Ogie – Male, 20’s-30’s, any ethnicity. Strange, yet oddly lovable. Becomes slightly obsessed with Dawn (in a hilarious yet endearing way) after she goes on a 5-minute date with him. Quirky, incredibly persistent, and odd, yet kind. Should have excellent comedic timing. Must have an excellent pop/rock tenor/baritenor sound. 

Earl – Male, late 20’s-early 40’s, any ethnicity. Jenna’s husband. Peaked in high school, handsome in a gruff way, but that face is clouded with broken dreams, drowned with cheap beer. Just enough narcissism mixed with stupidity to be a potent Molotov cocktail that can explode into unexpected anger one second and then turn into a sobbing mess the next. Must be able to sing in the vein of Elton John or a similar contemporary singer/songwriter. Guitar playing a plus. 

Joe – Male, 50’s-70’s, any ethnicity. The owner of the diner where Jenna, Dawn, Becky, and Cal work. A seemingly old, curmudgeonly man who has a soft spot for Jenna (and her pie), warm at heart. A sarcastically funny and no-nonsense guy with a keen ability to read people. Very funny.

Cal – Male, 40’s, any ethnicity. A chef at the diner. A “Salt of the Earth” guy’s guy surrounded by gals. Brash, impatient, unsentimental, but somehow charming. Should have a strong pop/rock voice with great comedic chops. 

Lulu – Young girl, to play 4-5 years old, any ethnicity. Daughter of Jenna and Earl. A sweet, carefree child who appears in the last scene of the show. Should be confident and be able to engage in a small amount of dialogue and movement on stage. 

Ensemble – 20’s to late 40’s, any ethnicity. Must have excellent pop/rock voices in the style of Sara Bareilles. Must have excellent comedic timing and be able to play a range of characters comprising the community in which the story takes place. Must be strong movers/dancers.

Sunday, March 16th and 23rd, 2025