Parfumerie

Character Descritpions

The show is set in 1937 in Budapest, Hungary; actors should be able to reflect the era. Casting is flexible; the age ranges are listed as indicated in the play script. Please don’t let age ranges stop you from auditioning!

Male Roles

• Miklos Hammerschmidt: 50s/60s; Owner of the shop, which was founded by his grandfather. He is dedicated to his business, and is suspicious of his employees after having received an anonymous letter confirming that his wife is having an affair with one of his clerks.
• George Horvath: late 20s/early 30s; Senior clerk. He loves his job, but has lately found himself on the bad side of Mr. Hammerschmidt for reasons he does not understand. He loves to read and has a romantic side to him, falling in love with a woman he knows only from letters. Note: engages in a brief fight.
• Sipos: 50s; Senior clerk. Sipos is very much about self-preservation. A father of young children, he is very careful not to ‘rock the boat’ at work and always stay on the good side of everyone, even if means taking blame for things he didn’t do.
• Steven Kader: 30s/early 40s; Clerk. A stylish but vain man who loves to live beyond his means. He is all about the high life and the fashion of the day, and has great ambition. Note: engages in a brief fight.
• Arpad Novack: Delivery boy. Rides a bicycle, much to the dismay of the citizens of Budapest, who oftenfind themselves the victims of a crash. Young and enthusiastic, with big dreams and more energy than can be contained.

Female Roles

• Amalia Balash: 20s/early 30s; Clerk. Soft-spoken but not afraid of confrontation. She won’t pick a fight, but she can certainly hold her own when the situation arises. Despite a sometimes thorny exterior, she is warmhearted and has a romantic heart.
• Ilona Ritter: claims to be 25 – she isn’t; Clerk. Glamorous, in a way a shopgirl wouldn’t be expected to be. She claims to be younger than she actually is. Was previously involved with Steven, but they have split up, despite still working together every day.
• Elizabeth Molnar: flexible age; Cashier. Doesn’t say much, but makes her words count. She’s no fool.

Either Gender Roles

• Fritz: Delivery boy/girl.
• Police Officer
• Private Detective
• Various Customers

About Parfumerie

This new adaptation of the play that inspired several movies is a warm, gentle comedy that follows the tangled tale of Parfumerie employee George Horvath. Just days before Christmas, George’s boss fires him after mistakenly suspecting him to be the lover of his unfaithful wife. Meanwhile, George’s own love life goes awry when he discovers that the stranger he has fallen in love with through a secret correspondence is none other than Amalia Balash, a co-worker with whom he constantly feuds. For the employees of the Parfumerie, only the truth can lead to a happy resolution in this old-fashioned, romantic Christmas tale.

Parfumerie, adapted by E.P. Dowdall, is produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc.(www.playscripts.com)

Reviews

“…a formula that worked to perfection for James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan in The Shop Around The Corner, for Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland in In The Good Old Summertime, for Daniel Massey and Barbara Cook in She Loves Me, and most recently for Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in You’ve Got Mail. And it works once again to perfection… in Parfumerie, the play that started it all…”

– Steven Stanley, Stage Scene LA

“…a festive entertainment…”

– Charles McNulty, LA Times