Sunday in the Park with George
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by James Lapine
Directed by Christopher Ryan
This beautiful score by Stephen Sondheim features well-known songs such as “Sunday”, “Putting it Together”, and “Children and Art”. The first act, set in 1880s Paris, centers on a fictionalized version of the pointillist painter, Georges Seurat, and his relationship with his mistress and muse, Dot. In the second act, we skip forward to the 1980s and see Georges and Dot’s grandson (also George) and his grandmother, Marie, Georges and Dot’s daughter as they reveal the 7th invention in a series by George. His Chromolume #7 is an interpretation in color and light, the work of Georges Seurat: A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.
REHEARSALS: September 2- November 4, 6-10pm, Saturdays scheduled during the 10 AM - 4 PM window (depending on performer schedules).
TECH: November 5-11, 2026
SHOWS: November 12-15, 2026
Please note: you cannot miss any tech rehearsals.
CASTING NOTE: This production is open to all students at RIT of any size, race, and ethnicity. Although the gender of the characters cannot generally be altered beyond what is listed below, auditions and casting are open to all students, staff, and faculty regardless of gender identity.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
George - Tenor, G#2-G#4 Georges Seurat is a 24 year old artist, working on a painting using an innovative pointillism technique. His mistress and muse is Dot. In Act II, this performer plays George, the grandson of Georges and Dot, who is also an artist who creates light and sound-emitting sculptures.
Dot/Marie - Mezzo, E3-D5 Dot is a model and aspiring follies performer who is George’s lover and muse. She becomes pregnant and chooses to leave George for Louie (the baker). Then, when Georges doesn’t ask her to stay, she and Louie leave with a tourist couple (Mr. and Mrs.) and move to America. In Act II, this performer plays Marie, Georges and Dot’s daughter, and Act II George’s grandmother.
Old Lady/Blair Daniels - Mezzo, F3-D#5 In Act I, the Old Lady is George’s mother. She’s thoroughly discontent with most everything, bemoaning the loss of the past and the industrialization of Paris. Her companion and caregiver is The Nurse. In Act II, Blair Daniels is an art critic who criticizes George for not pushing himself to create new and different pieces rather than iterating on the idea of the Chromolume.
Nurse/Mrs./Harriet Pawling - Mezzo, G3-F4 In Act I, The Nurse is the companion and caretaker of the Old Lady. She also has a flirtatious relationship with Franz. Also in Act I, The Nurse plays the character of Mrs., an affluent Southern American woman who has come to Paris on vacation and finds most everything is NOT to her liking, with the significant exception of the pastries available from local bakers. In Act II, Harriet Pawling is an affluent patron of the arts.
Jules/Bob Greenberg - Baritone, G2-F4 Jules is another Parisian artist whom George wishes to impress. Jules is more conventional than George, and is quite critical of his modern and unconventional approach. Jules is having an affair with his nanny and cook, Frieda. Jules and Yvonne have a young daughter, Louise. In Act II, Bob Greenberg is the museum director where George is showing his latest work, the Chromolume #7.
Yvonne/Naomi Eisen - Mezzo, E3-D#5 Yvonne is Jules’ wife. She doesn’t much like art, but, as an artist’s wife, is surrounded by it. She does join Jules in criticizing George’s work, but finds George much more interesting, as a person, than she finds her husband. Yvonne and Jules have a young daughter, Louise. In Act II, Naomi Eisen is the composer for George’s new creation, the Chromolume #7.
Boatman/Charles Redmond - Baritone, D#2-D#4 In Act I, the Boatman is a gruff, generally disgruntled barge captain, who is unhappy with Louise’s attempts to pet his dog and unsure what to think of George sketching him and his dog. In Act II, Charles Redmond is a visiting curator at the museum.
Celeste #1/Waitress - Soprano, B3-G5 Celeste #1 is a shop girl out on the island in search of something exciting. She spots The Soldier and finds him very intriguing. She is both friend and competitor with Celeste #2. In Act II, Waitress is a server at the museum event.
Celeste #2/Elaine - Soprano, B3-G5 Celeste #2 is a shop girl out on the island in search of something exciting. She spots The Soldier and finds him very intriguing. She is both friend and competitor with Celeste #1. In Act II, Elaine is George’s ex-wife, who still has a loving relationship with his grandmother, Marie.
Louise/Museum Patron - Mezzo, G3-D#5 Louise is the precocious and bespectacled daughter of Jules and Yvonne. Her nanny, Frieda, is someone she happily escapes. Louise informs Yvonne of Jules’ infidelity. In Act II, Museum Patron is one of the invitees to George’s reveal of his new creation, the Chromolume #7.
Franz/Dennis - Baritone B2-G4 Franz is a German living in Paris, and he works as the Coachman to Jules and Yvonne. He is married to Frieda, but makes advances on The Nurse. As a blue collar worker, he wishes he’d taken up art “so he didn’t have to work”. Franz doesn’t like Louise and finds it odd that George would want to sketch him and Frieda. In Act II, Dennis is George’s friend and assistant and the technician responsible for Chromolume #7 and the previous iterations.
Frieda/Betty - Soprano, G3-F5 Frieda is a German living in Paris, and is the Nanny to Louise and the cook for Jules and Yvonne. She is married to Franz, but is having an affair with Jules. As a blue collar worker, she finds it odd that George would want to sketch her and Franz. In Act II, Betty is a fellow artist attending the reveal of George’s new Chromolume #7.
Soldier/Alex - Baritone, A2-F4 Friends with another soldier (a cardboard cutout that he carries around), the Soldier comes to the island and meets the Celestes who he subsequently dates. In Act II, Alex is another artist who attends the reveal of George’s new Chromolume #7.
Mr./Lee Randolph - Spoken (and will join in ensemble singing) In Act I, Mr. is an affluent American tourist visiting Paris, and he finds nothing to his liking except the pastries. He is married to Mrs. In the end, he returns home, bringing Louis (and Dot and Marie) with him. In Act II, Lee Randolph is the museum’s publicist.
Louis/Billy Webster - Baritone A2-A4 Louis is a baker and is the man Dot chooses, when she leaves George. He accepts Dot, despite her being pregnant, and he and Dot move with the baby, Marie, to America to work for Mr. and Mrs. In Act II, Billy Webster is a friend of Harriet Pawling.
Woman/Photographer - Ensemble singer (voice part to be determined) In Act I, the Woman (with baby carriage) is one of the ensemble members who are part of the painting. In Act II, the Photographer is in the museum to document the reveal of George’s Chromolume #7.
Man/Museum Assistant - Ensemble singer (voice part to be determined) In Act I, the Man (with bicycle) is one of the ensemble members who are part of the painting. In Act II, the Museum Assistant is a member of the museum staff there to support the event revealing George’s Chromolume #7.
Company - Various voice parts There is the possibility of us casting additional ensemble roles that will play Island Visitors in Act I, and Museum Guests in Act II.
CONTENT DISCLOSURE: There are themes of neglect, emotional distance, and infidelity. Some choreographed physical and verbal disagreement. Potential physical connections between characters which could include embracing, hand holding, and kissing (specifically, the characters who may be involved in physical connection are: Frieda, Jules, Franz, Nurse, Dot, George, Louis, Yvonne/Louise, Soldier, Celeste #1/#2). Some coarse language (Boatman).
If you have questions, please email Christopher at cxrspa@rit.edu
