CAST and CHARACTERS—2021

The 2021 version by Claudia Hommel has a new cast of characters spending the summer at the Maison Fournier:
  • LYDIA FOURNIER is the young niece of the innkeeper Monique Fournier. She works as seamstress in Paris and will come this summer to model for René. Once she lays her hands on fabric, the artist inside her takes over.
  • RENÉ D’ORSAY, a leading painter of the impressionist movement.
  • BÉATRICE MOROT, a talented painter in her late 20's intends to be taken seriously as a professional artist.
  • GABE LAFORET is inspired by French composer and pianist, Gabriel Fauré; married with two young sons, needs a muse with whom he can be truly intimate.
  • ANGÈLE, a "professional beauty" and actress in her early 40's, everyone's friend and confidante, no one's wife.
  • MONIQUE FOURNIER, recently widowed owner of the Maison Fournier, a resort inn on an island west of Paris on the Seine, becomes hostess of an artistic salon.
  • JOHNNY BONSARGENT, artist, friend, and art dealer by way of backing his impressionist colleagues.
  • JULIEN,concierge of the Maison.

CAST and CHARACTERS 2010

For the staged readings of the 2010 version by Amanda Hartley, we had the privilege of bringing together a fabulous cast of Chicago's top musical theatre artists, along with our friend Johnny Rodgers (direct from his acclaimed engagements with Liza Minnelli and in solo at the Algonquin Hotel). Their names appear in italics after the character they read and sang. An asterisk denotes actors who appeared courtesy of Actors' Equity Association.
  • RENÉ D’ORSAY, an artist in his forties—Nathan Johnson*
  • PAULA FOURNIER, a poetess, daughter of the house, mid twenties, self-contained, in love with Gabe—Johanna McKenzie Miller*
  • MARIE-CLAIRE FOURNIER, lady of the house—Ann McMann*
  • PIERRE FOURNIER, man of the house—John Eskola*
  • ANGÈLE D’ÉTIOLLES, a Parisian courtesan, early thirties—Cory Goodrich*
  • GUSTAVE CLÉMENT, artist and art dealer; his vision has recently been impaired by a strange disease. He is wealthy, and very depressed.—Sean Harris
  • LYDIA FIORE, a young seamstress of working-class immigrant Paris, very funny and charming—Jeny Wasilewski
  • GABE MENARD, a Parisian songwriter and pianist, mid twenties—Sean Effinger-Dean
  • JOHNNY MENARD, a world famous singing star. Older brother of Gabe, early thirties. Left the family home in Paris early. Damaged, but exchanges his anger for bravado and lust. Always moving on to the next thing.—Johnny Rodgers
  • MR. LAMBERT, American industrialist—Ron Keaton*
  • MADAME X, actress and wife of American industrialist Mr. Lambert—KT McCammond*
  • GASTON, a young man, kitchen helper—José Ramos
  • COLETTE, young waitress—Annie Yokom

    • MEMBERS OF THE BAND

  • GUILLAUME LeCOQ on bass—;Jim Cox
  • ROBERT on piano—Bobby Schiff
  • DAVID on drums—Tim Davis
  • THÉO DiNAMARA on winds—Tim McNamara