The Whole Schmear

Cast of Characters

Bagels! has a cast of 5 men/4 women with doubling

  • Izzy Kaplan – Early 60’s, a baker
  • Sylvie – 20’s-40’s, countergirl at bakery
  • Hoxie – Late 20’s-40’s, junior baker
  • Ronny Kaplan – Late 20’s, Izzy’s son
  • Lena Kaplan – Late 20’s, Ronny’s wife
  • Frieda – Early 60’s, Lena’s mother
  • Esther Kaplan – Izzy’s wife
  • Howard – mid to late 30’s, Ronny’s cousin
  • Delores – late 20’s to late 30’s, Howard’s wife
  • Sherman – early 60’s, bagel baker (ovenman)
  • Lloyd – 30’s – bagel baker (kettleman), Sherman’s son
  • Lenny – 30’s – bagel baker (roller), Sherman’s son
  • Eddie – Early 20’s – bagel baker (roller) Sherman’s grandson
  • Mrs. Gellner – Bakery Owner in Philly
  • Mrs. Greenberg – LA Bakery customer​
  • Various bakery customers and bakery owners

Setting

Los Angeles: Kaplan’s bakery, Izzy’s home, Ronny’s home

East Coast: Area in and around Klotz’s bakery, Street area outside of several bakeries, Outside of Gellner’s Bagel Bakery 

​The Band

Depending on the requirements of the theatre, the band could consist of a minimum of four pieces; piano, bass, drums, and accordian, or ideally, seven pieces, with an added clarinet, violin, and trombone.

Production History

Bagels! was a produced as a developmental workshop by John Sparks and the 4 x 10 Ensemble in summer 2015 and was invited to be part of the STAGES festival which took place in both North Hollywood and Anaheim, California, that same summer with direction by John Henry Davis, Musical direction by Emily Cohn, and Choreography by Palmer Davis. It was developed further and presented as a staged reading in Spring of 2018 at the Attic Theatre in Santa Ana and at Temple Israel in Long Beach; director – John Henry Davis and Musical Director, Richard Berent. Most recently it was brought to New York and performed as a Developmental Reading produced by Kaitlin Terry Kanver at Pearl Studios. Again, it was directed by John Henry Davis, with Musical Director Nathan Dame with casting by Stephanie Klapper. That cast included AJ Shively, Julia Knitel, Lenny Wolpe, Lori Wilner, Cheryl Stern, Matt Wolpe, Leo Ash Evens, Ben Rosenbach, and Gina Milo.