Characters

ENSEMBLE & SOLOISTS

Footloose calls for a large ensemble - actually, two! - to represent the townspeople of Bomont. Teen Ensemble members will dance in multiple numbers; tumbling, tricks, and athleticism are a plus! Adult Ensemble members dance briefly in the Finale. Both groups need strong singers and big character choices. Some roles may be open to any gender. Please contact the Directors with questions.

There are lots of featured lines and solos throughout the show, including:

• Teen Ensemble 👢👢👢

  • Urleen & Wendy Jo - Mezzo/Alto - Ariel & Rusty’s girl group. Sassy & boy-crazy, but good-hearted. 👢👢👢

  • Lyle & Travis - Bari-tenors - Chuck’s crew. Clueless, but not quite harmless. 👢👢

  • Jeter, Bickle & Garvin - Bari-tenors - Willard’s buddies. Friendly goofballs. 👢👢

  • Additional local teens/high schoolers. 👢👢👢

• Adult Ensemble 👢

  • Lulu & West Warnicker - Ensemble singing - Ethel's sister and brother-in-law; Ren's aunt and uncle.  Concerned with appearances and staying in Rev. Moore's good graces. 👢

  • Coach Roger & Eleanor Dunbar - Ensemble singing - The high school gym teacher and his wife. Part of Rev. Moore's circle.👢

  • Principal Clark - Ensemble singing - The high school principal. Steady, serious and not interested in change.👢

  • Church Choir Members - 6-8 adult ensemble members; strong harmony/part-singing needed. 👢

  • Betty Blast - Ensemble singing - The queen of the local diner who knows all the gossip and serves it with fries. Must be able to roller skate. 👢

  • Cowboy/Cowgirl Soloist & back-up singers - Tenor & Ensemble singing - Owners of the Bar-B-Q honkytonk, just outside of Bomont city limits. Still Rockin' solo will be assigned to EITHER Cowboy Bob or Cowgirl and opens Act 2. 👢👢

  • Local Cop - Ensemble singing - Issues Ren a ticket during Somebody's Eyes.

  • Additional local adults/church members. 👢

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?
A Note from the Author

The major characters in FOOTLOOSE have one trait in common: they are all survivors. Their circumstances – no matter how tragic – have not defeated them, and, as a consequence, we, the audience, find them likable, sympathetic... and human. 

REV. SHAW MOORE – The secret to the character of Rev. Moore is that he is charismatic. Charming, even. Shaw has a quick mind, a loving heart and a sense of humor, all of which endear him to his congregation. While trying to be strong for so many people, however, he continues to mourn the death of his son – the one person he could not save. Only Ariel and Vi (and eventually Ren) get a glimpse of this private anguish and the flashes of frustration and temper that arise from that. 

VI MOORE – Despite the loss of her son and the strained relationship with her husband, Vi fully understands what kind of unflagging good humor she must display in order to keep her household – and her husband’s congregation – running smoothly. And with her plucky irreverence, she gives us a glimpse of what life with Shaw was like before the tragedy, when theirs was a marriage both passionate and playful.

ARIEL MOORE – Ariel is smart; she understands the rules of the different worlds she moves between and, in each situation, she plays her part brilliantly. When she’s in her father’s presence, for instance, she is buttoned-up and demure; with Chuck, she burns off all her unexpressed, explosive energy with raucous, thrill-seeking behavior. Ariel loves to laugh – with Chuck, with her girlfriends and, eventually, with Ren – but her high spirits are, quite often, her attempt to keep a lid on the grief she feels about her brother’s death and the loss of her once loving relationship with her father.

REN McCORMACK – Any actor playing Ren has not only got to be able to sing and dance and act – he must also be witty. After all, Ren is a cut-up, a joker who enjoys a good time. Lately, though, his fun-loving attitude has taken on a tone of desperation, as he tries too hard to convince the world – and himself – that his father’s desertion hasn’t wounded him as deeply as it has. Ariel is the first character to get Ren to talk about that sticky subject; sharing that intimacy early on becomes the basis for their relationship. Ren’s emotional journey starts with his being feisty and flippant in Act I, continues through his thoughtful argument to the Town Council and ends with his emotional final confrontation with Rev. Moore. It’s a journey from boyhood to maturity.

ETHEL McCORMACK – Where does Ren get his intelligence, his resilience and his sense of humor? From his mother, of course! It’s hard for Ethel to be living in her sister’s home and abiding by her brother-in-law’s rules, but she never succumbs to the pathos of her situation; after all, she has to be strong for Ren. Their mutual loss has brought them closer together, and they share a teasing, good-natured relationship.

WILLARD HEWITT – Willard is not dumb; he is a gentle soul with quick fists, which are his defense against a world that he often has trouble comprehending. Willard just hasn’t had anyone come along to puncture that macho belligerence – until Ren arrives. After that, the humor in the character of Willard derives from his gradual, innocent and giddy discovery of the new worlds that Ren opens up to him.

RUSTY – Rusty may come off as sassy and self-assured, but, in many ways, she is the most deeply romantic character in FOOTLOOSE. She truly believes that she and Willard were meant to be together, but they’re both so inept about expressing themselves that it takes Ren – and a little time on the dance floor – to ultimately bring that about.