CAUGHT IN THE VILLAIN'S WEB* Director - Jennifer Hargis Assistant Director - Robin Sutton Music Director - Mark Bendiksen Underwritten by Alan Bryant
AUDITION INFO FOR THIS SEASON'S MELODRAMA JUNE 2 & 3 @ 7PM
Auditions will be on Sunday and Monday, June 2 & 3 at 7pm due to the director's day job cutting into her evening activities on the 4th, when she will be hosting the next edition of PechaKucha Night Bryan at the Grand Stafford Theater (shameless plug). It is preferred, but not required, that those who audition attend BOTH nights. The reason for this is so that I can see how you work alongside everyone else, but if not everyone shows up the night you do, then I can't do that. I will cast the show at the end of the second night, so if you are there (and I really hope you are), you will receive your script at that time.
Felicity Fair, down-trodden heroine, is a nurse sent to the Larkfield mansion to attend a hard-hearted society matron who is pretending to be ill to force her son, Malvern, to marry the scheming Nella Hargrave. Malvern takes one look at Felicity and falls in love. When Malvern proposes he is unaware that villain Cyril Bothingwell is behind a screen listening. Felicity sadly informs Malvern that she can never marry. Five years ago she was in a train wreck and cannot remember a thing that happened prior to the wreck. She doesn't even know her real name. Cyril tells Felicity that she is his wife but Cryil's nefarious schemes are thwarted to the delight of all.
Note to those auditioning: Melodramas require an entirely different, larger-than-life style of acting. The audience boos, hisses, cheers, "awwws", and throws popcorn at various characters. You may be called upon to ad-lib at any given time. Additionally, you are given the freedom to make your character as ridiculous as you like. It's just plain fun for the actors AND the audience.
CARD GIRL/BOY- This person is not in the script. This person will be someone who comes out before the show, between the scenes, and between the acts to indicate the show's progress
Cast is scripted as 4m/6f, but I may cast it as 5m/5f, or 5m/4f (with 2 female roles combined) depending on who auditions
FELICITY FAIR - persecuted heroine, more sinned against than sinning MALVERN LARKFIELD - our manly-bosomed hero, who raises stinkweed MRS. REGINA LARKFIELD - MALVERN's hard-hearted mother who pretends to be ill so people will do what she wants LONA LARKFIELD - MALVERN's young sister, who has a heart of gold BROCKSTON - the Larkfield's butler DENISE - a French maid CYRIL BOTHINGWELL - steeped in villainy, who will stop at nothing to gain his foul ends NELLA HARGRAVE - who has fallen in love with MALVERN MRS. GERALDINE HARGRAVE - NELLA's mother, who enjoys bad health DR. HUGO BELCH - REGINA's physician
OLIO ACTS Auditions for Olios will be at a date to be announced later In addition to the regular players, the card girl/boy, and the pianist, we will have need of people to perform "Olios", or variety acts after each of the two intermissions. These would be singers, dancers, magicians, family acts, comedians, jugglers, what have you. The song selections should be pieces written before 1935. Anything that involves technology (jokes, magic tricks, etc.) would also need to be pre-1935. The olio performers would be required to attend all performances but can leave once you have finished your portion. I need to fill two (up to) ten minute slots, so if someone wants to do all ten minutes of one or both slots, I'm open to that idea too.
*produced by special arrangement with Samuel French
