Consider This Theatre Company invites you to audition for our fifth production of the 2025 season: The Madness Within: The Raven and the Heart.
Two chilling one-act adaptations inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe: The Raven and The Tell-Tale Heart. Join us as we explore the dark corners of the human mind and the thin line between reality and madness.
Auditions:
Sunday, August 3, and Monday, August 4, from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Mills-Pate Arts Center, 7120 Old Nashville Highway, Murfreesboro
Performances:
October 3 – 12 at Mills-Pate Arts Center
Auditions are open to all ages, genders, races, and backgrounds. Cold readings from the scripts will be provided. If interested in the Narrator for The Tell-Tale Heart, please email for a monologue or prepare a dramatic monologue of your choice.
Synopsis
The Raven
Part of The Madness Within series, The Raven is a haunting adaptation of Poe’s iconic poem, set in the late 1800s. The story follows Florence, a brilliant and grieving young woman determined to finish her friend Lenore’s final manuscript. Isolated in her study, Florence is visited by a mysterious raven and tormented by spectral whispers and shadows. Lenore’s ghost tries to guide her, while a malevolent spirit—Death—lurks, seeking to claim Lenore and drive Florence toward madness. This poetic psychological descent explores grief, obsession, and the fragile veil between life and death.
The Tell-Tale Heart
In this visceral adaptation of Poe’s classic tale, we enter the unraveling mind of a tormented narrator determined to prove their sanity while confessing to a chilling crime. Obsessed with an old person’s “vulture eye,” the narrator meticulously plans and executes a murder, convinced of their own brilliance. As the police investigate, the narrator proudly recounts each step, growing increasingly manic. The victim’s heartbeat — real or imagined — echoes louder, driving them to the brink. This adaptation interweaves Poe’s original language with new hallucinations and the chilling embodiment of Death, plunging audiences deep into a psychological thriller on stage.
Crew
Director: Malinda Morgan
Assistant Director: Olivia Jackson
Producer: Michael Maupins
Stage Manager: Emily Barker
Cast Breakdown
The Raven
Florence: Female-presenting, late 20s. Intelligent, passionate, deeply grieving. Emotions swing between fierce determination, fragile vulnerability, and unraveling madness. Strong monologue and emotional range needed.
Lenore: Female-presenting, late 20s. Gentle, ethereal, compassionate. Appears as a ghost throughout, trying to comfort and warn Florence. Movement and expressive physicality important.
Mary: Female-presenting, early 20s. Loyal, caring maid and confidante. Practical, warm, grounding presence in the house.
Cora: Female-presenting, 40s–50s. Florence’s mother. Strong, stern, but ultimately loving. Struggles to express warmth directly but deeply concerned for Florence.
Mr. Raven: Played by a puppeteer, masked performer, or ensemble member. A spectral, symbolic bird. Speaks mostly single words (“Hello,” “Nevermore”) but with a strong presence.
Death (Male Spirit): Male-presenting, any age, deep voice. Dark, commanding, mostly silent or entirely silent. Represents Death, ultimately claiming Lenore.
Ghostly Spirits (ensemble): Whisper lines, movement sequences, creating an atmosphere as lost souls or echoes.
The Tell-Tale Heart (All roles any gender, ages 16+)
Narrator: Charismatic, obsessive storyteller determined to prove their sanity. Intelligent, theatrical, and increasingly manic. Deeply expressive, wide emotional range — from eerily calm to explosive hysteria.
Old Person: Gentle, unassuming lodger or relative. Vulnerable, unaware of the narrator’s obsession. Mostly silent but expressive. Must be comfortable wearing a colored contact in one eye and aging makeup.
Police 1: Authoritative and composed. Curious, polite, professional; ultimately unable to see through the narrator’s facade until too late.
Police 2: Friendly, more casual than the first officer. Tries to keep things light, but grows uneasy as tension builds.
Police 3: Younger or less experienced. Slightly awkward, sometimes overly blunt. Provides dry or nervous humor but is deeply disturbed by the final events.
Doctor: Appears near the end. Calm and clinical at first, shifting to concerned and urgent as they realize the narrator’s collapse. Acts as a final voice of reason but powerless to stop the breakdown.
Death (Silent role): Physical embodiment of Death. Mysterious, eerie, ritualistic presence. Appears only at the end as a hallucination or specter, symbolizing the narrator’s descent into madness.
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