WWCA is proud to present The Verge by Susan Glaspell, adapted for modern audience by Ian and Emily Bear. The play leans into questions of otherness, individuality, and life’s driving force in this story of madness, love, and trying to breed a new plant.
Auditions for The Verge will be held Saturday, October 25th and Sunday, October 26th at 2pm.
Callbacks will be handled Sunday Night October 26th at 5pm and Monday October 27th at 6pm.
Performance dates for this show will be January 16th – January 25th, 2026
PLEASE NOTE: If you are not able to attend this audition date, please schedule an alternate audition BEFORE the scheduled auditions.
Actors must be 16+ years old to audition.
This show is set in the 1920s, and consists 3 female roles, 4 male roles, and 2 that are open to any gender. The show requires strong chemistry between actors, and thus in person auditions are highly encouraged and callbacks will be vital for some of the roles.
The play does contain a stage kiss and a stage choke.
The play also contains discussion of child death briefly. This is not a large portion, but please be aware if this may be troubling to you prior to auditioning or joining the show.
Actors must be available for all performances.
Rehearsals are usually scheduled for a couple days a week and Saturdays with occasional Sunday rehearsals.
What to Prepare:
– Please prepare a monologue that allows you to cross a range of emotions. It can be dramatic or comedic, but I want to see it make you change emotion between start and finish. Please make sure it is no longer than two minutes in length.
– Readings will follow. Please reach out to the director at
d3djYXNlYyB8IGdtYWlsICEgY29t to be sent the sections of script that will be used ahead of time. Otherwise they will be cold reads. It is in your best interest to reach out and get the script excerpts. I want you to have every chance to prepare.
– If you are interested in specific roles only, please state this on your audition form.
If you can’t make the scheduled audition date, please arrange an alternate time in advance by contacting Ian Bear at
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Character Descriptions:
Claire Archer – Female – Stage age mid 30s
Claire is the central character of the play, an amateur botanist from a lineage of successful men. She seeks freedom through her creation of new and unusual plants. Claire believes that by transforming her plants, she can transform herself. She is deeply dissatisfied with her current life and struggles to communicate her feelings to others, finding words insufficient. Throughout the play, she turns to poetry to express her emotions at times.
She is married to Harry, but has long held feelings for Tom and is currently in an affair with Dick. Her daughter from her first marriage is Elizabeth, and her sister is Adelaide. Claire is at times cold, even cruel to those in her life and often mercurial in her moods. The actor must feel comfortable switching moods abruptly, breaking the fourth wall, speaking in near poetry at times, and handling heavy topics and comedy interchangeably.
Harry Archer – Male – Stage age mid 30s
Harry is Claire’s husband and a pilot. He is a friendly man who adheres to traditional values, emphasizing proper conduct and manners as essential. Throughout the play, Harry frequently comments on what he believes to be the appropriate behavior for a woman. He tries to curb Claire’s “unusual” actions, attempting to steer her back into the role of a traditional wife. Harry often encourages Claire to be happy and to be “herself,” not realizing that these desires might be contradictory. He is often aloof, condescending, and oblivious to things going on around him and to what might be the reason for Claire’s moods.
Tom Edgeworthy – Male – Stage age 30s
Tom is a long-time friend of Claire and her closest confidant. He is a worldly man, having studied meditation and mystical practices, and he has a knack for poetry and philosophy. Among all the men in Claire’s life, he is the most attuned to her emotions. In love with Claire, Tom decides he must leave because he cannot win her love on his terms. He often speaks in grand ideas and terms.
Adelaide – Female – Stage age late 20s to early 40s
Adelaide is Claire’s sister and has taken on the responsibility of raising Elizabeth, Claire’s daughter from her first marriage. As a staunchly traditional woman, Adelaide often criticizes Claire for neglecting her duties as a wife and mother. She labels Claire as “unnatural” and is shocked by her lack of conventional maternal affection. Adelaide is content with the societal role assigned to her.
Richard Demming – Male – Stage age mid 20s to mid 30s
Richard “Dick” Demming is a guest at the Archers’ home and a friend. He is an artist specializing in abstract drawings. Unknown to Harry at the beginning of the play, Dick is having an affair with Claire. As an artist, Dick is focused mainly on visual elements and aesthetic than substance. He is attracted to Claire’s physical presence but doesn’t understand her internal struggles.
Elizabeth – Female – Stage age late teens to early 20s
Elizabeth is Claire’s daughter from her first marriage, raised by her Aunt Adelaide, and hasn’t seen her mother in a year. She is composed, elegant, and confident. Despite her efforts to connect with her mother, Claire remains unmoved. Elizabeth happily embraces everything that Claire sees as keeping women “confined” to traditional roles. She is a product of her upbringing and fits well into the societal role expected of her, and doesn’t understand why it upsets her mother.
Anthony/Anthonia – Any – Stage age early 20s – late 40s
Anthony is a gardener who assists Claire with her work in the greenhouse. They are loyal to Claire and follow her instructions without question. They are passionate about the work with the plants control the greenhouse in Claire’s absence. They share Claire’s enthusiasm for her work and are particularly fascinated by the Breath of Life plant.
Hattie (Name may be changed) – Any – Stage age late teens to early 40s
Hattie is the Archers’ maid, devoted to the family and becomes worried whenever she senses something is wrong. When she overhears Mr. Archer having an intense conversation with Mr. Demming, she becomes very agitated and tries to get Anthony to intervene. She likes the gossip of the house and is as devoted to keeping Mr. Archer pleased as Anthony is to Mrs. Archer.
Dr. Charlie Emmons – Male – Stage age early 30s to 60s
Dr. Emmons is a neurologist whom Harry invites to help Claire. He is a friendly man who strives to be non-threatening. He does not adhere to the emerging Freudian theories of psychoanalysis, preferring the older belief that rest and isolation can “cure” a hysterical patient, having worked with many who returned from the war. This is a limited part and does not require a heavy line load.
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