WE ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE AUDITIONS FOR

"Arsenic and Old Lace"
Written by Joseph Kesselring.

Get ready for a summer of fun, laughter, and poison!

Come audition for this classic Broadway play, made famous by the motion picture starring Cary Grant!

About the Show: Between Mortimer Brewster’s hesitancy about marriage, his aunts’ penchant for poisoning wine, a brother who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt, and another brother using plastic surgery to hide from the police, it’ll be a miracle if Mortimer makes it to his own wedding! ARSENIC AND OLD LACE is a classic dark comedy about the only thing more deadly than poison: family.

Audition Dates and Times: Thursday May 2nd 2024 at 6:00-8:30 PM and Saturday May 4th 2024 at 10:00 AM-1:00 PM at the Little House behind New Center Baptist Church Trinity, Alabama.

VIRTUAL AUDITIONS: If you can’t come to the in-person auditions, we will accept video submissions until May 4th at 3:00 PM. Record yourself performing a comedic monologue. Email your video along with a list of any rehearsal conflicts to: Director Heather Anderson at Y3VydGFpbmFuZGxpZ2h0c3RoZWF0cmUgfCBnbWFpbCAhIGNvbQ==.

Cast Meeting: Thursday May 9th, 2024

REHEARSALS: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays in May, June, and July. Rehearsals will be held at the Little House behind New Center Baptist Church in Trinity, Alabama. There will be two Friday night rehearsals in July. *Please note that, depending on the role, not everyone will be required to be at each rehearsal until we start running the entire show in July.

TECH WEEK (MANDATORY): July 28-30th 2024 in the Loft at First Baptist Church Decatur, Alabama.

PERFORMANCES (MANDATORY): August 1st, 2nd, and 3rd 2024 in the Loft at First Baptist Church Decatur, Alabama.

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS:

*All roles are available

*We will take groups of 10 actors at a time. To sign up for an audition time email, Y3VydGFpbmFuZGxpZ2h0c3RoZWF0cmUgfCBnbWFpbCAhIGNvbQ== or message us through Messenger.

*Actors will do a cold read from the script

*We will be accepting actors 12 years old and up at auditions.

Character Description:

*Please note that ages are suggested. If an actor can play the part they will be considered. Some roles can be played by either by a man or a woman.

ABBY BREWSTER (Female, 60s-70s or can play the part): An elderly woman seen as sweet and polite, she is the sister of Martha and an aunt to Teddy, Jonathan, and Mortimer. She believes wholeheartedly that she and her sister are helping these men find peace.

MARTHA BREWSTER (Female, 60s-70s or can play the part): Abby’s sister Martha is the more submissive of the pair, but still a woman of her own with a wicked sense of humor. She believes wholeheartedly that she and her sister are helping these men find peace. Martha always wears a high collar.

MORTIMER BREWSTER (Male, late 20s-mid 30s or can play the part): The youngest brother of Teddy and Jonathan, Mortimer is considered the only “sane” person in the family. Mortimer works as a theatre critic and is deeply in love with his aunts’ neighbor, Elaine. Classically chivalrous and equally as foolish.

ELAINE HARPER (Female, mid-20s-early 30s or can play the part): The minister’s daughter, but not like you would expect. Elaine is young, sharp, and a little bit sassy, displaying surprising wisdom throughout the play. A huge range of emotions makes her a thrilling character to play.

TEDDY BREWSTER (Male, 30s-40s or can play the part): Teddy is the brother of Jonathan and Mortimer, and lives with his aunts Abby and Martha. A blissfully deluded man, he believes he is Theodore Roosevelt.

JONATHAN BREWSTER (Male, 30s-40s or can play the part): Jonathan is, quite simply, a sociopath, who has had plastic surgery and now looks like Boris Karloff. Jonathan exhibits a classic lack of empathy and a white-hot temper. Requires stage combat.

DR. EINSTEIN (Male, 30s-40s or can play the part): A German plastic surgeon, Dr. Einstein is Jonathan’s alcoholic doctor who has given Jonathan three face lifts to help him evade crime. While generally submissive to Jonathan, Dr. Einstein still knows how to manipulate Jonathan to get his way.

OFFICER O’HARA (Male, any age): A kind and good-natured police officer, O’Hara has a passion for playwriting and pesters Mortimer to read his play. Requires stage combat.

THE REV. DR. HARPER (Male, 40s-60s or can play the part): Dr. Harper is a refined gentleman, a minister and neighbor to the Brewster sisters. He displays a clear fondness for Abby and Martha but is not so approving of their nephew Mortimer trying to date his daughter Elaine.

OFFICER BROPHY (Male/Female, any age): Pleasant neighborhood police officer who is doing the rounds collecting toys for children. Requires stage combat.

OFFICER KLEIN (Male/Female, any age): Officer Brophy’s police partner, Klein is also a kindly officer who has gotten to know the Brewster sisters. Requires stage combat.

LIEUTENANT ROONEY (Male, 40s-50s): The head of the local precinct, Lt. Rooney is a commanding man with a short temper. He is large and in-charge, unafraid to speak up and control any situation at hand.

MR. WITHERSPOON (Male/Female 40s-50s): Mr. Witherspoon is the mild-mannered superintendent of Happy Dale Sanitarium.

MR. GIBBS (Male, 50s-60s): A gruff older man who comes to the Brewster home in search of lodging, who narrowly escapes getting poisoned by the sisters.