OPEN AUDITIONS: Saturday, August 30, 5:30-9:30 p.m.
Reserve an audition spot:
https://outlook.office.com/book/OCTAuditionSpots@ocalacivictheatre.com/s/wKT5-bVAvkqWVqImRYCVIA2?ismsaljsauthenabled
PRE-AUDITION WORKSHOP: Friday, August 29, 6-8 p.m. (optional)
Register for the workshop:
https://forms.office.com/r/5AHKD2ZGHC
CALLBACKS: Sunday, August 31, 5:30-9:30 p.m.
REHEARSALS: September 14 – October 29
PERFORMANCES: October 30 – November 16
DIRECTOR: Greg Thompson
STAGE MANAGER: Ginny Riley
ABOUT THE SHOW
In the Puritan colony of Massachusetts, a preacher finds girls dancing in the forest. Rumors of witchcraft spread through the village… and where there’s smoke, there’s wildfire. Soon, accusations abound and the flames of persecution leap ever higher. Conjured or not, curses begin to befall saints and sinners alike. Who is “guilty” and who is “innocent”? A tale of the Salem witch trials, this spellbinding drama is an American classic – and more relevant than ever.
ROLES AVAILABLE
John Proctor: Male, age 30-45. A farmer in Salem, Proctor serves as the voice of reason and justice. He exposes the girls as frauds pretending that witchcraft exists, becoming the tragic hero of the tale. Proctor is a sharply intelligent man who can easily detect foolishness in others and reveal it, but he questions his own moral sense. Due to his affair with Abigail Williams, Proctor wonders whether he is a moral man; however, this past event is the only major flaw attributed to him, as he is otherwise honorable and ethical. It demonstrates his morality that he does not see himself as adequate to martyr himself for the cause of justice when given the choice to save himself at the end of the play.
Elizabeth Proctor: Female, age 25-40. The wife of John Proctor, Elizabeth shares with him a similarly strict adherence to justice and moral principles. She is a woman who possesses great confidence in her own morality and in a person’s ability to maintain a sense of righteousness, both internal and external, even when these principles conflict with strict Christian doctrine. Although she is regarded as a woman of unimpeachable honesty, it is this reputation that causes her husband to be condemned when she lies about his affair with Abigail, thinking it will save him. However, Elizabeth can be cold and demanding, and her chilly demeanor may have driven her husband to adultery, while her continual suspicions render their marriage tense.
Abigail Williams: Female, age 16 to a youthful 25. A 17-year-old girl and the niece of Reverend Parris, Abigail was the Proctors' servant until Elizabeth fired her for having an affair with John. She is a malicious, vengeful girl who, to protect herself from punishment after Reverend Parris discovers them dancing, instigates the Salem witch trials and spearheads the accusations. Despite her claims, Abigail is an unabashed liar who accuses those who oppose her of witchcraft, including Elizabeth Proctor, in a bid to take her place as Proctor's wife. Abigail's callous nature partially stems from past trauma; she is an orphan who witnessed her parents being murdered by Indians.
Judge Danforth: Male, age 45-75. The deputy governor of Massachusetts who presides over the Salem witch trials. He is a stern yet practical man, more interested in preserving the dignity and stature of the court than in executing justice or behaving with any sense of fairness. He approaches the witchcraft trials with a strict adherence to rules and laws that obscure any sense of rationality, for under his legal dictates, an accusation of witchery automatically entails a conviction. Danforth shows that his greatest interest is preserving the court's reputation when he prompts Proctor to sign a confession, thus precluding the backlash of his execution.
Reverend Samuel Parris: Male, age 35-55. A weak, paranoid, and suspicious demagogue, Parris instigates the witchcraft panic when he discovers his daughter and niece dancing in the woods with several other girls. Parris is continually beset by fears that others conspire against him. He knows the truth that Abigail is lying about the dancing and the witchcraft but perpetuates the deception since it serves his own self-interest. Parris perceives any defense against the charges of witchcraft as an attack upon the court and a personal assault on him. As a pastor, his primary concern is personal aggrandizement; he strives for monetary compensation, including the deed to the preacher's house and expensive candlesticks.
Reverend John Hale: Male, age 25-40. A scholar from Beverly, Reverend Hale arrives in Salem at Reverend Parris' request to investigate the supernatural causes of Betty Parris' suspicious illness, thus instigating the rumors of witchcraft. Hale approaches the situation precisely and intellectually, believing he can define the supernatural in definitive terms. Despite his early enthusiasm for identifying the presence of witchcraft in Salem, Hale soon becomes disillusioned with the rampant accusations and defends Proctor when he confronts Abigail. He does this out of guilt, fearing he may have caused the execution of innocent people.
Giles Corey: Male, age 50-70. An irascible and combative old resident of Salem, Giles Corey is a comic figure in The Crucible whose fate turns tragic when he unwittingly brings about his wife's charge of witchcraft by wondering aloud about the strange books she reads at night. Corey is a frequent plaintiff in court, having filed dozens of lawsuits, and he stands with Proctor in challenging the girls' accusations, believing that Thomas Putnam is using witchcraft charges to secure land. When Corey refuses to name the person who heard Putnam declare these intentions, he is charged with contempt of court and dies when the court orders him to be weighed down with stones to coerce him into admitting the name.
Mary Warren: Female, age 17-25. The servant in the Proctor household, Mary is one of the girls found dancing in the woods and is complicit in Abigail Williams' schemes. Although weak and tentative, she challenges the Proctors when they forbid her to go to court. However, Mary eventually breaks down and testifies against Abigail, until Abigail charges her with witchery. She is a pliable girl whose actions are easily determined by others.
Tituba: Female, age 20-50. Black, indigenous, or person of color. Parris' slave from Barbados, Tituba was with the girls when they danced and attempted to conjure the spirits of Ann Putnam's dead children. She is the first person accused of witchcraft and also the first to accuse others of witchery, particularly when she discovers that the easiest way to spare herself is to admit to the charges, regardless of their truth.
Thomas Putnam: Male, age 35-60. One of the wealthiest landowners in Salem, Thomas Putnam is a vindictive and bitter man who holds longstanding grudges against many citizens of Salem, including the Nurse family for blocking the appointment of his brother-in-law as minister. Putnam urges his daughter to accuse George Jacobs of witchcraft, since if he is executed, his land will be available for Putnam to buy.
Rebecca Nurse: Female, age 40-75. As one of Salem's most noble and well-respected citizens, this elderly woman is kind and sane, suggesting that Betty's illness is merely a product of being out too late in the cold. However, because she served as midwife to Mrs. Putnam, Rebecca Nurse is charged with the supernatural murder of Putnam's children, each of whom was stillborn. In the play, Rebecca Nurse is the clear martyr, the purest and most saintly character hanged for witchery.
Judge Hathorne: Male, age 45-75. The judge presiding over the Salem witch trials remains largely subservient to Deputy Governor Danforth but applies the same tortured reasoning to the charges of witchcraft.
Francis Nurse: Male, age 50-75. The husband of Rebecca Nurse and a well-respected, wealthy landowner in Salem, Francis Nurse joins Giles Corey and John Proctor in their challenge against the court when their respective wives are charged with witchcraft.
Betty Parris: Female, age 12 to a youthful 20. Requires strong physicality. The young teenage daughter of Reverend Parris, Betty, falls mysteriously ill after he discovers her dancing in the woods with Abigail and the other young women of Salem. She slips into hysterics when the charges of witchcraft first emerge, holding delusions that she can fly and exclaiming with horror upon hearing the name of Jesus.
Sarah Good: Female, age 30-40. One of the first women charged with witchcraft by the girls, she is a homeless woman who confesses to witchcraft to save herself and continues the charade with Tituba, comically claiming that Satan will take her and Tituba to Barbados.
Martha Corey: Voice only, to be cast during rehearsals. Giles Corey’s third wife. Martha’s reading habits lead to her arrest and conviction for witchcraft. Only her voice is heard from offstage as she testifies before the court.
Ezekiel Cheever: Male, age 25-60. A clerk of the court who serves the arrest warrants to the persons charged with witchcraft.
Mrs. Ann Putnam: Female, age 35-60. The wife of Thomas suspects that there is a supernatural cause behind the stillborn deaths of seven of her children and holds Rebecca Nurse responsible.
Mercy Lewis: Female, age 16 to a youthful 25. The Putnam's servant is a fat, sly, merciless 18-year-old girl whom Parris found naked when he spied on the girls dancing in the woods. She runs away with Abigail at the end of the play.
Susanna Walcott: Female, age 16-25. One of the girls whom Parris found dancing in the woods is a confidant of Abigail.
George Herrick: Male, age 25-60. A shopkeeper and the marshal of Salem who guards the jail cells while nearly drunk.
John Willard: Male, age 25-35. One of Herrick’s deputies until he refuses to carry out any further arrests, at which point he is charged with witchcraft and hanged.
Hopkins: Male, age 35-45. One of the guards at the jail cell.
Six ensemble women (ages 15-25) who are part of the group led by Abigail Williams.
PRE-AUDITION WORKSHOP: There will be a free, optional, pre-audition workshop on Friday, August 29 from 6-8 p.m. Led by director Greg Thompson, this practical workshop is ideal for both newcomers and experienced performers to meet the show’s creative team, learn about the audition process, and practice your audition monologue. Register for the workshop:
https://forms.office.com/r/5AHKD2ZGHC
AUDITIONS & CALLBACKS: Auditions will be held on Saturday, August 30 from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Please prepare a one-minute monologue. Reserve an audition spot:
https://outlook.office.com/book/OCTAuditionSpots@ocalacivictheatre.com/s/wKT5-bVAvkqWVqImRYCVIA2?ismsaljsauthenabled
For those who are called back, callbacks will be held on Sunday, August 31 from 5:30-9:30 p.m.
You may check out a copy of the script from the box office for one week with a $10 refundable deposit. Please call ahead to make sure a script is in stock. Scripts checked out the week before auditions must be returned by 2 p.m. on Friday, August 29.
No experience is necessary. Newcomers and theatre veterans alike are welcome and encouraged to audition. If you are unable to attend the scheduled auditions, please contact the Theatre at (352) 236-2274 about making a separate appointment. Be prepared at auditions to list any conflicts with the rehearsal schedule.
If you need any specific accommodations to audition, please contact Craig James, Director of Guest Services and Operations, at (352) 236-2274, ext. 102, or
Y2phbWVzIHwgb2NhbGFjaXZpY3RoZWF0cmUgISBjb20= to make your request. Examples of accommodations made in the past are a wheelchair-accessible audition space, large-print materials, prompters in the audition room, volunteers to help fill out forms, and auditions by appointment.
REHEARSALS & PERFORMANCES: Rehearsals will begin with a table read of the script on Sunday, September 14. Rehearsals are Sunday through Thursday. Sunday rehearsals are 5:30-9:30 p.m., while Monday through Thursday rehearsals are 6:30-9:30 p.m. Tech rehearsals are October 22-25, with an all-day tech rehearsal on Saturday, October 25. Dress rehearsals are October 27-29. There will be 15 public performances, Thursdays through Sundays, October 30 – November 16 at Ocala Civic Theatre.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN CASTING: As we strive to make choices that reflect the best of our community, showcasing the incredible talent and rich diversity, there is always more to learn and more to do. As members of this community, we prioritize our continuous education, reflection, and action. Ocala Civic Theatre is committed to casting diverse artists who reflect the demographics of our city and our society.
CIVIC POLICY: All cast and crew ages 16+ will be subject to a background check. This is required for shows with anyone age 15 or younger in the cast.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR: Greg Thompson is the Executive & Artistic Director of Ocala Civic Theatre. Over the past 35 years of his involvement with OCT, he has served as guest director, choreographer, and instructor many times. Greg created OCT’s popular Arts For All summer youth program in 1991 and has taught numerous workshops. Past OCT shows he has directed and/or choreographed include Into the Woods, Daddy Long Legs, The Impresario, Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville, The Spitfire Grill, Witch, Sweeney Todd, Newsies, Outside Mullingar, Hands On a Hardbody, Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?, Macabaret, Night and Day, Guys and Dolls, Fiddler On the Roof, The King and I, The Baker’s Wife; A Day In Hollywood, A Night On Broadway; My Favorite Year, Cats, Enchanted April, The Mikado, Annie, The Sugar Bean Sisters, The Pirates of Penzance, The Scarlet Pimpernel, For Love Or Money, and The Music Man. Greg has been a member of Actor’s Equity Association and the Society of Directors and Choreographers, and is SAG-AFTRA eligible.
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