Audition Information:
Dates August 20 and 21: 7 pm - 9 pm
6 men 2 women
By Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields
Directed by Kay Fenimore-Smith and George Smith
About the Show:
Welcome to the opening night of the Conley Drama Society’s newest production, The Murder at Haversham Manor, where things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. This 1920s whodunit has everything you never wanted in a show—an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead, and actors who trip over everything (including their lines). Nevertheless, the accident-prone thespians battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call, with hilarious consequences!
Age range for characters is flexible (18+) and will depend upon groupings and pairings found through auditions.
*Please note: This is a physically demanding show. Most roles will require varying amounts of crawling, climbing, lifting, running, and/or falling. There is also a sword fight and some hand-to-hand combat.
Character Breakdown:
Chris: Head of the drama society and plays Inspector Carter in “The Murder at Haversham Manor.” High status clown. Rigid, uptight. everything really matters; he is the directos of the show and this is the biggest day of his life; everything is riding on this; it is a nerve wracking and and exciting night; his pain is evident and every time someone laughs, the pain deepens; he has equal amounts of contempt for his fellow actors and the audience watching the play. Speaks with a British accent.
Robert: Plays Thomas Collamore in “The Murder at Haversham Manor.” Wants to be like Richard Burton as evidence by his declamatory style, he is, however, not a parody of a bad actor; he is unaware of others around him; he does not feel badly when things go wrong and never learns from his mitakes; there is a power struggle between Robert and Chris to be president of the Cornley Poly Drama Society (a position that matters a great deal to Robert); seeking an actor with real vocal power. Speak with a British accent.
Max: Plays Cecil Haversham in “The Murder at Haversham Manor.” He has never been on stage before. He learned his lines and does exactly what he’s told to do. He has zero connection with any of the other actors, but when he gets a laugh, he break the fourth wall and engages with the audience. Childlike and Naive. His mistakes are fundamental. He doesn’t think anything through, just looks for approval. Speaks with a British accent.
Dennis: Plays the butler, Perkins in “The Murder at Haversham Manor.” He has no real desire to be involved in the theatre; he just wants to make friends (of which he has none). He believes that if he does well in the show, he will be more successful socially. Laughter from the audience is agony for him. He may be slightly oblivious but understands when he gets things wrong. The laughter is personal tragedy/failure. Speaks with a British accent.
Trevor or Tina: The Play’s lighting and sound operator; they simply want to get on with the show; curmudgeonly and doesn’t care for actors; they are easily distracted and do many things they shouldn’t, including engaging with the audience; when things go really sideways they are forced to act in the play; they hate acting. Speaks with an American accent.
Jonathan: Plays Charles Haversham in “The Murder at Haversham Manor.” A bit bland but sees himself as a James Bond type. Excited and having fun, but not naive. He technically must drive the show. He care about the play, but not to the same extent as others. Very physical role. Speaks in a British accent.
Sandra: Plays Florence Colleymoore in “The Murder at Haversham Manor.” She is vain and posses a huge ego. Wants to be loves. Has ambitions to go to Hollywood and will hurt anyone standing in the want of what she wants but is smart enough to stay on the good side of someone who can help her. The stakes are high for her. Very physical role. Speaks with a British accent.
Annie: The stage manager; she has the biggest journey of any of the characters; when Sandra is indisposed, Annie, who cannot bear to be on stage, must step in; initially terrified by acting, she is willing to kill for it by the end of the play; her initial terror turns to joy and then to fury; she starts small but grows and grows. Speaks with an American accent
Performances:
October 25, 26, November 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, and 10
