What: Open auditions for She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition, by Qui Nguyen. Directed by MaryKate Lindbeck. A comic exploration of the assumptions we make about the people we love, and the monsters we must face, inside and out.
When: 1 p.m., Saturday, April 25.
Where: Pentacle Theatre, 324 52nd Ave. NW — located off Highway 22, about 6 miles west of downtown Salem, Oregon.
Casting: 9-12 actor-adventurers, age 16 and up, able to play multiple roles in an ensemble of 40 characters. For a full list of roles, please scroll down this page.
Things to know:
- Lobby doors open at 12:30 p.m. and open auditions for all roles begin promptly at 1 p.m.
- Auditions will include acting, stage combat, dancing and ensemble work. Please plan to stay for the entire audition time, until as late as 5 p.m.
- Dress comfortably in sweats or workout clothes and be ready to move and dance. Please wear shoes appropriate for dance.
- Plan to arrive early to fill out an audition form. We encourage you to download a copy at org/auditions and complete it in advance. Please write clearly, especially your contact information. Headshots and resumes are not required, but always appreciated.
- Bring your calendar and provide a complete list of your conflicts through Aug. 15. If you have a conflict on the audition date, please contact the director, below.
- Pentacle Theatre affirms, promotes and celebrates the participation of all, without regard to race, color, sex, disability, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion or socioeconomic status.
Callbacks: TBA, April 26, if needed.
Rehearsals: Generally, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, beginning April 27 at Pentacle Theatre’s rehearsal studio in downtown Salem. The director will set weekend rehearsals and work sessions as needed.
Rehearsals will be scheduled to make the best use of everyone’s time, especially for actors in school. Only actors needed for scheduled scenes will be required at rehearsals, and we’ll release actors as early as possible. As we get farther into rehearsals, we’ll need everyone there so we can run the whole show. If you have questions or concerns about rehearsals, please contact the director, below.
Show dates: Friday, July 24 through Saturday, Aug. 15.
Cast members may be required to make special appearances for marketing purposes in the weeks before the show opens.
About the show: A comedic romp into the world of fantasy role-playing games, She Kills Monsters tells the story of high school cheerleader Agnes Evans, who suffers from a bad case of being average and is the exact opposite of her nerdy younger sister, Tilly. After both Tilly and her parents die in a horrible accident, Agnes packs her family’s belongings as she grieves. When Agnes stumbles upon Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons campaign notebook, she finds herself catapulted into a journey of discovery and action-packed adventure in the imaginary world that was her sister’s refuge. In this high-octane dramatic comedy laden with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and ’90s pop culture, acclaimed playwright Qui Nguyen offers a heart-pounding homage to the geek and warrior within us all. — Concord Theatricals.
Casting call: 9-12 actor-adventurers age 16 and up, able to play multiple roles in an ensemble of 40 characters:
- Agnes Evans — Tilly’s older sister, an average high school senior cheerleader with no geeky bone in her body. Stubborn and reluctant to step out of her comfort zone, Agnes desperately wants to make peace with the sisterhood she neglected to foster while Tilly was alive. Upon finding her late sister’s Dungeons & Dragons campaign, she must play through it to gain closure.
- Tilly Evans / Tillius the Paladin — Agnes’ ultra-nerdy younger sister who recently died in an accident. A local RPG celebrity, she lives in her D&D world as Tillius the Paladin. In the game she is fierce, passionate, and strong-willed. In life, she may have been more vulnerable than she would have liked anyone to believe.
- Chuck — A large-set RPG enthusiast who helps Agnes play through Tilly’s D&D campaign as the self-proclaimed “DM Biggs.” He has a wildly inflated sense of how cool he is.
- Miles — Agnes’ boyfriend, an average high school senior football star. He may seem disinterested, but he genuinely cares about Agnes — he just doesn’t know how to show it.
- Vera / The Beholder — Agnes’ offbeat punk BFF who works at The Gap. She wants the best for Agnes and fiercely advocates for her but tends to come off strong.
- Lilly / Lilith the Demon Queen — Tilly’s crush, both in life and in the game. Tilly has reimagined her as a Demon Queen who acts as the party’s muscle. She’s the perfect combination of beauty and brawn.
- Kelly / Kaliope — Tilly’s friend, who in real life uses crutches to cope with cerebral palsy. Tilly has reimagined her as a Dark Elf who acts as the party’s master tracker, lockpicker, magic-user, and ass-kicker.
- Ronnie / Orcus — Tilly’s friend and Kelly’s older brother. Tilly has reimagined him as the reluctant demon overlord of the underworld.
- Narrator — A mysterious cloaked figure who guides the story with a Cate Blanchett, Galadriel-esque voice.
- Steve the . . . — Whether it’s shopping as a customer or adventuring as the Great Mage, this unlucky guy is often used as an example to others of what violence and gore they may soon suffer.
- Evil Tina & Evil Gabby — Tilly’s high school cheerleader bullies, reimagined in-game as evil succubi with epic dance moves.
- Farrah — A small forest faerie who is not to be underestimated.
- Ensemble of monsters: Wraiths, bugbears, dragons, kobolds etc. — Miscellaneous monsters who appear in fight and battle sequences throughout the show.
Suitability: She Kills Monsters is suitable for teens and adults who can handle explicit language, crude humor, demons, fantastical fight scenes and the exploration of death and grief.
Sponsored by: She Kills Monsters is sponsored by Eric Paetsch at Saalfeld Griggs, P.C.
Information: If you have questions or a conflict on the audition date, please contact director MaryKate Lindbeck at [email protected] or call 503-485-4300.
