What: Open auditions for The Mousetrap, by Agatha Christie. Directed by David Cristobal, with assistant director Emma Thurston.

When: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday, July 31.

Where: Pentacle Theatre, 324 52nd Ave. NW. Off Highway 22 about 6 miles west of downtown Salem.

Casting: Roles for five men and three women. Pentacle Theatre encourages actors of all ages, genders, ethnicities and abilities to participate in its productions. For a full list of roles, please visit scroll through this post.

Things to know: Auditorium doors open at 12:30 p.m. Open auditions for all roles begin promptly at 1 p.m. and may run as late as 6 p.m.

  • All volunteers at Pentacle Theatre must provide proof of COVID vaccination before entering the auditorium.
  • Actors will read from the script, copies of which are available on loan at the Pentacle Theatre for a $10 refundable deposit. Call or text Lisa Joyce, executive director, at 503-409-3971 to arrange for pickup.
  • Please arrive early to fill out an audition form. We encourage you to complete our fillable audition form online and print it in advance. If you complete it by hand, please write clearly, especially your contact information. Headshots and resumes are not required, but always appreciated.
  • Please provide a complete list of your conflicts through Oct. 23 on the audition form­ and bring your calendar to auditions.
  • We encourage parents of minor children who are auditioning to download and read our guidelines concerning minors at Pentacle Theatre.

Callbacks: 1-5 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 1, if needed.

Rehearsals: Generally, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays beginning Monday, Aug. 2, 2021, at Pentacle Theatre, 324 52nd Ave. NW, off Highway 22 about 6 miles west of 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 students. Only actors needed for scheduled scenes will be required at rehearsals, and we’ll release actors as early as possible. We understand students in school are a priority. As we get further into rehearsals, we’ll need everybody there so we can run the whole show.
  • If you have questions or concerns about rehearsals, please contact the director, below.
  • Cast members may be required to make special appearances for marketing purposes in the weeks before the show opens.

Show dates: Friday, Oct. ­­­­8 – Saturday, Oct. 23.

About the show: Pentacle Theatre will celebrate the return of live theater to its intimate stage in West Salem by reviving an audience favorite: Agatha Christie’s classic whodunnit murder mystery, The Mousetrap.

The scene is set when a group of people gather in a country manor house, isolated by a snowstorm, only to discover there is a murderer in their midst. Who can it be? One-by-one, the suspicious characters reveal their sordid pasts until — at the last nerve-shredding moment — the murderer and the motive are finally revealed. source: AgathaChristie.com

Casting call: Casting actors of all abilities, genders and ethnicities for the following roles:

  • Mollie Ralston, age 25-35 — Proprietor of Monkswell Manor guesthouse and wife of Giles. She works hard to keep her first guests happy.
  • Giles Ralston, age 25-35 — Mollie’s husband who also runs Monkswell Manor but doesn’t seem to like any of their guests.
  • Christopher Wren, age 25-35 — The first guest to arrive, Wren is a hyperactive and peculiar young man who’s running away from something but refuses to say what. He claims to have been named after the famous English architect by his parents.
  • Boyle, age 50+ — A critical older woman who is pleased by nothing she observes.
  • Major Metcalf, age 50+ — He is retired from the army, otherwise little is known about him.
  • Miss Casewell, age 25-35 — A strange, aloof woman who speaks offhandedly about the horrific experiences of her childhood.
  • Paravicini, age 50+ — A man of unknown provenance, who appears unexpectedly, claiming his car has overturned in a snowdrift. His foreign accent is dodgy, and he looks artificially aged with makeup.
  • Detective Sergeant Trotter, age 25-35 — DS Trotter arrives at the height of a snowstorm to question the proprietors and guests about a recent grisly murder.

 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.

Information: Contact director David Cristobal or at 503‑393-1151 or assistant director Emma Thurston at 503-507-7747.