What: Open auditions for the Olivier Award winner for Best New Comedy, The Play That Goes Wrong, by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields. Directed at Pentacle Theatre by Susan Schoaps.
When: 1 p.m.–5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 2.
Where: Pentacle Theatre, 324 52nd Avenue NW, off Highway 22 about 6 miles west of downtown Salem.
Casting call: Seeking an ensemble of actors able to play 6 male presenting and 2 female presenting actors.
Things to know:
- Lobby doors open at 12:30 p.m. Open auditions for all roles begin promptly at 1 p.m. Please plan to stay through 5 p.m.
- Plan to arrive early to fill out an audition form. We encourage you to download this fillable audition form 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 from Sept. 10–Dec. 9. If you have a conflict on the audition date, please contact the director, below.
- All actors will audition by reading selected scenes from the script. Please come dressed to move and wear comfortable shoes.
- Pentacle Theatre affirms, promotes and celebrates the participation of all, without regard to race, color, sex, ability, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion or socioeconomic status.
Callbacks: Sunday, Sept. 3, if needed.
Rehearsals:
- The first readthrough rehearsal will be Sunday, Sept. 10. The balance of rehearsals will be announced at the readthrough.
- Rehearsals are generally, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, at the Pentacle Theatre rehearsal studio, 197 Liberty St. S. in downtown Salem.
- The director will set weekend rehearsals and work sessions as needed. Please keep this in mind when providing your list of conflicts.
- 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 closer to opening night, we’ll need everyone at rehearsals so we can run the whole show.
- Cast members may be required to make special appearances for marketing purposes in the weeks before the show opens.
- If you have questions about rehearsals, please contact the director.
Show dates: Friday, Nov. 17– Saturday, Dec. 9.
The story: From Mischief Theatre Company, the Broadway masters of comedy, comes the smash hit farce The Play That Goes Wrong. Welcome to opening night of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’s newest production, “The Murder at Haversham Manor,” where things quickly go 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. Part Monty Python, part Sherlock Holmes, this award–winning comedy is a global phenomenon guaranteed to leave you aching with laughter!
Winner of the 2015 Lawrence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, the 2017 Tony Award for Best Scenic Design in a Play and other honors.
— Source: Dramatists Play Service
The characters: Casting an ensemble of eight adult actors of all ages and abilities able to play the following roles, which include much physical comedy, closely timed “goes wrong” moments and special effects, collapsing set pieces and other onstage disasters and mayhem.
Chris Bean, who plays Inspector Carter and serves as the show’s director, set designer, costume designer, props maker, box office manager, press and PR person, dramaturge, voice coach, dialect coach and fight choreographer, and filled in for the role of Mr. Fitzroy during rehearsals.
- Jonathan Harris, who plays Charles Haversham.
- Robert Grove, who plays Thomas Colleymoore.
- Dennis Tyde, who plays Perkins.
- Sandra Wilkinson, who plays Florence Colleymoore.
- Max Bennett, who plays both Cecil Haversham and Arthur the Gardener.
- Trevor Watson, the lighting and sound operator.
- Annie Twilloil, the stage manager.
Suitability: The Play That Goes Wrong is suitable for general audiences.
Information: If you have questions or a conflict on the audition date, please contact director Susan Schoaps at 503-580-4587 or sschoaps@gmail.com.
