Auditions
The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940
by John Bishop
Directed by Dex Edwards
WHEN?
Saturday, October 14, 2023, 2:00pm - 5:00pm (Sign in deadline is 3:00pm)
Sunday, October 15, 2023, 6:00pm - 9:00pm (Sign in deadline is 7:00pm)
Callbacks by invitation: Tuesday, October 17, 6:00pm
For more info, email gina.white@theatrehsv.org
WHERE?
The Studio Theatre @ Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment
2211 Seminole Dr SW, Huntsville, AL 35805 (map)
We suggest parking in the main parking lot (by the water tower). Walk through the Railroad Building (where Pizzelles is located) until you see Door #17. Enter through the exterior stairs to the left of Door #17. Here’s a map: https://www.theatrehsv.org/studiotheatre
If you get lost or confizzled, call 256-536-0807 and we will find you.
The elevators are still inoperable, but please let us know if you need any accommodation or assistance. We do not want to exclude anyone due to access issues, and will do whatever we need to for an equitable opportunity.
WHO?
Everyone ages 18+.
All roles are available and casting is open, and newcomers are welcome and encouraged.
There is no fee to participate in Theatre Huntsville productions.
WHAT do I need to prepare?
No prepared material is required, but we strongly suggest reading the script prior to auditions.
Auditionees will read scenes from the script in a group setting
Contact gina.white@theatrehsv.org to arrange a copy.
Info on all known conflicts from November to January that would interfere with evening or weekend rehearsals/performances.
All participants in Theatre Huntsville productions are required to be vaccinated for Covid-19/CoronaVirus. This policy is to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved.
Production Dates:
January 19-28, 2024 (8 performances) - VBC Playhouse
Rehearsals begin in November 2023
Available Roles:
10 roles are available. Ages are suggested but not a must. Adult actors of all ages, genders, and ethnicities are encouraged to audition.
Helsa Wenzel – maid at the Grossenknueten mansion. The Maid plays 3 female and 1 male characters, can be played by any gender German accent required. 30s-40s.
Elsa Von Grossenknueten – owner of the mansion and a financial backer of the musical “White House Merry-Go-Round.” Flair for the dramatic and extremely eccentric. 40s and up.
Patrick O’Reilly – a singer. Suspicious, mysterious, claims to be an Irish tenor. Irish accent; later German accent. 30s and up.
Ken De La Maize – archetypal director, self-absorbed, and egotistical. 40s and up.
Nikki Crandall – a typical chorus girl, preferably blonde. Smarter than she looks. Mid-20s and up
Eddie McCuen – Struggling out-of-work comedian, unwittingly becomes the romantic lead. Should be charming and likeable. Mid-20s and up.
Marjorie Baverstock – a Broadway producer. Dresses and carries herself like royalty. Full of theatrical gestures and language. Mid-40s and up.
Roger Hopewell – composer for “White House Merry-Go-Round.” Outrageous, flamboyant, quick-witted, highly-strung songwriting partner of Bernice. A piano player, or a good “faker.” Mid-30s and up.
Bernice Roth – perpetually intoxicated lyricist, she is Roger’s musical partner and foil. Dresses like a gypsy dancer. Odd and emotional, frequently loses her composure. Mid-30s and up.
Michael Kelly – an undercover cop. Tough, no-nonsense attitude. 30s and up.
Synopsis:
This over-the-top comedy tells the story of the creative team responsible for a recent Broadway flop (in which three chorus girls were murdered by the mysterious “Stage Door Slasher") assemble for a backer’s audition of their new show at the Westchester estate of a wealthy “angel.” The house is replete with sliding panels, secret passageways, and a German maid who is apparently four different people—all of which figure diabolically in the comic mayhem which follows when the infamous “Slasher” makes his reappearance and strikes again—and again. As the composer, lyricist, actors, and director prepare their performance, and a blizzard cuts off any possible retreat, bodies start to drop in plain sight, knives spring out of nowhere, masked figures drag their victims behind swiveling bookcases, and accusing fingers point in all directions.