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BRATTLEBORO -- The Vermont Theatre Company announces auditions for two plays -- "Moon Over Buffalo" and "The Woman in Black" on Monday, Sept. 17, at 6:30 p.m., at the Brattleboro Union High School Auditorium. Actors may audition for one or both of the productions and will be asked to do cold readings from the scripts. Memorized monologues are not required for either play but are recommended for "The Woman in Black."
"Moon Over Buffalo" by Ken Ludwig will be presented Nov. 30, Dec. 1, 2, and 7-9 at Evening Star Grange in Dummerston. From the same playwright as "Lend Me a Tenor," "Moon Over Buffalo" tells the story of The Hayses, a family of traveling actors, struggling to move from the stage to the big screen. Set in the green room of the Erlanger Theater in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1953, Charlotte and George Hays are disappointed with their jaded careers but when they find out that movie director Frank Capra is coming to consider them for roles in the upcoming film "The Scarlet Pimpernel," everything that could go wrong does. This is a fast-paced tale of secret love affairs, weather men, mistaken identities, dreams of stardom and pants.
Roles available include:
* Charlotte Hays: late 40s to 50s. Described as the oldest ingénue, she dreams of bigger and better things.
* George Hays: Late 40s to 50s. Leading male actor of the company who thinks he
* Rosalind Hays: Late 20s to 30s. Daughter of Charlotte and George. She has left the theater for a calmer life.
* Howard: Late 20s to 30s. Rosalind’s fiancé. He works as a weatherman and often gets so nervous he cannot remember his own name.
* Paul: Late 20s to 30s. Rosalind’s ex boyfriend. He works as the stage manager for the Hays family.
* Eileen: Late 20s to 30s. An actress in the company. She wants to be the leading lady.
* Ethel: Late 60s to 70s. Former actress and Charlotte’s mother.
* Richard. Late 40s to early 50s. The Hays family’s lawyer.
"The Woman in Black" by Stephen Mallatratt will be presented Jan. 18-20 and 25-27 in the Hooker-Dunham Theater. "The Woman in Black" is a play based on the suspense novel of the same name. It has been running for more than 20 years in London’s West End. Recently, a movie, staring Daniel Radcliffe, was also adapted from the book. The play is about the main character, Arthur Kipps (referred to as "Actor" in the script). Arthur had a haunting experience in his younger years as a solicitor tending to the affairs of the late Mrs. Alice Drablow of Crythin Gifford. This memory and the consequences of his experience have been a heavy load on his conscience. He turns to a seasoned actor (referred to as "Kipps" in the script) to teach him how to tell his story. The actor takes on the role of enacting a young Mr. Kipps, while Arthur Kipps plays all of the characters from his memory. As they rehearse the story, Arthur Kipps discovers his facility as an actor, and the actor makes a chilling discovery.
Mallatratt states "The intent of this show is to frighten -- if it doesn’t, it’s nothing. The fear is not on a visual or visceral level, but an imaginative one. There are no gouts of blood nor any but the simplest of special effects." Actors involved in this project should be prepared to have a hands-on role making a haunting happen on stage.
Roles include:
* Actor: he must be able to create many character roles, he is older than the actor playing Kipps.
* Kipps: he must be willing to be acted upon and taken on a journey -- a good listener and reactor, he is younger than the actor playing Actor
* Woman 1: a non-speaking role, must be physically similar to Woman 2
* Woman 2: a non-speaking role, must be physically similar to Woman 1
A monologue is recommended, but not required to audition for this show. Contact director Jess Callahan Gelter if you would like an e-mailed copy of audition sides.
For more information or if you cannot make the audition time, e-mail the director to set up an alternate time.
For "Moon Over Buffalo," contact director Michelle Page at michellerosepage@gmail.com.
For "The Woman in Black," contact director Jessica Callahan Gelter at Jcallahan.84@gmail.com
For more information about VTC, visit www.vermonttheatrecompany.com.
