Town and Country Players auditions are open to the community. However, if you are cast in a second show, you must become a member. Auditions are usually held at the Barn, the Buckingham Township Building (4613 Hughesian Drive, Buckingham, PA) or Central Bucks Community Senior Center (700 Shady Retreat Road, Doylestown, PA). Please contact the appropriate director for further details.
By Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee
Directed by John Zimmerman (e-mail: fractal514@aol.com)
Produced by Nancy Ridgeway
Performances: November 5, 6, 12, 13, 14 (matinee), 19 and 20
Auditions: Saturday, August 21st from 1pm to 5pm and Sunday, August 22nd from 1pm to 5pm. Callbacks on Monday, August 23 at 7pm. (Those being called back will be notified by 9pm on Sunday the 22nd. Callbacks are by invitation only.) All at the Central Bucks Senior Center (700 Shady Retreat Rd., Doylestown, PA 18901)
Director John Zimmerman is seeking a large cast of men and women, all roles are open and newcomers are welcome. Please e-mail fractal514@aol.com to schedule an appointment. Those auditioning should prepare a short (1-2 minutes) dramatic monologue and/or be prepared to do cold readings from sides at auditions. Note: Please bring theater resume and head shot (if available). Be prepared to note any schedule conflicts.
Groups will be seen every 30 minutes, on the hour and half
hour. All auditioning should prepare a short (1-2 minute)
dramatic monologue and/or be prepared to read from the script.
Those auditioning are not required or expected to stay for more
than a half an hour, depending on turn-out. Extensive readings
will be conducted at the callbacks.
About the Play:
The accused was a slight, frightened man who had deliberately
broken the law. His trial was a Roman circus. The chief gladiators
were two great legal giants of the century. Like two bull elephants
locked in mortal combat, they bellowed and roared imprecations
and abuse. The spectators sat uneasily in the sweltering heat
with murder in their hearts, barely able to restrain themselves.
At stake was the freedom of every American. One of the most moving
and meaningful plays of our generation. "a tidal wave of
a drama." -- New York World-Telegram And Sun
This show will be done with a single set, a sweltering courtroom in the small town of Hillsboro.What will bring this show to life is the large chorus of townspeople who flood the stage with emotion and nuance and bring the drama to life. To this end, the director will be casting many ensemble roles that will require very little rehearsal, but will still ultimately be critical to the drama of the piece.
The cast as written calls for 1 girl, 2 boys, 7 women, and 23 men.
The principal roles include:
Bertram Cates - A twenty-four-year-old science teacher and the defendant in the trial. A soft-spoken and humble man, Cates has been arrested for teaching his students the theory of evolution from a biology textbook. His outlook on human knowledge is skeptical, and he wonders about the nature of the universe.
Matthew Harrison Brady - A national political figure and a three-time loser in presidential campaigns who arrives in Hillsboro to lead the prosecution in Cates's trial. A Christian fundamentalist and Nebraska native, Brady defends the literal truth of the Bible against what he labels Cates's big-city agnosticism. A larger than life figure who must command the stage and audience with his very presence.
Henry Drummond - A famous lawyer from Chicago whom the Baltimore Herald sends to defend Cates. Drummond, a believer in human progress, argues for freedom of thought. A highly logical and direct man, he must be strong enough to believably stand against Brady.
E. K. Hornbeck - A cynical, wisecracking journalist and critic who speaks in colorful phrases. Hornbeck travels to Hillsboro to cover the trial for the Baltimore Herald. He despises Brady's religious fundamentalism and the townspeople's simple-minded acceptance of Brady's views. The most extremely liberal character in the show.
Rev. Jeremiah Brown - The figure of religious authority in Hillsboro. Reverend Brown preaches a creed based on the fear of God and the punishment of sinners. An intense and powerful role that requires an actor up to the challenge. The most extremely conservative character in the show.
Rachel Brown - The daughter of Reverend Brown. Rachel teaches the second grade at the school where Cates also taught. Rachel is a close friend of Cates, and their relationship has a romantic element. Rachel fears her father's disapproval and becomes upset when Brady calls on her to testify about her personal conversations with Cates. The most conflicted character in the show.
The Judge - The judge presiding over Cates's trial. The judge conducts the trial impartially, although his personal views about the Bible's legitimacy are in line with those of the rest of the townspeople of Hillsboro. He is very aware of the precarious situation he and the town are in.
Meeker - The bailiff at the Hillsboro courthouse. Meeker lets Cates in and out of his jail cell and appears sympathetic to him, even if he doesn't support his viewpoint.
Mrs. Brady - Matthew Harrison Brady's wife. Mrs. Brady monitors her husband and nags him not to overeat. Brady calls her "Mother."
Melinda Loomis - A twelve-year-old girl. Melinda believes in the Bible and fears the idea of evolution.
Howard Blair - A student in Cates's science class. Howard grasps the idea of evolution in only a rudimentary way, as we see when he asks a worm in the play's opening scene what it wants to be when it grows up. At the trial, Howard gives testimony that is used against Cates.
Mrs. Krebs - An outspoken Hillsboro woman. On behalf of the Hillsboro Ladies' Aid, Mrs. Krebs serves lunch to Brady on his arrival in town. She should be a strong personality.
Mr. Bannister - A member of the jury. Bannister has read neither Darwin nor the Bible because he is illiterate.
Elijah - A mountain man. The illiterate Elijah sells Bibles to the townspeople and preaches his beliefs to the crowd.
Mayor - The mayor of Hillsboro. The mayor supports Brady and welcomes him to town by naming him an honorary colonel in the state militia. Under pressure from the state capitol, he instructs the judge to pass a lenient sentence at the trial's conclusion.
Tom Davenport - The local district attorney. Davenport assists Brady during the trial. He attempts to stop Drummond's humiliation of Brady at the end of the trial, but by the time he objects, Brady has already made a fool of himself.
Harry Y. Esterbrook - A radio host from WGN in Chicago. Esterbrook broadcasts the announcement of the verdict and Cates's sentencing and cuts off Brady in the middle of his victory speech.
Jesse H. Dunlap - A farmer and cabinetmaker. Dunlap stands as a potential juror, but Drummond dismisses him because of his enthusiastic support of Brady.
Sillers - An employee at the local feed store and a member of the jury. Drummond accepts Sillers as a juror after Sillers tells him that he focuses on making a living while his wife takes care of religious matters for both of them.
Storekeeper - The owner of a store across the square from the courthouse. The storekeeper professes not to have convictions about creation because they are not good for business.
All roles are open and newcomers are welcome. Please forward this notice to any and all who would be interested in helping to bring this American classic to life.