Fort Salem Theater announces auditions for two upcoming plays, Steel Magnolias and Pride and Prejudice on March 14th and March 15th, respectively. All roles listed are currently available* and are open to actors of all ethnicities and gender identities. All performers must be fully vaccinated by the start of rehearsals.
*One role has already been cast: M’Lynn in Steel Magnolias.
Actors are welcome to perform a monologue at auditions of their choosing,’or in place of a monologue, actors will be given sides, which can be found at www.FortSalem.com/auditions.
Rehearsals will typically be Sundays-Thursday from 7PM-10PM, pending the availability of the cast and the needs of the show. A full calendar will be provided by the first rehearsal. Each actor will receive a minimum of two complimentary tickets. At this time, housing, travel & performance stipends are not available.
About the shows:
Steel Magnolias:
The action is set in Truvy’s beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana, where all the ladies who are “anybody” come to have their hair done. Helped by her eager new assistant, Annelle (who is not sure whether or not she is still married), the outspoken, wise-cracking Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to the town’s rich curmudgeon, Ouiser, (“I’m not crazy, I’ve just been in a bad mood for forty years”); an eccentric millionaire, Miss Clairee, who has a raging sweet tooth; and the local social leader, M’Lynn, whose daughter, Shelby (the prettiest girl in town), is about to marry a “good ole boy.”
Written by: Robert Harling
Directed by: Tracey Wesley
Stage Managed by: Maureen Cossey
Audition dates: Monday, March 14 @7PM | Callbacks by invitation only on Wednesday, March 16.
Production dates: April 22-24, 2022
First rehearsal: On or around Monday, March 21st, 2022
Characters (all female presenting):
TRUVY JONES – Stage Age: 40ish – Owner of the beauty shop
ANNELLE DUPUY-DESOTO – Stage Age: 19 – Beauty shop assistance.
CLAIREE BELCHER – Stage Age: Mid 60s – Widow of former mayor. Grande dame
SHELBY EATENTON-LATCHERIE – Stage Age: 25 – “Prettiest girl in town.”
M’LYNN EATENTON (Cast) – Stage Age: 50s – Shelby’s mother. Socially prominent career woman
OUSIER (Pronounced Weezer) BOUDREAUX – Stage Age: Mix 60s – Wealthy curmudgeon. Acerbic but lovable.
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Pride & Prejudice:
This isn’t your grandmother’s Austen! Bold, surprising, boisterous, and timely, this P&P for a new era explores the absurdities and thrills of finding your perfect (or imperfect) match in life. The outspoken Lizzy Bennet is determined to never marry, despite mounting pressure from society. But can she resist love, especially when that vaguely handsome, mildly amusing, and impossibly aggravating Mr. Darcy keeps popping up at every turn?! Literature’s greatest tale of latent love has never felt so theatrical, or so full of life than it does in this effervescent adaptation. Because what turns us into greater fools…than the high-stakes game of love?
Written by: Kate Hamill
Adapted from the novel by: Jane Austen
Directed by: Ariel Francoeur
Choreographed by: Imani Mccalmon
Stage Managed by: Maureen Cossey
Audition Dates: Tuesday, March 15 @ 7PM | Callbacks by invitation only on Wednesday, March 16.
Performance Dates: May 27-29, 2022
First rehearsal: On or around Monday, April 11, 2022
Characters:
Note: Other than Lizzy and Mr. Darcy, other roles may double, per the author’s suggestion. Contractually, The cast MUST be at least 50% female/female-identified, but roles are open to non-traditional casting. Actors of all ethnicities and gender identities are encouraged to audition.
LIZZY: A year or two younger than Jane. Clever, spirited; can be sharp-tongued. Gets flustered, which makes her klutzy. Prides herself on good judgment. Not especially beautiful. Very very scared of marriage, after absorbing the lessons of her parents’ marriage.
MR. DARCY: Male. Late 30s-40s. One of the richest men in England. Too proper for his own good; awkward in most social contexts. Prides himself on self-control and good judgment.
JANE: Late 20’s – Early 30s. The eldest and most beautiful Bennet daughter. Kind, idealistic, diffident. Always tries to do the right thing.
MISS DE BOUGH: Lady Catherine’s daughter; a gremlin. Probably allergic to the sun. Underneath all her veils, she may be covered in scales.
LYDIA: Late Teens. The youngest Bennet. Lively, prone to imitating others’ behavior and eavesdropping.
LADY CATHERINE: Patrician Caesar-meets-drill sergeant.
MR. COLLINS: A pedantic, obtuse man. The original mansplainer. Rector to Lady Catherine.
WICKHAM: An unfairly handsome and charming gentleman. Probably a sociopath. Raised with Darcy.
MISS BINGLEY: A very rich, very beautiful young woman. Fancies herself witty.
MARY: The third Bennet girl. Violent and dark undertones; prone to pedanticism and sulking. A dark goth Bronte character trapped in an Austen world. Coughs to get attention, or to make a point; may fancy that she is dying.
MR. BINGLEY: Late 30s-40s. Loves the world and the world loves him. Mr. Darcy’s particular
friend. Almost literally a dog.
CHARLOTTE LUCAS: Same age as Lizzy. A practical girl with a good sense of humor.
MR. BENNET: The patriarch of the Bennet family. Finds amusement in absurdity; often looks for respectable escape from the chaos of his family life. Can be somewhat apathetic; probably a bit depressed, under everything. Enjoys antagonizing. Disappointed in marriage.
MRS. BENNET: The Matriarch of the Bennet family. Mostly a silly woman, of mean understanding and variable temper. Hypochondriac; when she’s upset, she fancies that she’s dying. The business of her life is to get her daughters married. She traumatizes her family with some regularity.
For additional information, or to make an audition appointment, please visit www.FortSalem.com/auditions.