Easthampton Theater Company is excited to announce auditions for Enchanted April by Matthew Barber, based on the book by Elizabeth von Arnim. We are seeking eight talented and dedicated actors of a wide range of ages. All roles are available; none are pre-cast. We strongly encourage actors of all races, ethnicities, and gender identities to audition. Matthew Barber’s Enchanted April, based on Elizabeth Von Arnim’s beloved novel of the 1920s, is a gentle and beautiful story of the importance of platonic relationships, friendships among women, self-care, and rediscovering who you are when life has caused you to lose yourself. The original 2003 Broadway production was nominated for two Tony awards and won Outer Critics Circle and Drama League awards.
Synopsis
Enchanted April is a heartwarming, character-driven play set in 1920s England and Italy, following four very different women who escape their dreary lives and unfulfilling relationships by renting a castle on the Italian Riviera for the month of April. As they navigate clashing personalities, unexpected friendships, and personal awakenings, the women—and the men in their lives—are transformed by the beauty, freedom, and magic of their surroundings. With rich roles offering emotional depth, humor, and growth, Enchanted April is a rare ensemble piece that gives each actor the chance to shine in a story full of charm, change, and hope.
The show is directed by Gilana Chelimsky and produced by Michael O. Budnick and Deb Jacobson.
We are conducting auditions by appointment only for the following roles (note: all ages listed are playing ages)
Lotty Wilton (mid-30s to early 40s) – a middle-class housewife who has withdrawn into herself over the course of her marriage, but chafes like a caged bird. She is candid, sincere, and guileless, so much so that it both intrigues, charms and annoys. It’s her yearning for a respite from her dreary life that propels her toward the enchanted April where she blossoms into the confident, strong, desirable woman hidden beneath.
Rose Arnott (late 30s to mid-40s) – a rigid, reserved and melancholy woman constrained by restrictions and duties. She and her husband have grown apart since a devastating personal tragedy four years earlier. She longs for redemption, to reunite with her husband, who she loves deeply, and to find some solace in the life that is before her.
Mrs. Graves (60s to 70s) – a forthright and solid, aristocratic woman ensconced in a world of dark dusty old things who is on the verge of being a “dusty old thing” herself. She does not “suffer fools gladly” and is intolerant of impertinence, idiocy and youth, and pines for a place she can sit and remember…or perhaps, forget.
Lady Caroline Bramble (mid-20s to 30) – a ravishing, yet melancholy beauty who has chosen to deaden her despondency and confusion with liquor and men, and only the liquor works. In WWI, she saw the horrors of war. She is now unsatisfied with her station, her life, her parents, her…everything, and aches for a place where she can ponder the existential questions facing her.
Mellersh Wilton (mid-30s to mid-40s) – Lotty’s husband, a family solicitor who’s forgotten his own creativity and passion in favor of looking important. He is so caught up in projecting the right image that he didn’t notice his wife disappearing within it.
Frederick Arnott (40 to 50) – Rose’s husband, a successful author who threw himself into a wildly successful, if unfulfilling, career. He longs to reconnect with his wife, but is settling instead for the wild parties and wilder company she abhors.
Antony Wilding (mid-20s to mid 30s) – owner of the magical Italian castle and a handsome young artist. His longing for family he lost draws him to connect with the women who’ve rented his home.
Costanza (50s to 60s) – the housekeeper at the Italian castle, she is funny and loving with limited patience for snootiness. NOTE: This character speaks almost exclusively in Italian, so a performer fluent in Italian or convincingly familiar with Italian language and pronunciation strongly preferred.
Please note: all characters but Costanza will have a British accent.
Performances will be held at the Williston Theater in Easthampton and are scheduled for the weekends of March 14-22. The readthrough will take place in early December, with two to three workshopping sessions over the following week. Rehearsals will start in earnest at the beginning of January. Rehearsals will be in Southampton on Sundays from 1 pm to 4 pm and on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm. All actors will not be called for every rehearsal. However, all actors are required to be available every day during production week, which will start on March 7th.
Auditions will take place on Monday, November 10, and Wednesday, November 12, and will be by appointment only. If you would like to schedule an audition, please sign up for ONE only on our signup genius page linked here. (https://tinyurl.com/EnchantedAuditionSignup) AND fill out our audition form HERE (https://forms.gle/1d5d9Q7HVWq3zf7F7) You MUST sign up for a slot AND fill out the audition Google form to be booked for an audition. If you would like more information, or have any questions/concerns, please contact the production team at info@easthamptontheater.com. Please be prepared to provide a list of schedule conflicts at the audition.
For auditions, please choose and prepare a short contemporary monologue (no more than 2-5 minutes). Your monologue should ideally show us both your dramatic skills and comedic timing. You will be asked to perform your monologue, after which you may be given some direction and asked to perform it again. You do not have to have the monologue fully memorized, but the better you know it, the more prepared and engaged you will be and the more we will be able to evaluate your acting skills.
Callbacks will be Wednesday, November 19th from 6 pm-10 pm in Easthampton. If you receive a callback, sides will be provided ahead of time. If called back, please be prepared to stay the entire time, although you may not be needed the entire time. If you are not called back, that does not necessarily mean that you are not still being considered for a part.
Easthampton Theater Company seeks volunteers! No community-based theater exists without the much appreciated work of theater lovers who are willing to provide their time and expertise. If you are interested in any aspect of theater production for Enchanted April, or future productions, such as tech, set design or building, ushering, marketing, or board membership, and you have time and skills to offer, please contact us at info@easthamptontheater.com