Auditions for Tony Award winner The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time May 6 at Pentacle Theatre
What: Open auditions for the 2015 Tony Award winner for best play, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Simon Stephens based on the novel by Mark Haddon. Directed at Pentacle Theatre by Debbie Neel.
When: 1 p.m.–5 p.m., Saturday, May 6.
Where: Pentacle Theatre, 324 52nd Avenue NW, off Highway 22 about 6 miles west of downtown Salem.
Things to know:
- Lobby doors open at 12:30 p.m. Open auditions for all roles begin promptly at 1 p.m. Please plan to stay through 5 p.m.
- Plan to arrive early to fill out an audition form. We encourage you to download the fillable form complete it in advance. Please write clearly, especially your contact information. Headshots and resumes are not required, but always appreciated.
- Bring your calendar and provide a complete list of your conflicts from May 8–Sept. 2. If you have a conflict on the audition date, please contact the director, below.
- All actors will audition by reading selected scenes from the script. Please come dressed to move and wear comfortable shoes.
- Pentacle Theatre affirms, promotes and celebrates the participation of all, without regard to race, color, sex, ability, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion or socioeconomic status.
Callbacks: Sunday, May 7, if needed.
Rehearsals:
- The first readthrough rehearsal will be Monday, May 8. The balance of rehearsals will be announced at the readthrough.
- Rehearsals are generally, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, at the Pentacle Theatre rehearsal studio, 197 Liberty St. S. in downtown Salem.
- The director will set weekend rehearsals and work sessions as needed. Please keep this in mind when providing your list of conflicts.
- Rehearsals will be scheduled to make the best use of everyone’s time, especially for actors in school. Only actors needed for scheduled scenes will be required at rehearsals and we’ll release actors as early as possible. As we get closer to opening night, we’ll need everyone at rehearsals so we can run the whole show.
- Cast members may be required to make special appearances for marketing purposes in the weeks before the show opens.
- If you have questions about rehearsals, please contact the director.
Show dates: Friday, Aug. 11 – Saturday, Sept. 2.
The story: Fifteen-year-old Christopher has an extraordinary brain: He is exceptional at mathematics but ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. He has never ventured alone beyond the end of his road, he detests being touched, and he distrusts strangers. Now it is seven minutes after midnight and Christopher stands beside his neighbor’s dead dog, Wellington, who has been speared with a garden fork. Finding himself under suspicion, Christopher is determined to solve the mystery of who murdered Wellington and he carefully records each fact of the crime. But his detective work, forbidden by his father, takes him on a thrilling journey that upturns his world.
Winner of the 2015 Tony Award for Best Play and many other honors.
— Sources: Dramatists Play Service and Wikipedia
The characters: Casting an ensemble of 10 actors able to play the following roles in a story that is rich, deep, inspirational, funny, and moving. There are challenging roles for all actors. The ensemble is an integral part of this unique presentation.
- Christopher Boone — male, mid to late teens to early 20s — A 15-year-old boy with autism. He is brilliantly gifted at math but has great difficulty with social interaction. He is very literal and he notices everything. Christopher finds people confusing because he has trouble reading body language and facial expressions. He hates being touched.
- Siobhan — female, mid 20s to mid-30s —. Christopher’s teacher. She is kind, patient, and honest. Christopher trusts her. Siobhan is sometimes the narrator, sometimes the teacher and at other times she becomes Christopher’s inner voice.
- Ed Boone — male, 35-55 — Christopher’s father. He’s rather rough around the edges but has a lot of patience dealing with Christopher. Ed is often frustrated and does lose his temper on occasion. He loves Christopher and always wants what is best for him.
- Judy Boone — female, 35-55 — Christopher’s mother. She loves her son but is unable to cope with his challenging behaviors. She is impatient, lacks confidence, but is feisty and a hard worker.
Ensemble: The following roles require versatile actors able to play a variety of characters:
- Voice 1 — female, late 30s-50s — Plays Mrs. Shears, Mrs. Gascoyne, Woman on Train, Shopkeeper.
- Voice 2 — male, 40s-50s — Plays Roger Shears, Duty Sergeant, Mr. Wise, Man Behind Counter, Drunk One.
- Voice 3 — male, 20s – 40s — Plays Policeman, Mr. Thompson, Drunk Two, Man with Socks, London Policeman.
- Voice 4 — male, 50s-60s — Plays Reverend Peters, Uncle Terry, Station Policeman, Station Guard.
- Voice 5 — female, 20s-30s — Plays No. 40, Lady in the Street, Information, Punk Girl.
- Voice 6 — female, 50s-late 60s — Plays Mrs. Alexander, Posh Woman.
Suitability: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is suitable for mature middle-schoolers and older who are able to handle a story that includes death, abuse, betrayed trust, braving the unknown, references to sexuality and some explicit language.
Information: If you have questions or a conflict on the audition date, please contact director Debbie Neel at 503-991-1479 or [email protected].
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