Auditions for Crimes of the Heart
Hamilton County Theatre Guild’s The Belfry Theatre announces auditions for CRIMES OF THE HEART at Arts for Lawrence’s Theatre at the Fort. Directed by Jen Otterman.
AUDITION INFORMATION:
Date & Time:
Monday, March 13, 7:00 – 9:00PM
Tuesday, March 14, 7:00 – 9:00PM
Click here to download an Audition/Contact Form
Location:
Emmanuel United Methodist Church
16000 Cumberland Road
Noblesville, IN 46060
How to Prepare:
Those auditioning should be familiar with the script and prepared to read excerpts from the script. Plan to arrive early to fill out an audition form. Please bring a headshot if you have one and a theatrical resume. Additionally, bring your calendar and provide a complete list of conflicts through May 7.
The read-through will occur on March 15. Rehearsals will begin March 16 and run Monday through Thursday until the show opens on April 28.
PERFORMANCE DATES:
The show runs April 28 – May 7 at Arts for Lawrence’s Theatre at the Fort.
Show days are April 28, April 29 (matinee and evening show), April 30 (matinee), May 5, May 6 (matinee and evening show), and May 7 (matinee). Matinee curtain is 2PM and evening curtain is 8PM. Strike will occur after the matinee on May 7. A more detailed calendar will be available in February.
If you have any questions, please contact the director, Jen Otterman, at beachfairies@hotmail.com or producer Ka’Lena Cuevas at kalenacuevas@gmail.com
SHOW SYNOPSIS:
The scene is Hazlehurst, Mississippi, where the three MaGrath sisters have gathered to await news of the family patriarch, their grandfather, who is living out his last hours in the local hospital. Lenny, the oldest sister, is unmarried at thirty and facing diminishing marital prospects; Meg, the middle sister, who quickly outgrew Hazlehurst, is back after a failed singing career on the West Coast; while Babe, the youngest, is out on bail after having shot her husband in the stomach. Their troubles, grave and yet, somehow hilarious, are highlighted by their priggish cousin, Chick, and by the awkward young lawyer, Barnette, who tries to keep Babe out of jail while helpless not to fall in love with her. In the end, the play is the story of how its young characters escape the past to seize the future—but the telling is so true and touching and consistently hilarious that it will linger in the mind long after the curtain has descended.
ROLES TO BE CAST (All cited ages are suggestions)
LENORA (LENNY) MAGRATH
Lenny is around thirty-years-old. She is the oldest MaGrath sister. She is a thoughtful and responsible, yet frustrated and lonely. She takes care of her old and sick grandfather, Old Granddaddy. She sleeps on a cot in a kitchen to be close to her grandfather. Lenny does not have a stable relationship with her sisters. She is jealous of Meg for receiving extra care from her grandfather. Meg is always around men, but Lenny is lonely.
MARGARET (MEG) MAGRATH
Meg is the middle sister. She is twenty-seven years old. At age eleven, Meg discovered the dead body of her mother, who committed suicide after their father deserted the family. This traumatic experience changes Meg’s personality. She wants to test her strength by looking at offensive and unhealthy incidences. Looking at the photographs of sick people and crippled children block her feelings and suffering. She smokes, drinks, and flirts with danger. She has just returned home from her “singin career” in L.A. to help her sister.
REBECCA (BABE) BOTRELLE
Babe is the youngest among the MaGrath sisters. She is twenty-four years old. She is married to a wealthy lawyer named Zackery. The play’s inciting incident is that Babe has shot her husband. We learn that her loneliness from living with an emotionally abusive husband caused her to have an affair with a fifteen-year-old boy. She is forced to shoot her husband when he discovers their relationship.
CHICK BOYLE
Chick is the MaGrath sisters’ cousin. She is twenty-nine years old. She has yellow hair and shiny red lips. Chick is very concerned about her reputation in the community. When the news of Babe shooting her husband breaks, she worries about how she will keep her head up in the community. Chick is critical of the MaGrath family, using their mother’s suicide against them. Chick is especially critical of Meg, calling her a “low-class tramp.” She is a fast talkin’ Southern gossip monger.
BARNETTE LLOYD
Barnette is a lawyer who Babe hires to fight her case. He is twenty-six years old. He is a graduate of the Ole Miss Law school who opens his firm in Hazlehurst. He is a clever man who takes Babe’s case as a chance to get revenge against Babe’s husband for ruining his father. He is a Southern gentleman and is attracted to Babe.
DOC PORTER
He is Meg’s old boyfriend. He is thirty-years old. He gives the news to Lenny that her horse has been killed. He is still called by “Doc” even when his medical career died after he was seriously injured in a hurricane. His love for Meg makes him stay with Meg when other people go away from the place of the storm. For this reason, many people believe that Meg persuaded Doc to stay with her there. Doc starts his new life. He marries another woman and has two children as well. He remains close to the MaGrath family. When Meg comes back from California, they both start their friendship again. His closeness makes Meg happy.
