FALL SHOW AUDITIONS
Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring,
directed by Becca Coolong,
will have its auditions on June 21 and 22, starting at 7PM.
Please use this online audition form if you plan to attend auditions.
Each auditioner must submit the completed application, a headshot or photo,
and their theatre resume if they have one.
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS (8 M, 3 F, 3 either)
- ABBY BREWSTER (Female presenting, 50-70) — An elderly woman seen as sweet and polite, she is
the sister of Martha and an aunt to Teddy, Jonathan, and Mortimer. While Abby and Martha seem to have
the airs of old-fashioned society women, they poison elderly men who come to their
home seeking lodging. Abby is the more dominant of the pair and considers herself a good Christian, despite her dark deeds.
- MARTHA BREWSTER (Female presenting 50-70) — Abby’s sister Martha is the more submissive of the pair,
but still a woman of her own with a wicked sense of humor. She, too, is ruled by her Christian sensibility;
however, she is never struck by the irony of their murderous actions. She believes wholeheartedly that
she and her sister are helping these men find peace.
- MORTIMER BREWSTER (Male presenting, late 20s-30s) — The youngest brother of Teddy and Jonathan, Mortimer
is considered the only “sane” person in the family. Classically chivalrous and equally as foolish, Mortimer
would do anything to protect his aunts from the murderer in their home.
- ELAINE HARPER (Female presenting, 20s) — The minister’s daughter, Elaine is young, sharp, and a little
bit sassy, displaying surprising wisdom throughout the play. The love interest of Mortimer and the daughter of the local minister.
- TEDDY BREWSTER (Male presenting, late 30s-mid 40s) — Teddy is the brother of Jonathan and Mortimer,
and lives with his aunts, Abby and Martha. A blissfully deluded man, he believes he is Theodore Roosevelt.
- JONATHAN BREWSTER (Male presenting, early 40s) — Jonathan is, quite simply, a sociopath.
Bent on turning the Brewster home into a plastic surgery clinic to change the faces of criminals, Jonathan
exhibits a classic lack of empathy and a white-hot temper. Jonathan strongly resembles Boris Karloff.
- DR. EINSTEIN (Male presenting, 40-60) — A German plastic surgeon, Dr. Einstein is Jonathan’s alcoholic
doctor who has given Jonathan three face lifts to help him evade crime. While generally submissive to Jonathan,
Dr. Einstein still knows how to manipulate Jonathan to get his way.
- OFFICER O’HARA (Male/Female, 20-60) — A kind and good-natured police officer, O’Hara has a passion for
playwriting and pesters Mortimer to read their play. O’Hara is incredibly persistent, but never means to be.
- THE REV. DR. HARPER (Male presenting, 50-70) — Dr. Harper is a refined gentleman, a minister, and
neighbor to the Brewster sisters. He displays a clear fondness for Abby and Martha but is not so approving
of their nephew Mortimer trying to date his daughter, Elaine.
- OFFICER BROPHY (Male/Female, any age) — Pleasant neighborhood police officer who is doing the rounds
collecting toys for children.
- OFFICER KLEIN (Male/Female, any age) — Officer Brophy’s police partner, Klein is also a kindly officer
who has gotten to know the Brewster sisters.
- LIEUTENANT ROONEY (Male presenting, 50-60) — The head of the local precinct, Lt. Rooney is a commanding man
with a short temper. He is large and in-charge, unafraid to speak up and control any situation at hand.
- MR. WITHERSPOON (Male, 50-70) — Mr. Witherspoon is the mild-mannered superintendent of Happy Dale Sanitarium.
- MR. GIBBS (Male, 60s) — A gruff older man who comes to the Brewster home in search of lodging,
who narrowly escapes getting poisoned by the sisters.