Auditions for “Crimes of the Heart”

Open auditions will be held for the Village Players’ production of Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley on the following dates:

• Sunday, August 28, 2022 at 3PM
• Tuesday, August 30, 2022 at 7PM
• Callbacks will be on Thursday, September 1^st at 7:00 pm on as needed basis by invitation only

Roles are open to all genders, races, and ethnic diversities. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script and are open to all experience levels. The show will be directed by Kevin N. Christian.

ALL ACTORS CAST MUST PROVIDE PROOF OF COVID VACCINATION!

AUDITION FORMS

Be sure to bring a completed Audition Form PDF to the auditions, or take a moment now to fill out our Online Audition Application »

PLEASE BRING ALL CONFLICTS BETWEEN THE TIME OF AUDITIONS AND THE OPENING OF THE SHOW. 

SHOW DATES are January (2023) 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28. All actors who are cast MUST be available for all show dates, as well as tech week (Sunday January 8^th through Wednesday January 11^th). 

SYNOPSIS

(Dramatic Comedy) 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 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.

CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS

• 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 lady. She takes care of her old and sick grandfather, Old Granddaddy.
• MARGARET (MEG) MAGRATH: Meg is the middle sister. She is twenty-seven years old. She smokes, drinks, and flirts with danger. At the start of the play, Meg comes back to her home after her singing career does not go well in Los Angeles. She faces a nervous breakdown in L.A. and admits to a psychiatric ward as well.
• REBECCA (BABE) BOTRELLE: Babe is the youngest among the Magrath sisters. She is twenty-four years old. She is married to a wealthy lawyer, naming Zackery. At the opening act of the play, the news of Babe shooting her husband comes.
• 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 comes, she worries that how will she keep her head up in the community.
• 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. He is a clever man. She takes Babe’s case as a chance to take personal revenge from Babe’s husband for ruining his father. He possesses a strong attraction 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.

All actors who are cast must be available for all show dates, as well as tech week (Sunday, January 8^th, 2023 through Wednesday, January 11^th, 2023). Showtimes are 8pm Fridays and Saturdays, and 2pm on Sundays. Cast call would be 1 hour prior to showtime. Show dates are listed below.

• Friday, January 13, 2023
• Saturday, January 14, 2023
• Sunday, January 15, 2023
• Friday, January 20, 2023
• Saturday, January 21, 2023
• Sunday, January 22, 2023
• Friday, January 27, 2023
• Saturday, January 28, 2023

Rehearsals are planned for September through January and will be subject to cast/crew availability.

Please bring a list of conflicts to the audition to allow for scheduling considerations.

CREW MEMBERS & NEWBIES

Audition nights are a perfect time to come out, meet the director, and express your interest in helping out backstage, be it in the role of a stage manager, lights & sound operator, concessions, or whatever else you might like to do. 

They’re also GREAT for first-timers to come out and observe how things are done, maybe express interest in being a helper, or read for a part! We almost always cast at least one person who’s never been on stage before. You never know what can happen!

Questions? Please contact director Kevin N. Christian at kevin@thevillageplayers.com.