Is He Dead?
Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
Type: Theater
AUDITION DATES: Sunday – Tuesday, July 22 through 24, at 7:00pm
AUDITION LOCATION: Conejo Players Theatre, 351 S. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91361
AUDITION REQUIREMENTS: Auditions will include Improv games and the reading of sides from the show. (NOTE: Sides will soon be posted online at conejoplayers.org)
REHEARSAL SCHEDULE: 7:30 -10:00pm, August 6 – September 13, 2018; Monday through Friday
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE: September 14 through October 6, 2018 — Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 8:00pm / Sunday at 2:00pm.
PLOT SUMMARY: Is He Dead? by the great humorist Mark Twain, adapted by David Ives, is a madcap boisterous comic farce. Jean-Francois Millet, a young painter of genius, is in love with Marie Leroux but in debt to a villainous picture-dealer, Bastien Andre. Andre forecloses on Millet, threatening debtor’s prison unless Marie marries him. Millet realizes that the only way he can pay his debts and keep Marie from marrying Andre is to die, as it is only dead painters who achieve fame and fortune. Millet fakes his death and prospers, all while passing himself off as his own sister, the Widow Tillou. Now a rich “widow,” he must find a way to get out of a dress, return to life, and marry Marie.
Agamemnon Buckner (Chicago) (Lead): Male, 20-35, a young American artist, crony of Millet; character man, great with physical comedy and timing.
Hans Von Bismarck (Dutchy) (Lead): Male, 20-35, pupil and fun-loving friend of Millet; German dialect; methodical, practical, character man, great with physical comedy and timing.
Marie Leroux (Supporting): Female, 20-30, Millet’s beautiful young sweetheart; free spirit and confident in her manner.
Cecile Leroux (Supporting): Female, 20-35, Marie’s older sister; in love with “Chicago”; jealous and suspicious of widow Tillou and Chicago’s relationship; disguises herself as an inspector to investigate the death of Millet.
Papa Leroux (Supporting): Male, 56-65, older father to Marie and Cecile; becomes foolishly enamored of Widow Tillou; agile and good at physical comedy.
Jean-Francois Millet (Lead): Male, 26-35, struggling free-spirited artist living in poverty; madly in love with Marie; fakes his death and takes on the persona of his fictional widow sister, Madame Daisy Tillou, as a cover; excellent comedian, great with physical comedy and timing.
Bastien Andre (Supporting): Male, 46-59, picture dealer and our villain trying to ruin Millet and the Leroux family threatening them with financial ruin; lusts after the Widow Tillou; weasel-like; an operator.
Madame Bathilde (Supporting): Female, 45-59, kindly older benefactress to Millet; busy body.
Madame Caron (Supporting): Female, 45-59, older benefactress to Millet; gossipy friend of Madame Bathilde.
Phelim O’Shaughnessy (Lead): Male, 26-35, pupil and mischievous boisterous friend of Millet; Irish dialect; character man, great with physical comedy and timing.
Younger Character Actor(s) to Play Four (4) Roles (Supporting): Male/Female, 20-39
(1) Basil Thorpe: Rich fussy english merchant, discriminating buyer of art; classic British dialect. (2) Claude Riviere: Reporter from “Le Figaro,” French dialect. (3) Charlie: A gorgeous flunkey; servant; actually Inspector Monnet in disguise. (4) The King of France.
Payment: Non Paid
City or Location of call: Thousand Oaks, CA
Please submit to: Open Call
This casting notice was posted by: Conejo Players Theatre
