A FEW GOOD MEN Auditions Announced In Canton

The Village Theatre of Canton will host auditions for the Aaron Sorkin groundbreaking play, A Few Good MEN, on September 4th and 5th from 6:30pm - 9:30pm. The production is being produced by BTEP of Canton and will offer performances November 16th, 17th and 18th 2018.

Sorkin is probably best known for his work as a screenwriter. He has written for over 80 episodes of The West Wing and has written the screenplays for many feature films, including Charlie Wilson's War, Enemy of the State, Malice, Steve Jobs, The Social Network, Moneyball and recently wrote and directed Molly's Game. He is famous for his rapid-fire dialogue and informative detailed writing. Nevertheless, he began his career in the theatre. Born and raised in New York in the 1960s, Sorkin struggled to find work as an actor after graduating from Syracuse University. As the story goes, when a friend asked him to houses it for a few days, and he discovered a typewriter, he simply began writing. A Few Good MEN launched him to near-instant success. He wrote the screenplay for the movie only a few years later (it was released in 1992).

A Few Good MEN will be mounted as a live network play in 2019, therefore, the timing to produce this play locally is perfect.

This production is sponsored by Dev's Pharmacy of Canton, MI and will be presented in a black box studio setting. "I am ecstatic to be directing this play at such a wonderful venue." said Director John Sartor. "The story will be told as truthfully as written and my quest is to serve the playwright, free the actors and offer theatre patrons a collaborative thought provoking piece of theatre."

- Auditions will include cold readings from the script
-Non Equity
-A monologue similar to the Character auditioning for is not necessary/required but acceptable
-Actors need only be able to "play" the age indicated by the Author
-Picture and Resume preferred but not mandatory
-The Director/BTEP encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, ages as well as performers with disabilities to attend auditions.

Director: John Sartor
Assistant Director: Becky Turza Paul

Lighting Designer: Cappy Smith
Producer: Jeanne Marie Pruett

Character Descriptions

• LT. COL. NATHAN JESSEP (Marines) 40s +
Jesseps the youngest Colonel in the North American Command, he makes sure everyone knows how good he is at being in control. Often, he chooses to appear powerful rather than to make prudent, life- saving decisions. He has the utmost faith in his own authority as a Marine, and in the sanctity of the Marine Corps.
• LT COM. JOANNE GALLOWAY (Navy) 20s-30s

She's worked hard to come as far as she has. She talks her way into being assigned as a second lawyer so each defendant has one of their own. She is extremely intelligent, and sometimes gets into trouble for saying exactly what she thinks.

• L.T. J.G. DANIEL KAFFEE (Navy) - Mid to Late 20s

Young, inexperienced JAG Attorney, attended Harvard Law on

On a Navy scholarship. The son of a famous lawyer, Kaffee is afraid to try his best and not measure up. To escape this, he simply doesn't try. At the opening of the play, he is far more concerned about his office softball team than the cases he's working on. As he gets more involved in this case, his priorities start to change.

• L.T. J.G. SAM WEINBERG (Navy) - 20s-30s

Smart JAG Attorney, friend to Kaffee, and moral voice of the play. A good friend of Daniel Kaffee's. Sam is not as involved in the case as Kaffee or Galloway, but he works on it with them nevertheless.

• CAPT. Jack Ross (Marines) - 30s+
A lawyer assigned to prosecute Dawson and Downey. Emotionally uninvested in the case, he expects Kaffee to ask for a plea bargain. He sees his job as to save face for the military as much as possible - which entails punishing the accused just leniently enough that they won't talk about any breaches of protocol.

• DR. WALTER STONE (Navy) - 40s+
Career Navy Physician, who serves as an expert witness at trial.
• PFC. WILLIAM SANTIAGO (Marines) - Late teens
A young Marine whose death sets the story in motion.Although he dies before the action of the play begins, Santiago appears in a few flashbacks At one point, he wrote a letter offering to turn another soldier in for a minor breach in protocol in exchange for being transferred off the base.

• PFC. LOUDEN DOWNEY (Marines) - Late teen-early 20s
Accused of murdering Private William Santiago in conspiracy with Dawson. Downey usually follows Dawson's lead. He believes completely in the military ideals of honor and integrity, and that makes it hard for him to admit that any of his commanding officers have led him astray. No close family, not outgoing, answers to Squad Leader Dawson.
• LANCE CPL. HAROLD DAWSON (Marines) - Late 20s
Young Marine accused of murdering Santiago. Good leader.Dawson is slightly faster on his feet than Downey, and tends to make decisions for both of them. Dawson has the utmost respect for military protocol and honor. He was held back from promotion for not following Kendrick's orders.
• LT. JONATHAN KENDRICK (Marines) - Late 20s+
XO of Rifle Security Company Windward. Lives by the code "Unit, Corps, God, Country." Employs questionable disciplinary techniques.
• CAPT. MATTHEW MARKINSON (Marines) - 40s+
Older, but outranked by Jessup. Served 21 years in USMC and second-in-command at GITMO.A captain stationed on Guantanamo Bay, under Colonel Jessep who once worked with Dawson, Downey and Santiago. He suggested transferring Santiago off the base, but Jessep chose not to. Markinson has trouble with the fact that his C.O. is so much younger than he is.
• CAPT. ISAAC WHITAKER (Navy) - Late 40s+
Supervising JAG attorney with sharp wit.Whitaker is in charge of the military lawyers in Washington, D.C. He allows Joanne Galloway to work on the case even though Kaffee was the only lawyer officially assigned to it.
• JUDGE JULIUS RANDOLPH (Marines) - 40s+
Trial judge presiding over Court Martial; tough but fair.
• CPL. JEFFREY HOWARD (Marines) - Teen/Early 20s
Squad leader at GITMO, extremely likable, testifies at trial.
•Marines, Sailors, M.P's, Lawyers, etc.

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