IS HE DEAD? - ActorsNET Non Equity Auditions

ACTORSNET HOLDS AUDITIONS FOR SEASON OPENER –MARK TWAIN’S IS HE DEAD? ADAPTED BY DAVID IVES

ActorsNET will hold open auditions on August 9th and 11th for the Mark Twain comedy Is He Dead?, to be performed weekends September 28th – October 14th at The Heritage Center Theatre in Morrisville, Pennsylvania. Joe Doyle, the company’s Co-Founder and General Manager will direct this madcap long-lost script which was adapted in 2008 by playwright David Ives.

If unable to attend auditions, actors whose work is well-known to the director may contact him directly to express interest and availability. Cast callbacks, if needed, will be held the following week by appointment with the director. Rehearsals begin mid-month.

“Is He Dead? Is a zany farce written by Twain in 1898 but never produced in his lifetime due to legal entanglements. His fictitious story about living famous painter Jean-Francois Millet prompted the painter to sue. Rather than be tied up in the lawsuit, Twain filed the play among other manuscripts, where it remained among his papers until they were discovered by scholar Shelley Fisher Fishkin in archives at the University of California at Berekley. She had it published in book form in 2003. Ives was secured to adapt the play and it premiered on Broadway in 2007.

“Mark Twain’s wit abounds in this riotous story about Millet,” Doyle observed, “in which he imagines the world-renowned painter as a starving artist who at the urging of his “posse” of friends fakes his own death to ensure his paintings will rise in value. Twain then has Millet return to enjoy his newfound fame and wealth by pretending to be his own twin sister! From there, our story takes off into a tangled comedic web that features cross-dressing, intrigue, wordplay and ribald hilarity.”

Auditions will be held Thursday Aug. 9th from 7 – 10 p.m. and Saturday Aug. 11th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Heritage Center Theatre, 635 North Delmorr Avenue (Route 32), Morrisville, PA – across from the Calhoun Street Bridge. All roles are open. No prepared monologues are necessary. All auditioners will read from the script. The theatre will open a half hour before auditions to allow actors a chance to peruse the material.

Set in Paris during the mid-19th century, the Is He Dead? cast requires a minimum of 7 males and 4 females, with some doubling possible. French characters do not speak in French accents.

Characters and age range include:

• Jean-Francois Millet (Lead) – 30s to mid-40s; the deeply in debt artist fakes his own death and returns as his own twin sister, Daisy Tillou. Must be high energy, fearless and able to look convincing in drag.
• Marie Leroux (Principal) –20s to 30s; in love with Millet; trusting, sweet and devoted.
• Cecile Leroux (Principal) – 20s to 30s; Marie’s sister, in love with one of Millet’s friends; disguises herself as a male police inspector to investigate whether her boyfriend is cheating on her.
• Papa Leroux (Principal) – 50s to 60s; The artist’s friend and Marie and Cecile’s father; sadly in debt to villainous Bastien Andre.
• Bastien Andre (Principal) – Late 30s to 50s; a ruthless moneylender who holds the debts of Millet and Papa Leroux; he threatens to bankrupt them both unless Marie marries him … until he falls in love with Millet who is disguised as Daisy.
• Agamemnon Buckner (“Chicago”) (Principal) – Mid-20s to mid-30s; Millet’s American best friend, devoted student; a clownish prankster in love with Cecile.
• Hans von Bismarck “Dutchy”) (Principal) – Mid-20s to mid-30s; Millet’s devoted German friend and student (speaks in German accent spelled out in script); comedic character who is addicted to eating stinky cheese!
• Phelim O’Shaghnessy (Principal) – Mid 20s to mid-30s; Millet’s devoted Irish friend and student; boisterous with Irish accent.
• Madame Caron (Supporting) – 40s to 50s; Millet’s friend and neighbor; sassy and funny; attracted to Papa Leroux.
• Madame Bathilde (Supporting) – 40s to 50s; also Millet’s friend and neighbor; best friend to Madam Caron.
• Charlie, Millet’s handsome flunky (Supporting) – Age, flexible; serves as Millet’s aide and butler, who later reveals himself as a French Police Inspector.
• Basil Thorpe (Supporting) – Age, flexible; a rich English merchant who thinks he is knowledgeable about art but isn’t!
• Claude Riviere (Supporting) –Age, flexible; an eager French newspaper reporter.
• Sultan of Turkey (Cameo) – 30s and up.
• King of France (Cameo) – 30s and up.
• Emperor of Russia (Cameo) – 30s and up.
• “Please note although the roles are non-paying, ActorsNET enjoys a reputation for producing quality performances amid a friendly and comfortable atmosphere,” Doyle said. “This show is bound to be a hoot both in rehearsal and performances. We intend to pull out all the stops for the manic action to explode onstage.”