MORGANTOWN — West Virginia Public Theatre (WVPT) announces, “Peter and the Starcatcher” and “A Hatful of Rain” as the theater company’s 2018 summer shows.
Jerry McGonigle, artistic director for WVPT, said the idea is to create theater that is engaging and entertaining for families as well as adults.
McGonigle said the two summer shows are very different.
“ ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ has a fantastic thing. It’s a play off the Peter Pan story that everybody knows,” he said. “ ‘A Hatful of Rain,’ [which was] written in the ’50s, but actually about a subject that we’re all confronting now with the opioid epidemic.”
“Peter and the Starcatcher” is a prequel to “Peter Pan,” while “A Hatful of Rain” is a redemptive family drama that confronts addiction, foster care and the difficulties of veterans returning from war.
“Peter and the Starcatcher” will run from June 1-10 while “A Hatful of Rain” will run from June 22-30.
Auditions will be held from 2-6 p.m. Saturday in Pittsburgh, Pa. and from 12-5 p.m. Sunday in
Morgantown.
Actors will be asked to bring a current resume and headshot to the audition. They will need to prepare a 1-2 minute contemporary comedic monologue and 32 bars of a song with sheet music. Actors may be asked to cold read from the script.
The Morgantown auditions will be in Room 426A at the WVU Creative Arts Center, 1 Fine Arts Drive.
Two Guest Artist, Tier III Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) contracts will be available for each show. WVPT will see AEA actors and non-professionals.
“Peter and the Starcatcher” will be for characters:
— Peter — Orphan, nameless, homeless, friendless, becomes a hero.
— Prentiss — Orphan, ambitious, hyper-articulate, logical, leader wannabe.
— Ted — Orphan, obsessed with food, an easy wit.
— Lord Leonard Aster — British subject, model Victorian gentleman, protector of the Earth.
— Molly Aster — British subject, leader, curious, intelligent, committed to doing right.
— Mrs. Bumbrake — British subject, Molly’s nanny, British to the bone.
— Captain Robert Falcon Scott — British subject, Captain of Britain’s fastest frigate, the Wasp.
— Grempkin — British subject, mean, malodorous schoolmaster.
— Bill Slank — Seafarer, vicious, greedy, incompetent captain of the Neverland.
— Alf — Seafarer, an old sea dog, kind at heart
— Mack — Seafarer, a very bad sailor.
— Black Stache — Seafarer, heartless, well read, theatrical, ferocious, big-bearded pirate.
— Smee — Seafarer, dedicated first mate to Black Stache.
— Sanchez — Seafarer, hardworking Spanish pirate with an identity crisis.
— Fighting Prawn — Native, Mollusk King, master chef, hates all Englishmen.
— Hawking Clam — Native, heir to the Mollusk throne.
— Teacher — Native, ancient, knowledgeable mermaid.
Double casting will be used. Everyone must be able to move well. Show will include climbing, rolling on the floor and “pirate” activities.
Auditions for “A Hatful of Rain” will be for characters:
— John Pope Sr. — Age range 50-65, Johnny and Polo’s estranged father.
— Johnny Pope — Age range 24-30, handsome, the first and “golden” child, naturally stoic but his war experience in Korea has left him deeply wounded.
— Celia Pope — Age range 24-30, emotional center of the play, a girl from the suburbs in a grim urban working-class environment, after 5 years of Johnny’s absence, she is at the breaking point.
— Mother — Male, age range 22-28, drug-pusher and addict, a stone-cold business man, charming, scary.
— Apples — Male, addict, Mother’s right-hand man.
— Chuch — Male, addict, Mother’s enforcer, big, intimidating, but decent and kind.
— Polo Pope — Age range 28-38, the black-sheep brother, sweet but tough.
— A Man — Addict, part of Mother’s entourage.
— Putski — Female, a rich addict from suburban Greenwich, Conn., young, naïve.
Schedule an audition at https://calendly.com/wvptauditions/local-auditions-1.
Video submissions accepted. Potential callbacks at a later date.
Info: 304-381-2382 or info@wvpublictheatre.org.
