THE LADY’S NOT FOR BURNING Submission - Parenthesis Auditions

SHOWCASE

THE LADY’S NOT FOR BURNING – Photo / Resume Request

Parenthesis (NYC) Equity Showcase, approval pending

Producer: Anna Olivia Moore
Writer: Christopher Fry

Director: Bryan Close

Casting Director: Anne Teutschel

Rehearsals: April 20 – May 20. Performs: May 21 - June 11

NYC auditions will be held on an upcoming date TBD by appointment only.

For consideration, email picture and resume to:
theladysnotforburning@gmail.com

SYNOPSIS: Christopher Fry's scorching poetic comedy offers a rousing debate on the merits of life and death, set against the backdrop of a stuffy medieval town. A charismatic soldier bursts through the mayor's window demanding to be hanged. A sensual woman, condemned as a witch, flees a homicidal mob threatening bloody revolution. A beautiful virgin has the towns’ young men trying to kill each other. And the suppressive mayor wants nothing more than to be fully occupied elsewhere. All in all, it’s been a rough day for these righteous town-folk, as it’s the eve of both a wedding and a witch burning…. and, just possibly, the end of the world.

Please note: All actors must be comfortable and skilled speaking in verse.

We will NOT be using British dialects.

CURRENTLY SEEKING: (All ethnicities are encouraged to submit)

Thomas Mendip:

(mid-late 30s) Having returned from war disgusted with humanity, Thomas is determined to see himself hanged. He is at once a poet, philosopher, soldier, anarchist, clown, crusader, egomaniac and, ultimately, lover. Charismatic and unpredictable, Thomas has a world-class wit and a reservoir of contempt for misused authority. His suicidal aspirations and misanthropic worldview are put to the test by “the unholy man-trap of love.” Tour de force comic role for an actor with soul and panache who is skilled with classical text.

Hebble Tyson:

(mid 40s-mid 50s) Allergy-plagued mayor of a propriety-obsessed 15th Century English town. The comic embodiment of ineffectual middle-management officiousness. If he had his way, a spring day would have to fill out a notarized form before dawn could break. Susceptible to temptations of the flesh.

Richard:

(early-mid 20s) Tyson's unassuming, orphan clerk. Much more goodness than confidence, with more courage and moral fiber than anyone else from this town (Thomas, Jennet and Alizon are outsiders). When it turns out that the pretty ingénue loves him, it surprises Richard a lot more than it does us.

Alizon Eliot:

(early 20s) The pretty ingénue herself, straight from the convent. Open, innocent and lovely, with surprising wisdom and strength. Humphrey and Nicholas fight over her, but Alizon ends up making a different choice.

Humphrey Devize:

(late 20s-early 30s) Nephew to Tyson, engaged to Alizon. Unpleasantly ambitious and secretly lustful. A member of the town council, petty and pompous in all his dealings. Resentful of his little brother, Nicholas.

Nicholas Devize:

(early-mid 20s) A spoiled rich kid. Intense in his passion for just about everything – especially anything of Humphrey’s. Burning inner fire that drives him to outlandish behavior and over-the-top imagery. Impossible not to like, even when he is behaving badly – which is most of the time.

Margaret Devize:

(mid 40s-mid 50s) Tyson's sister, the first lady and leading society figure of the town. Mother of Humphrey and Nicholas. Very invested in keeping up appearances – her constant struggle. In an effort to avoid acknowledging unpleasant realities, she has cultivated a somewhat vacuous – though very witty – air of detachment.

Edward Tappercoom:

(mid 40s-early 60s) The town justice. A big, grizzled, ornery old badass. Handles his liquor and his platitudes well. Equally capable of torturing an innocent man and of performing an unexpected good deed. He's seen it all, and none of it much fazes him. A very large presence.

The Chaplain:

(40-60 years old) Sweet, ineffectual, over-educated nincompoop. Like the rest of the townsfolk, the Chaplain is complicit in very bad things, but even so,
he is too sweet – and too hilarious – not to like. Actor will also play...Matthew Skipps - The town's"rag and bone man," a harmless old fool, roaring drunk and mangling scripture (and the only character in the play who speaks prose). Actor must be capable of creating two very distinct comic personas.

The role of Jennet Jourdemaine has been CAST