Director John Boccanfuso seeks thirteen actors (eight men, five women) for Actors’ NET of Bucks County’s April/May production of George M. Cohan’s Seven Keys to Baldpate. All roles are open and unpaid. ALL AGES, BODY TYPES, ETHNICITIES, AND GENDER IDENTITIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO AUDITION!
Audition Dates
Saturday, January 11, 2020 – 1:00 to 4:00pm
Tuesday, January 14, 2020 – 7:00 to 9:00pm
No appointments required.
Audition Location
The Heritage Center, 635 North Delmorr Ave (Route 32), Morrisville, PA 19067
Performance Dates: April 24, 25, 26; May 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10
Synopsis
One of the most successful plays of the early 20th century, George M. Cohan created a new style of play which baffled and delighted audiences when Seven Keys to Baldpate opened in 1913: a melodrama crossed with a farce tied up in a mystery. The play tells the story of a novelist, William Magee, who locks himself away in a snowbound hotel for 24 hours in an effort to win a bet with the hotel’s owner that he cannot write an entire novel during his short stay. The owner assures Magee that he has the only key, but Magee will find out over the course of the night that there are several others, all in the possession of quirky, crazed characters involved in an increasingly bizarre scheme to steal millions.
Characters (in order of appearance)
Elijah Quimby – The caretaker of the Baldpate Inn; a simple man (may double)
Mrs. Quimby – Elijah’s wife; a simple woman (may double)
William Magee – A novelist; smart, suave; the stereotypical “leading man” type
John Bland – The right-hand man of a millionaire; a flunky
Mary Norton – A feisty newspaper reporter
Mrs. Rhodes – A charming widow set to marry the mayor
Peters – A hermit living near Baldpate; often confused for a ghost
Myra Thornhill – A ruthless beauty; a blackmailer
Lou Max – The mayor’s “guy Friday;” a gangster
Jim Cargan – The mayor; a corrupt politician
Thomas Hayden – President of a rail company; a millionaire
Jiggs Kennedy – Chief of Police; a crooked cop
The Owner of the Baldpate Inn – Magee’s friend
Each of the characters is a play on particular melodramatic stock types.
Readings will be given from the script at the audition. Bring a resume and headshot, if you have them. Be prepare to list ALL CONFLICTS between January 20 and May 10.
Videos
