Auditions for Waterworks Players’ production of Tennessee Williams Cat on a Hot Tin Roof March 3 and 4 at 7 PM at the Waterworks Players Theatre, 25 SMI Way, Farmville, VA 23901.
The production runs April 19, 20, 21, 26, and 27 2024.
All ethnicities and races are encouraged to attend.
Seeking:
- BIG DADDY (50s to mid-60s) – is the center of attention in the Pollitt family, not only because he holds the position of patriarch but because he is dying, and his property is up for grabs. Big Daddy has risen from the position of plantation overseer to the owner of the plantation.
- BRICK (Mid to late 20s to early 30s) Brick embodies an almost archetypal masculinity.
- MAGGIE “the Cat” (Mid 20s to early 30s) – Maggie is a southern woman who comes from a humble family and sees a slim but promising hope of getting “something out of what Big Daddy leaves.”
- BIG MAMA (50s – 60s) – Family matriarch who tries to keep peace; tolerant; easily rattled; a bit earthy at times. Mother of Brick and Gooper.
- GOOPER (mid – late 30s) – Brick’s older brother, first-born son of Big Daddy, a corporate lawyer, resentful of Big Daddy’s clear preference for Brick.
- MAE (late 20s – late 30s) – Society-type married to Gooper, pregnant with their sixth child; conniving to secure Gooper’s control of the family wealth once Big Daddy dies.
- REVEREND TOOKER (mid 40s – 60s) – Local preacher looking to get his hands deeper into Big Daddy’s pockets.
- DOCTOR BAUGH (40s – 60s) – Trusted family physician. A bit of a blowhard.
- LACEY (30s – 60s) – Handyman
- SOOKEY (30s – 60s) – Maid
- 3 Male and 2 Female children (ages 5 – 11) – The two females have a few lines, but all will play, sing, and cause commotion. Limited number of rehearsals required.
Adults should prepare a one-minute contemporary, dramatic monologue. The monologue doesn’t have to be in an American Southern accent, but they will be asked about their facility with a Southern accent. The piece may be memorized but it also may be read.
Children should be able to show comfort on the stage. They should sing a song (as simple as Happy Birthday). If possible, but not required, they can also recite a monologue.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
In a plantation house, a family celebrates the 65th birthday of Big Daddy, as they sentimentally dub him. The mood is somber, despite the festivities, because several evils poison the gaiety. Greed, sins of the past, and desperate, clawing hopes for the future spar with one another as the knowledge that Big Daddy is dying slowly makes the rounds. Intrusive, conniving relatives plot to disrupt the event, eager to see daughter-in-law Maggie put in her place and her husband, Brick, tumbled from his position of most-beloved son. How will the evening end as tensions build? Will Brick speak candidly with his father before it’s too late? Can Maggie’s ingenuity, fortitude and passion set things right?
