Majestic Readers’ Theatre presents
Mister Roberts
By Thomas Heggen and Joshua Logan
Directed by Michael Wren
Open Auditions: October 8-9
Rehearsal Timeframe: October-November
Evening Performances (7:30pm): November 17
Matinee Performances (2:30pm): November 16
Content Label: Parental Guidance (PG) - Suggestive humor, mild profanity
The Majestic Theatre (a division of the City of Corvallis Parks and Recreation department) is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and to creating a safe place for actors of all backgrounds to explore their craft. We are particularly eager to work with artists of color and other artists from marginalized communities. All auditions are free and open to the public. This audition is for an amateur, volunteer production. The Majestic Theatre staff and volunteers do not discriminate on the basis of age, national origin, race, gender, ethnic background, ability, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or any protected class.
These auditions for a (scripts-in-hand) Readers’ Theatre production will be held in person at the Majestic Theatre.
SHOW SYNOPSIS
This hilarious but realistic saga of a group of American sailors aboard a Navy cargo vessel in the Pacific shows the crew suffering from the deadly boredom that is part of the routine of war. To their constant irritation, their Captain is a cantankerous, small-minded man, and every one of them conspires against him as the ship pursues its routine runs from Apathy to Tedium and back again. Mister Roberts, a decent and well-liked lieutenant, shares the crew’s dislike for the Skipper, but he joined the war effort to fight, and he hates being inactive almost as much as he hates the Captain. Privy to the crew’s hijinks against the Skipper, Roberts still feels it’s his duty to retain some discipline. After winning many ingenious battles against the Skipper, Roberts at last wins himself a transfer to combat duty – a transfer that ultimately costs him his life on a destroyer off Japan.
FROM THE DIRECTOR Michael Wren
In honor of Veteran’s Day, we decided to do a play about servicemen (and women). I picked Mr. Roberts because it explores the personalities of the men who were in the Navy and the reasons why they behaved as they did. There are lots of laughs and dramatic moments. These are characters that you can sink your teeth in.
PREPARATION NOTES
Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. You do NOT need to prepare a monologue or piece.
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
All characters do not have a specific race or ethnic background; we're excited to see a diverse pool of actors audition for all roles. Ages listed are the approximate ages of the characters themselves. We invite actors of any age to audition for any role.
Most of the roles in this play are male-presenting, but the director will consider actors of any gender identity for roles with the understanding that all male-presenting characters will present as male with he/him pronouns regardless of actor gender.
Douglas Roberts
Character Age: 30 - 40
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Male-presenting.
First Lieutenant of the U.S.S. Reluctant. A born leader, he is perceptive and idealistic. Desiring battle action, he has nevertheless been assigned to a supply ship. He is worshiped by the crew and most of the officers, but hated by the captain.
Captain Morton
Character Age: 40 - 60
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Male-presenting.
The skipper of the Reluctant. He is officious, childish and unreasonable. He is hated by the crew, and he hates Mr. Roberts and is envious of his superior intelligence and ability.
Ensign Keith
Character Age:25-30
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Male-presenting.
A former college boy and recently commissioned Bostonian who learns quickly the comparative unimportance of Navy Rules and regulations.
David Bookster
Character Age: 20-40
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Male-presenting.
A seaman, the spiritual type who manages to get himself a beautiful woman while on shore leave, to the amazement of his shipmates.
Ensign Pulver
Character Age: 25-40
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Male-presenting.
A healthy young officer who hates Captain Morton and delights in plotting against him.
Doc
Character Age: 40 - 60
Character Race: Any,
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Male-presenting.
The ship’s doctor, a plump, contradictory, unpredictable little man.
Frank Thompson
Character Age: 20-30
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Male-presenting.
A radio man whose baby dies and vainly seeks permission to fly home for the funeral.
Chief Dowdy
Character Age: 30 - 60
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Male-presenting.
A close friend of Mr. Roberts.
Red Stevens
Character Age: 40 - 60
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Male-presenting.
A recently married seaman who nearly kills another seaman when he cruelly ribs him about his wife’s hypothetical infidelities during his absence.
Miss Williamson and Miss Girard
Character Age: 20-30
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity: Any
Desired Actor Gender: Female-presenting.
Navy nurses.
Comments