Auditions for A Sherlock Holmes Showcase
Elmwood Playhouse in Nyack, NY is holding auditions for the cast of A SHERLOCK HOLMES SHOWCASE, an evening of classic Sir Arthur Conan Doyle adventures that have been adapted for the stage by Tal Aviezer and directed by Margaret Young.
AUDITIONS: Monday, April 10 at 7:00pm and Tuesday, April 11 at 7:00pm
CALLBACKS: Thursday, April 13 at 7:00pm (by invitation only)
PERFORMANCES: Friday, July 14 thru Saturday, August 5 (Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays with possible Wednesday and Thursdays)
SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Elmwood Playhouse needs to solve the clues for a cast of seven versatile actors who will each play two roles in an evening of classic Sir Arthur Conan Doyle adventures adapted by Tal Aviezer. NOTE: The actors playing Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in Act 1 will switch roles for Act 2.
CAST REQUIREMENTS: (2 Women, 5 Men – each will play two roles.)
Casting breakdown:
WOMAN 1 – 30s to 50.
Woman 1 plays ELSIE CUBITT in Act 1, “Dancing Men.” Elsie is an American from Chicago. The troubled wife of Hilton Cubitt, she is haunted by her past and increasingly panicked about cryptic messages that keep appearing in her new home at Ridling Thorpe Manor.
Woman 1 plays MRS. HUDSON in Act 2, “Dying Detective.” Mrs. Hudson is the good natured, humorous but long-suffering landlady for Sherlock Holmes. She knows Holmes’s eccentricities and likes him enormously, but she is fearful that he has gone too far in his latest case.
WOMAN 2 – late 20s to 30s.
Woman 2 plays SAUNDERS in Act 1, “Dancing Men.” The housemaid at Ridling Thorpe Manor, Saunders is loyal but frightened by her employer Elsie Cubitt’s growing anxiety. She discovers a murder, then helps Sherlock Holmes in his discovery of the truth.
Woman 2 plays ADELAIDE SAVAGE in Act 2, “Dying Detective.” Adelaide is a loyal and loving wife to Victor Savage, but she is worried about his drug addiction and the malicious influence of his cousin Culverton Smith. She fights for her family after her husband’s murder.
MAN 1 – 30s to 40s.
Man 1 plays SHERLOCK HOLMES in Act 1, “Dancing Men.” The classic British detective is witty and aloof, has great charisma and charm even while showing us his brilliant mind and keen observations. A bit of Doctor Who mixed with Philip Marlowe.
Man 1 plays DR. JOHN WATSON in Act 2, “Dying Detective.” A sympathetic observer who knows and accepts Holmes’s brilliance and sometimes bad behavior. Watson is the calm balance to Holmes’s erratic brilliance and his downfalls, and also knows himself as a capable physician with his own abilities.
MAN 2 – 30s to 50.
Man 2 plays DR. JOHN WATSON in Act 1, “Dancing Men.” See Man 1.
Man 2 plays SHERLOCK HOLMES in Act 2, “Dying Detective.” See Man 1.
MAN 3 – 30s to 50.
Man 3 plays HILTON CUBITT in Act 1, “Dancing Men.” A headstrong husband to Elsie. Although he promises to keep a promise to her, the strange symbols that frighten her makes him desperate to protect her, with deadly consequences.
Man 3 plays CULVERTON SMITH in Act 2, “Dying Detective.” Culverton is a schemer, a man who has been passed over for recognition and wants revenge. He is determined to eliminate Sherlock, gain his cousin Victor Savage’s property and drive Adelaide out of her home.
MAN 4 – 30s to 40.
Man 4 plays ABE SLANE in Act 1, “Dancing Men.” Abe is obsessed with Elsie Cubitt since they were engaged in America and she fled to Europe. It is hinted that he has ties to the mob and is described as “one of the most dangerous men in Chicago.” He is determined to get her back, even by force.
Man 4 plays VICTOR SAVAGE in Act 2, “Dying Detective.” Victor is a dreamer who works as a banker but has an ambition to be a poet. He has discovered opium and imagines it will heighten his creative powers, but he has become an addict. He trusts his cousin Culverton Smith, not believing Smith has more sinister motives.
MAN 5 – late 50s to 60.
Man 5 plays two roles in Act 2, “Dying Detective:” COLONEL KARNAK and DR. PENROSE FISHER.
COLONEL KARNAK is an old school British soldier who is highly opinionated, and throws around his beliefs and observations as gospel. He thinks Rudyard Kipling is “the only poet worth a damn.”
DR. PENROSE FISHER is a highly respected London doctor. He is preparing a prestigious medical conference on diseases that Culverton Smith thinks he should be a part of.
Sides from the script will be made available at the audition. All roles available. Casting is open to all ethnicities and races. Newcomers are especially welcomed. Crew and other volunteers are also needed for the event. Visit https://www.elmwoodplayhouse.com/covid19 to read the theater’s current COVID policies and safety measures. For more information or directions, call 845-353-1313 or visit https://www.elmwoodplayhouse.com/auditions
