The Mobtown Players announce auditions for its upcoming production, She Stoops to Conquer
Production dates are January 14 through February 5.
Auditions will be held 10/18 and 10/20 from 7 – 9.
Callbacks will be held on 10/25 at 7:00.
If you are interested in auditioning but cannot make it to the 10/18 or 10/20 dates, please contact the director, Caitlin, at cdbouxsein@verizon.net
Please prepare a short monologue (preferably classical). You may also be asked to read from the script. If you would like to read the play, the entire text can be found online:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/383
http://www.fullbooks.com/She-Stoops-to-Conquer.html
The play:
Charles Marlow and George Hastings set out for the Hardcastles’ manor to meet the parents of Kate Hardcastle, the young woman whom Marlow may potentially marry. Hastings is an admirer of Miss Constance Neville, another young lady who lives with the Hardcastles. On their journey, they encounter Tony Lumpkin (Mrs. Hardcastle’s son who will acquire a fortune when becoming of “age”). He tells them that they are a long way from their destination and will have to stay overnight at an inn and that the Hardcastles’ old house is the inn, thus the pair arrive and treat the Hardcastle’s home as such, and treat Hardcastle as a mere inn keeper. This greatly angers Hardcastle and he decides that Marlow is an inappropriate suitor for his beloved Kate. Meanwhile, Kate devises her own plan to win Marlow’s affections and Tony, Constance and Hastings conspire together to steal Constance’s inheritance from her aunt, Mrs. Hardcastle. The constraints of polite society are challenged by youthful desires in this classic Comedy of Manners by Oliver Goldsmith. Over the course of an evening practical jokes are played, identities are mistaken, and lovers conspire, spurring an absurd chain of events that will keep you laughing to the very end!
Characters:
Charles Marlow – 20s/early 30s. Suitor to Kate Hardcastle. Marlow is sophisticated and has travelled the world. Around lower-class women Marlow is a lecherous rogue, but around those of an upper-class card he is a nervous, bumbling fool. Thus, his interview with Kate exploits the man’s fears, and convinces Miss Hardcastle she’ll have to alter her persona drastically to make a relationship with the man possible.
George Hastings – 20s/early 30s. Friend of Charles Marlow and the admirer of Miss Constance Neville. Also an educated man. He cares deeply about Constance, and intends to flee with her to France. However, she tells him that she can’t leave without her jewels that are guarded by Mrs. Hardcastle, so they conspire with Tony to steal the jewels.
Tony Lumpkin - 20s. An immature, foolish young man. He is promised in marriage to his cousin, Constance Neville, yet they despise each other, and so he goes to great effort to help herself and Hastings in their plans to leave the country. He cannot reject this betrothal to Neville, because he believes he’s not of age (as this is what his mother, Mrs. Hardcastle, has told him).
Mr Hardcastle – 40s-60s. Kate Hardcastle’s father, whom Marlow and Hastings believe to be an innkeeper. He arranges for Marlow to come to the country to marry his daughter. Mr Hardcastle is an old-fashioned man of good manners who wants only the best for his beloved daughter.
Mrs Hardcastle – 40s-60s. Mr. Hardcastle’s wife and Tony’s mother. She is overprotective of Tony and denies him his fortune, convincing him that he is not yet ’of age.’ Her intentions are selfish, as she wants Constance to marry her son to keep the jewels in the family.
Miss Kate Hardcastle – 20s/early 30s. Mr Hardcastle’s beloved daughter, and the one who ‘stoops to conquer.’ She is intelligent and clever, and discovers that by posing as a barmaid she will be able to get Marlow to fall in love with her.
Miss Constance Neville – 20s/early 30s. Mrs Hardcastle’s niece who also lives with the Hardcastles. She is in love with Hastings and they intend to run away together after she steals the family jewels that she inherited.
Sir Charles Marlow – 40s-60s. Charles Marlow’s father; who follows him to the country. He is an old friend of Mr Hardcastle’s and is pleased with the arranged union between his son and Kate.
Supporting Ensemble Characters – Maids, Servants, Townspeople
