Acme Theater is pleased to announce open auditions for the play Farce Of Habit written by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten, directed by Kevin Nessman.

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About The Play

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Farce Of Habit is a hilarious, fast-paced, ensemble farce in two acts taking place at a secluded Fishing Lodge in the Ozark mountains. It relies heavily on both verbal comedy and physical comedy and ends with an outrageous high stakes chase scene as the characters have to survive and outwit a murderer in the middle of a terrifying storm. This mystery/comedy is a farce lover's dream that is sure to delight and surprise audiences throughout.

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The Story

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D. Gene and Wannelle Wilburn, owners of the lodge, want to save their business. To do so, they decide to take the advice of their guest and celebrity relationship coach, Jock McNair. In hopes that he will endorse their lodge, they agree to take on McNair's advice to save their marriage: GIVE UP THEIR BAD HABITS! Wannelle agrees to give up caffeine and D. Gene agrees to give up his incessant scratching.

Meanwhile, D. Gene's sister, Maxie Willburn Suggs, a policewoman nearing retirement, has to go undercover to catch a serial ax murderer. If only her undercover outfit was a little less conspicuous. The marriage of D. Gene and Wannelle's son, Ty Willburn, and his wife, Jenna Willburn, is on the fritz because Jenna thinks Ty's having an affair. Even worse, it turns out no one remembered to file their marriage certificate. Ty, on the other hand, has been neglecting his wife and his work because of his shameful secret: community theater. The cast of his production of Around the World in 80 Days has been dropping like flies, forcing him to come home in one outrageous costume after another.

Meanwhile several guests, including Huddle Fisk, Sister Myrtle Agnes, and Jock McNair's estranged wife, Barbara Stratton, all arrive to add to the madcap insanity. Oh, and one of them may well be an ax murderer. Oh, and the storm of the century just happens to be headed straight for the lodge.

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Audition Info

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Auditions will be held at Acme Theater (61 Summer Street, Maynard, MA). 

Sunday, March 5 @ 6:30pm

Tuesday, March 7 @ 7:00pm

Callbacks (if needed): Thursday, March 9 @ 7:00pm

 

Auditions are open and will consist of reading sides from the script. No appointment is necessary. We encourage auditioners to be familiar with the play prior to auditions. Sides will be available upon request.

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*Please note: Acme Theater requires proof of Covid-19 vaccination for all auditioners. Please come prepared with your Covid-19 vaccination card. A copy of our current Covid-19 safety policy is available on our website.*
 

Performance Dates

 

May 5 - 20, 2023

(Fridays & Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 3 PM)\

Tech Date: April 30th

You must be available for all dates to be considered for casting.

 

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What We Are Looking For

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Farce Of Habit is a rapidly moving, puzzle box of a show. It requires actors capable of strong character choices, quick verbal wit, a strong ability to drive the pace of the show, as well as the ability to perform physical comedy including pratfalls, stage combat, and other feats of quick movement. This is the kind of show where timing of entrances and exits is crucial. Five of the characters require southern accents.

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Character Descriptions

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Age ranges are suggested. Acme is seeking a diverse cast representing the human race. Characters listed in order of appearance. This is an ensemble piece with many subplots and many moving parts.

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Wanelle Wilburn (50s-60s, female-presenting) - Wife of the proprietor of the Reel 'Em In. Manages the business. Described as, "a determined ball of fire." LOVES her caffeine. Southern accent.

D. Gene (50s-60s, male-presenting) - The proprietor of the Reel 'Em In. Described as, "a good-hearted guy." He just wants to be left alone, preferably to be fishing. He has an itch that NEEDS to be scratched. TERRIFIED of nuns. Southern accent.

Maxie Wilburn Suggs (50s-60s, female-presenting) - D. Gene's sister. Described as a "hearty, no-nonsense country woman." Very folksy. A policewoman on the hunt for an ax murderer. May need to wear an outrageous costume including tight leather shorts. Learning karate, but she's not very good at it. Always using her gun to settle disagreements. She just wants to retire with full benefits. Southern accent.

Jock McNair (40s-50s, male-presenting) - Handsome, macho, self-centered womanizer and nationally known radio host and relationship expert. In hiding from his estranged wife. Desperate not to be found or he will lose a lot of money. Assumes he knows everything. Has a sweet tooth.

Jenna Sealy Wilburn (20s-30s, female presenting) - Cooks at the Reel 'Em In. Fresh-faced, sweet newlywed to Ty Wilburn. Thinks Ty is cheating on her. Southern accent.

Ty Wilburn (20s-30s, male presenting) - Groundskeeper for the Reel 'Em In. Handsome, charming, community theater performer in a company short on actors. Many outrageous costumes. Some crossdressing required. Needs to save his marriage, but just can't seem to get it right. Southern accent.

Huddle Fisk (40s-50s, male-presenting) - A kind, but meek man. Visiting the Reel 'Em In after a heart attack and wants to live the experiences he has missed up until now. Really throws himself into the action. Lots of physical comedy and pratfalls. Looking for love, but awkward around women, and has no idea how to find it, and drinking Maxie's homemade pep potion may not be helping.

Sister Myrtle Agnes (50s-60s, female-presenting) - Stern and driven, a woman with secrets, and dealing with some serious anger issues. Ninja-like in her use of a ruler. Willing to go to extreme methods to stop D. Gene from scratching. Just wants some sweets.

Barbara Stratton (40s-50s, female-presenting) - Determined bundle of nerves, searching for her husband, Jock McNair, who is trying to cheat her out of a fortune. Feeling homicidal...and maybe menopausal.

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Email Director Kevin Nessman (nessmank@gmail.com) with any questions. See you there!

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Acme Theater holds open auditions. For information on our casting policy, please see "View Our Casting Policy" below.

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