Auditions | Old Schoolhouse Play

Auditions take place in The Bud Allison Memorial Auditorium at the Mt. Pleasant Community Center located at 20 Wabash Ave., Hickory, PA.

Directed by Angelica Bondy (Angbondy@gmail.com)

Show Dates: February 20-22, 27-March 1;

Audition Dates: Friday January 9, 6-9PM, and Saturday January 10, 12-3PM

Synopsis: Britain's master farceur (Two Into One, Run For Your Wife, et al. ) is at it again. Set in a hospital, It Runs in the Family contains the usual assortment of farcical nuts running in and out of doors mistaking everybody for someone else, as Dr. Mortimore tries to fend off a paternity suit, an ex wife, a punkish son and various other lunatics so that he may, at last, deliver the Ponsonby Lecture in an international conference.

Rehearsal Process: First rehearsal/read-through tentatively set for January 14th.

Audition Process: Cold reads from the script. Prep your best British accent.

Character Breakdown: Four Women/Seven Men

DR. DAVID MORTIMORE
DR. MIKE CONNOLLY
ROSEMARY MORTIMORE
DR. HUBERT BONNEY
MATRON
SIR WILLOUGHBY DRAKE
JANE TATE
SISTER
LESLIE
POLICE SERGEANT
BILL
MOTHER

Directed by Michael VanNewkirk (mjavn924@gmail.com)

Show Dates: April 24-May 3 (Fridays and Saturdays 7:30pm, Sundays 2pm)

Audition Dates: Saturday January 24 and 31 (new date due to snowstorms), 1-3 PM. Video auditions accepted before January 31 by emailing info@osptheater.com.

What to Prepare: 16-32 bars of an upbeat song.

Please bring your own sheet music and come prepared to cold read pieces from the shows with a British accent.

Synopsis: When the low-born Monty Navarro finds out that he's eighth in line for an earldom in the lofty D'Ysquith family, he figures his chances of outliving his predecessors are slight and sets off down a far more ghoulish path. Can he knock off his unsuspecting relatives without being caught and become the ninth Earl of Highhurst? And what of love? Because murder isn't the only thing on Monty's mind....

Rehearsal Process: Monday-Thursday evenings, Saturday mornings as needed.

Character Breakdown: (Casting age will be 18+)

Montague "Monty" Navarro: Handsome, clever, charismatic, vulnerable and endearing. Discovers he is in line to become the Earl of Highhurst, and intends to kill off the family that stands in his way. Gender: male Vocal range top: Bb4 Vocal range bottom: Bb2

The D'Ysquith Family: (The following are played by one character)

*Asquith D'Ysquith, Jr., a dandy
*Lord Adlabert D'Ysquith, Eighth Earl of Highhurst
*Reverend Lord Ezekiel D'Ysquith, a clergyman
*Lord Adlabert D'Ysquith, Sr., an elderly banker
*Henry D'Ysquith, a country squire
*Lady Hyacinth D'Ysquith, a benefactress
*Major Lord Bartholomew D'Ysquith, a bodybuilder
*Lady Salome D'Ysquith Pumphrey, an actress
*Chauncey D'Ysquith, a janitor

* These roles all played by one actor; Gender: male Vocal range top: G4 Vocal range bottom: Bb2

Phoebe D'Ysquith: Monty's cousin. Gender: female Vocal range top: B5 Vocal range bottom: F#3

Sibella Hallward: The girl Monty loves. Gender: female Vocal range top: A5 Vocal range bottom: F#3

Miss Shingle: Monty's unexpected visitor. Gender: female Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: D#3

Ensemble of 6

WOMAN #1: Mourner; Tour Guide; Ancestral Portrait; Skater; Bridesmaid; Pub Owner's Wife; Mrs. Pebworth; Phoebe's Maid; 3rd Newsboy; Tailor; Selina Chard (Servant); Flower Girl

WOMAN #2: Mourner; Tourist; Ancestral Portrait; Skater; Bridesmaid; Mrs. Hetherington; 4th Newsboy; Tailor; Lady Eugenia D'Qsquith; Flower Girl

WOMAN #3: Mourner; Sibella's Maid; Tourist; Ancestral Portrait; Miss Evangeline Barley; Bridesmaid; Miss Hayes; Tailor; Hilda (Servant); Flower Girl

MAN #1: Mourner; Tourist; Ancestral Portrait; 2nd Clerk; Skater; Tailor; Groomsman; Tom Copley; Dr. Brownlee; 1st Newsboy; Weight Lifter; 3rd Actor; Ancestral Bust; Walter (Servant); Dr. Pettibone (Medical Examiner); Prison Guard

MAN #2: Mourner; Tourist; Ancestral Portrait; 1st Clerk; Skater; Tailor; Groomsman; Pub Owner; Mr. Cross; 2nd Newsboy; Weight Lifter; 1st Actor; Lord Asquith's Physician; Ancestral Bust; Mr. Waters (Servant); Chief Inspector Pinckney

MAN #3: Mourner; Tourist; Ancestral Portrait; Skater; Tailor; Groomsman; Pub Patron; Henry's Employee; Mr. Goodsall; 2nd Actor; Alfred Gorby (Butler); Lord High Steward (voiceover); Magistrate

Directed by Brian Nath (tonyfan25@yahoo.com) and Gianna Tress (gianna.m.dino@gmail.com)

Audition Dates: Saturday March 7, 10 AM-12 PM and Sunday March 7, 3-5 PM

What to Prepare: 16-32 bars of an upbeat song. Please bring your own sheet music and come prepared to cold read pieces from the shows with a British accent.

Show Dates: July 31-August 9 (Fridays and Saturdays 7:30pm, Sundays 2pm)

Synopsis: When James is sent by his conniving aunts to chop down their old fruit tree, he discovers a magic potion that results in a tremendous peach... and launches a journey of enormous proportions. Suddenly, James finds himself in the center of the gigantic peach, among human-sized insects with equally oversized personalities, but after it falls from the tree and rolls into the ocean, the group faces hunger, sharks and plenty of disagreements. Thanks to James' quick wit and creative thinking, the residents learn to live and work together as a family. The dangerous voyage is a success, but the adventure takes a whole new twist once they land on the Empire State Building.

Rehearsal Process: TBA

Character Breakdown: (Prep your best British Accent) 11 to 20 performers

Ladahlord

A strange, magical storyteller. Often inserts himself into the story, in disguise, to help push the action forward.

Gender: male; Age: 25 to 55; Vocal range top: A4; Vocal range bottom: Bb2

James: A lonely young boy who lacks confidence. Having lost both his parents in a freak accident, he feels he belongs nowhere in the world. However, when given the right encouragement he becomes resourceful and innovative. A good friend.

Gender: male; Age: 7 to 15; Vocal range top: G5; Vocal range bottom: G3

Spiker: James' mean aunt. A thief and a scoundrel. Shrewd and opportunistic.

Gender: female; Age: 30 to 60; Vocal range top: E5; Vocal range bottom: F#3

Sponge: James' other mean aunt. Also a thief and a scoundrel, but not nearly as bright as her sister. Very corpulent, she often has her mind on food.

Gender: female; Age: 30 to 60; Vocal range top: E5; Vocal range bottom: F#3

Spider

A normal spider who has become human-sized after eating a crocodile tongue. Her husband was killed and eaten by Spiker and Sponge. She is warm and friendly to James. This actor also plays Woman with Purse and Reporter 1.

Gender: female; Age: 20 to 40; Vocal range top: E5; Vocal range bottom: G3

Green Grasshopper

A wizened grasshopper who has become human-sized after eating a crocodile tongue. An excellent musician. Has his eye on Ladybug. This actor also plays Man with Wallet and Garden Guild.

Gender: male; Age: 20 to 40; Vocal range top: G4; Vocal range bottom: C3

Centipede

An ornery centipede who becomes human-sized after eating a crocodile tongue. Hates humans, in part because Spiker and Sponge fumigated his family. Prickly and rude, everyone thinks he is a pest. This actor also plays Buzz, the Hollywood agent.

Gender: male; Age: 20 to 40; Vocal range top: G4; Vocal range bottom: C3

Ladybug

A motherly ladybug who has become human-sized after eating a crocodile tongue. Respectable and classy, she has a warm, caring heart. Has her eye on Grasshopper. This actor also plays Matron Nurse and Reporter.

Gender: female; Age: 30 to 60; Vocal range top: E5; Vocal range bottom: G3

Earthworm

An earthworm who has become human-sized after eating a crocodile tongue. A bit of a scaredy-cat. He is neurotic and worried about everything, but is very friendly and brave when called upon. This actor also plays Bobby Cop and Bitzi Botana.

Gender: male; Age: 25 to 50; Vocal range top: A4; Vocal range bottom: C2

Ensemble: Crowd, Karl Kreatour, Reporters, Vagrants, Garden Guild, Bobby-Cops, Willy Wonka, Oompa Loompas, Hollywood Agents, Seaugulls, New Yorkers.

Gender: any

Directed by Marcus Muzopappa (mzpappa@hky.com)

Show Dates: October 9-11, 16-18

Audition Dates: Saturday and Sunday March 7 and 8 from 1-3PM each day.

Audition Process: Cold Reads from the script. No prep needed.

Synopsis: After a local woman is murdered, the guests and staff at Monkswell Manor find themselves stranded during a snowstorm. It soon becomes clear that the killer is among them, and the seven strangers grow increasingly suspicious of one another. A police detective, arriving on skis, interrogates the suspects: the newlyweds running the house; a spinster with a curious background; an architect who seems better equipped to be a chef; a retired Army major; a strange little man who claims his car has overturned in a drift; and a jurist who makes life miserable for everyone. When a second murder takes place, tensions and fears escalate. This record-breaking murder mystery features a brilliant surprise finish from Dame Agatha Christie, the foremost mystery writer of her time.

Rehearsal Process: Approximately three times a week, from 6:30 or 7 to 9PM, for a minimum of three weeks, trying to avoid weekends. More evenings may be added closer to opening. Rehearsals will commence after Labor Day.

Character Breakdown: (Prep your best British Accent) Four Women/Seven Men

MOLLIE RALSTON – Female; Age 20s to early 30s. New owner/hostess of Monkswell Manor; anxious about hosting the inn's first guests; married to Giles for one year.

GILES RALSTON – Male; Age 20s to early 30s. Owns Monkswell Manor with his wife Mollie; somewhat arrogant and jealous of the other guests' attentions toward Mollie.

CHRISTOPHER WREN – Male; Age 20s to 30s. The first guest to arrive at the hotel, Wren is a hyperactive young man who acts in a very peculiar manner. Wren claims to have been named after the architect of the same name by his parents.

MRS. BOYLE – Female; Age 40s to 60s. Mrs. Boyle is an imposing woman in a bad temper; she complains about everything. She is disapproving of every effort that Mollie and Giles produce to make her comfortable.

MAJOR METCALF – Male; Age 40s to 60s. Major Metcalf is middle-aged, square-shouldered, military in manner and bearing. He is friendly and very polite, and serves as a good counter to Mrs. Boyle during the play’s first act.

MISS CASEWELL – Female; Age 20s to 30s. A strange, aloof, somewhat masculine woman who speaks offhandedly about the horrific experiences of her childhood.

MR. PARAVICINI – Male; Age 30s to 50s. A man of unknown provenance who turns up claiming his car has overturned in a snowdrift. He appears to be affecting a foreign accent and artificially aged with make-up.

DETECTIVE SGT. TROTTER – Male; Age late 20s to early 40s. Detective Sergeant Trotter is a cheerful, common-place man who arrives at the guest house on skis to investigate a local murder.

Directed by Cindy Berg

Show Dates: December 4 - 13, 2026

Auditions are not currently planned for this show. If you are interested in acting in one of our other musicals this year, and would like to be considered for Emmet Otter, please check the box at the end of the online audition form for Gentleman's Guide and James & the Giant Peach.

If you are interested in being an actor, puppeteer, or supporting this show technically, please send your theater resume to info@osptheater.com.

Synopsis: Regional Premiere! Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas brings the beloved Jim Henson television special to life, live on stage. Hailed by The New York Times for its “superb score” by Academy Award–winning songwriter Paul Williams, this nostalgic tale takes us to Frogtown Hollow, where Ma and Emmet Otter risk what little they have to make each other’s holiday dreams come true. This very merry musical is a heartwarming celebration perfect for the entire family.

It’s three days before Christmas and Mayor Fox has just announced a Christmas talent contest with a grand prize of fifty dollars! Meanwhile, times are tough for Ma and Emmet Otter since Pa passed away, and winning that prize money would allow them to secretly buy each other a Christmas gift. Emmet considers forming a jug-band with his friends, but in order to do that he’ll have to put a hole in Ma’s washtub. The problem is, Ma earns money by doing other folks’ laundry in the washtub. Ma thinks about hocking Pa’s old toolbox so she can make a costume for the contest, but Emmet uses those tools to do odd jobs. As Christmas Eve and the talent contest quickly approach, will Ma and Emmet sacrifice what little they have, or will their Christmas wishes come true?

Rehearsal Process: TBA

Click on the show tabs below for more information about each show. Video Auditions may be sent to info@osptheater.com. In person auditions are encouraged.

Auditions for It Runs in the Family, Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, James and the Giant Peach, and The Mousetrap have already been held.

Auditions for Jim Henson's Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas are not planned. If you are interested being a part of this show, see the show tab below.

OSP Non-Discriminatory Statement

The Old Schoolhouse Theater is an equal opportunity, nonprofit organization committed to serving a diverse population. OSP does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, creed, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, familial status, age, citizenship status, veteran status or the presence of any disability in the administration of its policies, admissions, employment, volunteers, programs, contract services or activities. We see you & welcome all who come through our doors.