The St. Bart’s Players’ is seeking non-equity actors for its upcoming production of The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 by John Bishop. There will be 7 performances, June 17 - 22 at The 14Y Theater at 14th Street and 1st Ave. Auditions and rehearsals (Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 7 - 10 pm and Saturdays, noon - 5pm, with possible added rehearsals, until tech) will be at St. Bart’s Church, 50th Street and Park Avenue (entrance on 50th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues). Rehearsals begin late April. This is a non-union, non-paid opportunity.
MUSICAL COMEDY MURDERS OF 1940
Critically hailed both on and off Broadway, this ingenious and wildly comic murder-mystery pokes fun at the more ridiculous aspects of “show biz” and the corny thrillers of Hollywood’s heyday. Here is a non-stop barrage of laughter as a cast of characters (or at least those who aren’t killed off) untangle the mystery of the “Stage Door Slasher.”
Staff:
Director: Gary Slavin
Stage Manager: Rachel K. Moll
Producers: James Neufeld, Hannah I. Miller, Emily Reed-Edwards
Auditions:
All roles are available. The SBP has an open casting policy for all productions. We are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable environment for our artists; one where each person’s race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, education, disability and physical characteristics are respected and valued.
Where:
St. Bartholomew’s Church on 50th Street and Park Avenue. Please enter through the Community House at 109 East 50th Street.
When:
Monday, April 14th or Wednesday, April 16th from 7:00 – 9:30 pm, in Rooms 32/33.
Callbacks: Friday, April 18th from 7:00 – 10 pm, in Room 33.
What to Bring/Prepare:
A recent headshot (if you don’t have one, a photo of you will be taken), your resume and a calendar with existing conflicts, if any, indicated.
Character Descriptions and Audition Sides:
The large cast includes roles for five men and five women of various ages. Follow the links to see audition sides.
CLICK HERE to see a spreadsheet listing the first and last lines, and some internal cuts, for each side.
HELSA WENZEL
Mrs. von Grossenkneuten’s maid. Mata Hari with a feather duster and a German
accent. Angela Lansbury in Gaslight or Ingrid Bergman in…anything except Gaslight.
For most of the play, Elsa is dead, and her twin brother, Dieter, is in disguise as Helsa.
Performer must be able to convincingly play both roles.
Helsa (40-42)
Helsa (65-67)
Helsa and O_Reilly (8-9)
ELSA von GROSSENKNEUTEN
A financial backer of Broadway shows, she is loaded with dough, perhaps in part
because her grandfather was a spy and she has “espionage is in her blood.” She loves
the theater. Also very, very eager - and excited – to be solving a murder – “won’t it just
be a lark?”. Eccentric. Gladys Cooper would have played her in the movie, perhaps, or
Billie Burke.
Elsa (28-29)
Kelly and Elsa (6-7)
MICHAEL KELLY
A NYC undercover police detective.NOT in show business. Here to solve a murder,
whatever the cost. Humphrey Bogart, if Mr. Bogart were African-American.
Kelly (60-61)
Kelly and Elsa (6-7)
PATRICK O’REILLY
An Irish tenor, maybe like Dick Powell, recruited for the “backer’s audition” that’s a cover
for the murder investigation. Maybe he’s actually Tony Garibaldi, an undercover cop
from the Bronx: Jimmy Cagney, or Sheldon Leonard as Nick the bartender in It’s A
Wonderful Life? – no, wait, he’s actually Klaus Stansdorff, a Gestapo agent, like Werner
Klemperer or Erich von Stroheim.
O_Reilly (53-55)
Helsa and O_Reilly (8-9)
KEN De La MAIZE
A theater director with loads of affectation and attitude and loads of celebrity
connections in films he’s made but never seem to have been released. Jack Buchanan
in The Bandwagon but less of a nice guy, the more you get to know him.
Ken (61-63)
Ken and Nikki (10-12)
Eddie and Ken (25)
Marjorie and Ken (18-19)
NIKKI CRANDALL
A Broadway chorus girl, through and through – except that she’s also Ensign Nicole
Crandall of the US Naval Intelligence. Appearances and attitudes can be so deceiving.
Ginger Rogers meets Joan Crawford.
Nikki (55-57)
Eddie and Nikki (13-15)
Eddie and Nikki (26-27)
Ken and Nikki (10-12)
EDDIE McCUEN
A struggling, out of work comedian with a heart of gold and a (hidden) spine of steel.
Bob Hope.
Eddie and Ken (25)
Eddie and Nikki (13-15)
Eddie and Nikki (26-27)
MARJORIE BAVERSTOCK
A genuine producer of Broadway musicals, she believes herself to be very “au courant.”
Likes to say “divoon,” carries herself like royalty. Rosalind Russell, maybe?
Marjorie (16-17)
Marjorie and Ken (18-19)
ROGER HOPEWELL
A composer, and Bernice’s partner. Dry and sarcastic, but artistically fragile. Oscar
Levant. Danny Kaye.
BERNICE ROTH
The lyricist, partner to Roger. Frequently very thirsty and it’s not water she seeks. Very
high-strung and needy. Driven to work very hard, she sometimes seems unaware of the
world around her. Nanette Fabray mixed with Rosalind Russell.
You do not have to be an SBP member to audition, but if you are cast, you are required to pay 2025 dues ($75, or $25 if you are age 25 or under). Please note: If you have been cast and performed with the St. Bart’s Players within the past five seasons, you must pay your annual dues before you can audition again for a Mainstage production. If you have any questions about your eligibility to audition or Active Member benefits, please contact sbpmembership@gmail.com.
The St. Bart’s Players is committed to keeping everyone involved with a live SBP production healthy. In compliance with the COVID-19 Safety Protocols of St. Bart’s Church and the CDC: All actors, crew and patrons must be fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. Please do not attend the audition if you experience symptoms known to be associated with COVID-19.
About Us:
Founded in 1927, the St. Bart’s Players is the longest-running community theatre group in New York City. Our home base is St. Bartholomew’s Church at 325 Park Avenue in Manhattan. Please visit www.stbartsplayers.org or email sbpmembership@gmail.com for more information.