Volunteer Male Actors Needed for Summer Production

The Historic Empress Theatre, in Fort Macleod, is putting on a summer production of Black Comedy. It’s a British farce, exploring the physical hazards and romantic mishaps caused by a single power outage. Heaped with physical comedy and witty dialogue, it’s the perfect show for an actor looking to expand their comedic resume. The show was written by Peter Shaffer, the playwright that brought us Amadeus, and it has had many successful runs in the West End and on Broadway. Maggie Smith, Albert Finney, and Ian McKellen starred in the original production and David Tennant was the lead in the revival.

The show is produced by the Empress Community Theater and all roles are non-paying. We are looking to cast the 5 male characters (female roles have already been cast). There will be no formal audition at the Empress Theater. Instead we are looking to have an informal cold read over Skype or other video conferencing options. We would also like resumes and basic head shots emailed to the directors.

Performance Dates: July 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29 (Matinees 22, 29).

Rehearsals begin the first week of June. Due to the small cast size, the rehearsal schedule will be flexible and depend on the actor’s needs. The show is also a 75 min one act so there isn’t as much material to cover in a rehearsal. We anticipate an average of 3 rehearsals a week, 2 on weeknights and 1 on Saturday.

Casting: 5 male, 3 female.

Synopsis: London, 1960’s. It’s Saturday night and Brindsley Miller is desperate to impress a deaf millionaire with his new sculpture. In an effort to dress up his own shabby apartment, Miller and his fiancee Carol secretly “borrow” his temperamental neighbour’s antique furniture, confident that nothing could possibly go wrong. Suddenly the lights go out! An electrical fuse has blown, plunging the apartment into complete darkness, and the trouble is just beginning. Throw in his fiancee’s military father, a pious spinster, ex-girlfriends, and the arrival of his very unstable neighbors, and Miller is left teetering on the edge of a very ripe farce. With only a half an hour to spare, Miller must blindly navigate multiple relationships, and his own furniture, to get the lights back on before the deaf millionaire arrives.

If interested, please contact either director listed below for more information:

Maren Coates
403-593-0718
marencoates1990@gmail.com

Amberly Plourde
1-435-222-0769
amberlyplourde@hotmail.com