When: Open auditions will be held on Sunday, June 19, 2022 from 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. at the Woodland Opera House Theatre, 340 Second Street, Woodland, 95695 (please come to the side door facing the plaza, just off of Main Street). No appointment is necessary. Callbacks will be held on Monday, June 20, 2022 from 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.

What to Prepare: At the audition you will be reading scenes (sides) from the script. Find the sides at https://bit.ly/3wuX43D. Please prepare to read for the role/s that interest/s you. Please note: The sides have been edited from the actual script for the purposes of this audition. The play is mainly a comedy but contains some serious dramatic elements. It’s a play that is story - and character driven. We are looking for actors who can make distinct, believable, three-dimensional character choices, but who also can adapt to direction. This production will mark the world premiere of the play. Since this will be the first time the play will be performed in a full production, there will likely be some changes to the script during rehearsal.

What to Bring: Headshot with resume (if possible) and a list of your conflicts for the rehearsal dates. No conflicts allowed for the week before tech through the run of the show (please be aware that conflicts may affect casting).

See our current COVID policy HERE. And please email us at [email protected] for questions or more information.

Rehearsals will begin mid-August, Monday – Thursday (specific dates TBD). Tech week will be October 2 - 6 (Sun. - Thurs.). The show runs October 7-30, Fri./Sat. (7:30 p.m.), Sun. (2:00 p.m.).

Synopsis:

The Golden Fleece Traveling Players arrive at the Woodland Opera House in 1909 to present their newest melodrama, Daughter of the West, starring the troupe’s leading actress and manager, Bettina Bergstrom-Smythe. A series of strange accidents wreaks havoc with their preparations for the play’s performance that night. William Porter, the vengeful ghost who has haunted the Opera House since his death there in the devastating fire of 1892, reveals himself to Emma, the company’s most junior actress. He claims responsibility for the accidents and asserts his determination to rid his theatre “home” of these egocentric and intrusive actors. At first, Emma is frightened by Will and angered by his actions, particularly when one of William’s “accidents” results in Bettina’s injury. Emma, now forced to take over the leading role, is gripped with fear and insecurity. During the performance, despite William’s interference, Emma discovers her confidence and makes a success of the play. William comes to realize that his anger is misplaced and embraces his role in preserving the legacy of the Woodland Opera House and its significance to the community.

Character Breakdown: 9 characters: 4 women, 5 men.

William Porter: Male, mid-50s; the ghost who haunts the Woodland Opera House; volunteer fireman killed in the 1892 fire; bitter and vindictive on the service but with a tender core.

Bettina Bergstrom-Smythe: Female, 40s-50s; the star and manager of The Golden Fleece Traveling Players; plays the leading female role in all the troupe’s shows, including the role of Bessie White in Daughter of the West; a shrewd businesswoman but vain and a tad insecure beneath her bluster.

Emma Gibson: Female, late teens-early 20s; taken in as an “orphan train” child by Bettina, whom she calls Aunt Betty; plays small roles with the troupe, including the role of Tom in Daughter of the West; shy and somewhat naïve, she has always been unsure of herself and her abilities.

Chauncey Halliday: Male, 40s-60s; the company’s leading actor; plays the villain Danvers Griswold in Daughter of the West; a transplant from England, he is talented, egotistical, and often inebriated.

Eddie Davis: Male, 20s-30s; aging juvenile actor; plays the hero Sheriff Joe Pierce in Daughter of the West; married to Irene; a good-humored jokester; not particularly a talented actor but reliable.

Irene Davis: Female, 20s-30s; soubrette of the theatre company; plays the role of Miss Ruby, the saloon proprietress, in Daughter of the West; wife of Eddie; smart and sassy; sings and moves well.

Duncan McKnight: Male; 50s-60s; Scottish stage manager and jack-of-all-trades techie of the company; longtime employee of Bettina, with whom he has a love/hate relationship; stubborn, sensible, and hardworking.

Alonzo Schuler: Male; late teens-early 20s; of Mexican and German descent from a local farm family; helps out at the Opera House when he can; enthusiastic, well-meaning, and kind.

Eugenia Hawkins: Female; 50s-70s; the wife of a local judge; proud of her town and of her position in it; overly confident and grand, but also somewhat dizzy.

Join the Woodland Opera House Family.

We hope to see you Sunday Night!