AUDITION REQUIREMENTS FOR OUR TOWN

READ THE PLAY!!!!! This cannot be stressed enough. You can purchase
the play directly from Samuel French, Inc., Barnes and Noble, Amazon, or
another bookseller. The play is everywhere! It is a classic piece of the
American theatrical experience and a Pulitzer Prize winner.
Specific requirements for the audition are listed below the available
roles.
Students auditioning must consider the demands of a role with their school
schedule.
Available Roles
The Stage Manager( The role was originally cast with a man, but can be played
by a woman.) The character sets up the stage, introduces the play, describes the
setting, provides background information for the play, and sometimes steps into
scenes to talk with the characters. In some way, the role resembles the function of
a Greek Chorus or the omniscient narrator of a novel.
Charles Webb He is the editor of the Grover's Corners Sentinel and father of two
children, Emily and Wally.
Myrtle Webb She is the devoted wife of Charles and mother of Emily and Wally.
She is about thirty years old.
Emily Webb An intelligent, pretty, engaging daughter of Charles and Myrtle
Webb. She marries the next door neighbor, George Gibbs. She dies nine years into
her marriage giving birth to her second child.
Wally Webb Emily's younger brother. He dies after his appendix ruptures.
Frank Gibbs The hard working town physician, who goes out to tend to his
patients at all hours. He is married to Julia and father to George and Rebecca.
Julia Gibbs Devoted wife of Doctor Gibbs and mother to George and Rebecca.
She dreams of visiting Paris with her husband.
George Gibbs He is the son of Frank and Julia Gibbs. George is a very likable
young man, a star baseball player, wants to be a farmer, and in love with Emily
Webb.
Rebecca Gibbs The younger sister of George Gibbs. She is a very spirited.
Howie Newsome Milkman who makes deliveries from a cart drawn by his old
horse Bessie.
Joe Crowell Newspaper boy who became an outstanding student in high school
and went to MIT.
Si Crowell Joe's younger brother who takes over his brother Joe's paper route.
Sam Craig Emily Webb's cousin . He went west to pursue his career, but returns
for Emily's funeral.
Joe Stoddard Undertaker in charge of Emily Webb's funeral.

Bill Warren The Constable of the town who works very hard to keep law and
order in Grover's Corners.
Simon Stimson He is the choirmaster of the Congregationalist Church and the
town alcoholic. He commits suicide.
Lowella Soames Choirmember and good friend of Julia Gibbs and Myrtle Webb.
Louella enjoys some gossip at times.
The following roles can be doubled. What does doubling mean? If you are cast in
one of these roles, you will play one or two other roles. For example, if you are
cast as Professor Willard, you will also be a choir member and play one of the
dead men. It is also possible that you could be cast as an understudy.
Professor Willard
Baseball Players 1 and 2
Dead Man 1 and 2
Dead Woman 1 and 2
Woman in the Balcony
Belligerent Man
Lady in the Box
Mr. Carter
Choir Singers
Town folk at wedding and funeral

Commitment:
Emily Webb appears in four out of six units in Act I, two out of four units
in Act II, and two out of three units in Act III.

Stage Manager appears in all units for Act I, three out of four units in Act
II, and all units for Act III. The role of the stage manager is vital to the
success of the play.

George Gibbs appears in four out of six units in Act I, three out of four
units in Act II, and two out of three units in Act III

Mrs. Webb appears in three out of six units in Act I, three out of four
units in Act II, and one out of three units in Act III.

Doctor Gibbs appears in three out of six units in Act I, three out of four
units in Act II, and two out of three units in Act III.

Mrs. Gibbs appears in three out of six units in Act I, two out of four units
in Act II, and all units in Act III.

Mr. Webb appears in two units of Act I, two units of Act II, two units of
Act III

Specific OUR TOWN audition requirements.

The initial audition will consist of a monologue and a one minute pantomime
activity. OUR TOWN uses a great deal of pantomime or acting without words. It is
essential to the production that the pantomime is done well.

Pantomime Requirements
Your pantomime must be at least one minute in length and have a beginning,
middle, and end. You must carefully plan your pantomime. Please do not attempt
to do this on the spur of the moment. If your pantomime is lacking, it could cost
you a role in the production. You must pantomime a daily activity. The director
must be able to have a clear sense of what you are doing. Your use of the body
with gestures and facial expression is important when to performing a believable
pantomime. Here are some examples:

1 . washing dishes
2 . setting the table
3 . chopping wood
4 . planting a garden
5 . getting dressed
6 . changing a tire
7 . putting on make – up
8 . knitting
9 . shaving
10 . cooking or baking a certain dish

Script Auditions
Initial script auditions will be monologues. All of the monologues are directly from
the script.. It is not necessary to memorize the monologue, but you must be VERY
familiar with your chosen monologue. Your eyes need to come up from the page
when you are auditioning. Remember that when you do a monologue, you MUST
know who you are talking to during the monologue. You will be asked that
question in the audition. You may be asked other questions about the given
circumstances of the play as well. READ THE PLAY!!! The Harper Perennial
version, which can be purchased at Barnes and Noble, is the one being used.
Scroll down to see the edited monologues.

Here are the monologue choices:

Stage Manager: Auditioning for the stage manager involves two monologues. All
auditionees MUST do part of the monologue from Act III, pages 87-88, beginning
with the line, “ Yes, an awful lot of sorrow...” until the end of the monologue on
page 68. Your other two choices are as follows:
Act I Pages 32-33
Act II Pages 47-48

Emily Webb: Anyone auditioning for Emily must do two monologues. You will find
one of the monologues below and the other is in Act III on page 83.

Doctor Gibbs Page 37-38 Mr. Webb Page 60

Mrs. Webb Page 76 Simon Stimson Page 34

Other characters can be auditioned for by selecting a scene in which they are in.
Also, remember to select a pantomime that the character performs in the play.
Edited Monologues

During this monologue, Emily goes through many emotions. We need to experience Emily's
nervousness, her reprimands, and finally her tears.

Emily: I don't like the whole change that's come over you in the last year. I'm sorry if that hurts your
feelings; but I've just gotta—tell the truth and shame the devil. Well, up to a year ago, I used to like you
a lot. And I used to watch you while you did everything—-because we'd been friends for so long. And
then you began spending all your time at baseball. And you never stopped to speak to anybody any
more---not really speak---not even to your own family, you didn't. And George, it's a fact---ever since
you've been elected Captain, you've got awful stuck up and conceited, and all the girls say so. And it
hurts me to hear them say it; but I got to agree with 'em a little, because it's true. I always expect a man
to be perfect and I think he should be. My father is and as far as I can see, your father is. There's no
reason on earth why you shouldn't be, too. And don't tell me it's the other way around, that men aren't
naturally good and girls are. You might as well know right now that I'm not perfect.---It's not as easy
for a girl to be perfect as a man, because, well, we girls are more---nervous---Now, I'm sorry I said all
that about you. I don't know what made me say it.

George's monologue needs to have a sense of awkwardness and also the discovery of his true feelings
for Emily. As an audience, we must feel that discovery right along with him.

George: Emily, I'm glad you spoke to me about that---that fault in my character. What you said was
right; but there was one thing wrong with it. That's where you said that I wasn't noticing--- people---and
you for instance---why, you say, you were watchin' me when I did everything---Why I was doin' the
same about you all the time. Why sure---I always thought about you as one of the chief people I
thought about. I always made sure where you were sitting on the bleachers, and who you were with,
and for three days now I've tried to walk home with you; but something always got in the way.
Yesterday, I was standing over by the wall waiting for you and you walked home with Miss Corocan.
Listen, Emily, I'm going to tell you why I'm not going to Agricultural School. I think once you've found
a person you're very fond of---I mean a person who's fond of you, too, and likes you well enough to be
interested in your character---Well, I think that is just as important as college is, even more so. That's
what I think.

Please take notice of all the hyphens in this monologue. This is a hint to the characterization of
Professor Willard and obviously alter his speech rhythms. He is a wealth of information.

Professor Willard: Grover's Corners---mmm---let me see---Grover's Corners lies on the old Pleisocene
granite of the Appalachian range. I may say that it is some of the oldest land in the world---we're very
proud of that here. Of course, there are some more recent outcroppings,---sandstone, showing through a
shelf of Devonian basalt, and some vestiges of Mezonic shale, but these are comparatively new---
perhaps two or three hundred million years. Some highly interesting fossils have been found---I may
say, unique fossils---two miles north of the Peckham Farm---in Silas Peckham's cow-pasture. These
may be seen in the museum at the University at any time---that is any reasonable time. You say you
would like some words on the history of man....some anthropological data---Early American stock,
Cotahatchee tribes---no evidence before the 10th century of this era---now entirely disappeared---
Oh,possible traces in three families---migration in early part of the 17th century of English
brachiocephalic blue-eyed stock---Since then, some Slav and Mediterranean---ah---our population here
within the town limits is 2,640---pardon me, population at the moment is 2,642. The postal district
brings in 507 more---making a total of 3,149. Mortality, birth rates---constant. By McPherson's
gauge:6,032....ah----thank you...thank you.

Mrs. Gibbs married Doctor Gibbs without really knowing him. She was very young when she married.
She learned to love Doctor Gibbs and is a good wife and mother. However, there are these urges to
break free. Let us get a sense of her strong desire to make a very bold choice and not settle for the
repetition of her everyday life.

Mrs. Gibbs: Now, Myrtle, I've got to tell you something, because if I don't tell somebody I'll burst.
One of those second-hand furniture men from Boston came to see me last Friday. First, I thought he
was a patient wantin'to see Doctor Gibbs. Well, he wormed his way into my parlor, and, Myrtle Webb,
he offered me three hundred and fifty dollars for Grandmother Wentworth's highboy, as I'm sittin' here!
That old thing! Why it's so big I didn't know where to put it and I almost give it to Cousin Hester
Wilcox. I don't know. I just don't know if I'm going to take it. If I could get Doctor Gibbs to take the
money and go away some place on a trip, I'd sell it like that. You know, Myrtle, it's been the dream of
my life to see Paris, France. Oh, I don't know. It sounds crazy I suppose, but for years I been promising
myself that if we ever had the chance---I beat around the bush a little and told Doctor Gibbs that if I
ever got a legacy---that's the way I put it---I'd make him take me. He said no, it might make him
discontented with Grover's Corners to go traipsin' around Europe; better let well enough alone, he says.
Every two years he makes a trip to the battlefields of the Civil War and that's enough treat for anybody,
he says. It's a fact, Doctor Gibbs is never so happy as when he's at Antietam or Gettysburg. The times
I've walked over those hills, Myrtle, stopping at every bush and pacing it all out, like we was going to
buy it. Oh, I'm sorry I mentioned anything. Only it seems to me that once in your life before you die,
you ought to see a country where they don't talk in English and don't even want to.