Auditions

“Heartland Theatre Company is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in our casting and production assignments. When casting and hiring we would like to encourage an openness to diverse and non-traditional choices.”

THE WAR OF THE WORLDS Auditions: Call for Audio-Recorded Auditions from Actors August 1-9 for Heartland’s Classic Radio Drama in partnership with WGLT

Heartland Theatre Company proudly announces AUDITIONS for the classic radio drama, The War of the Worlds, an episode of the American radio drama anthology series The Mercury Theatre on the Air, directed and narrated by actor Orson Welles. It was originally performed and broadcast live as a Halloween episode on Sunday, October 30, 1938, over the Columbia Broadcasting System radio network.

Heartland Theatre’s production will be professionally audio-recorded and broadcast on local radio station WGLT this October.

Those interested in auditioning should prepare ONE of the monologues below, audio record it (video will be accepted, but is not required) and email your recording to director Rhys Lovell, at [email protected] before midnight on Sunday, August 9. If you wish to prepare two monologues, you may, but auditionees submitting more than two monologues will not be considered. Please be sure to include the following information in the body of your email:

Name
Telephone number
Preferred email
Address
Major conflicts between August 17 and October 8
Preferred role(s)

Electronic résumés will be accepted, but are not required.

You may refer to this link for instruction on how to record only audio on your smartphone. https://www.wikihow.com/Record-Audio-on-a-Mobile-Phone

Should the director wish to hear two or more people reading together, callbacks will be conducted remotely via Zoom on Monday, August 10. The final cast list will be posted on Heartland’s website (www.heartlandtheatre.org) no later than Friday, August 14.

All rehearsals will take place via Zoom between August 17–September 30. Recording will take place in-studio the first week of October. No memorization is required.

Important! All actors must be tested for COVID19 before the time of recording; anyone testing positive or displaying symptoms of the coronavirus at that time will be replaced with an understudy. 

Character Description (principle roles appear in bold and will have assigned understudies):

Announcer 1 — (m/f, any age)
Orson Welles — (male)
Announcer 2 — (m/f, any age)
Announcer 3 — (m/f, any age)
Carl Phillips — (commentator, male, 30-60)
Prof. Pierson — (astronomer, male, 40-70)
Policeman — (m/f, any age)
Farmer Wilmuth — (rural, male, 50-75)
General Montgomery Smith — (commander of the state militia, male, 50-75)
Harry McDonald — (male, 30-60)
Captain Lansing — (signal corps, state militia, female, 40-70)
Secretary of the Interior— (m/f, 40-70)
Officer — (m/f, 25-50)
Gunner — (m/f, 25-50)
Observer — (m/f, any age)
Commander Voght — (Army, female, 40-70)
Operator One — (m/f, 25-50)
Operator Two — (m/f, 25-50)
Operator Three — (m/f, 25-50)
Operator Four — (m/f, 25-50)
Operator Five — (m/f, 25-50)
CBS Announcer — (m/f, 30-60)
Stranger — (member of the National Guard, male, 25-50)
 
 SIDES – downloadable PDF

Thank you for auditioning!

Auditions: (TENTATIVE) December 7 & 8, 2020 – 7-10 pm

Performances: (TENTATIVE) February 4,5,6 |11,12,13,14 |18,19,20 – 2021
 
 

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Auditions: (TENTATIVE) February 22 & 23, 2021 – 7-10 pm

Performances: (TENTATIVE) April 2,3,4 | 8,9.10,11 | 15,16,17 – 2021

 
 

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Auditions: Monday, April 26 & Tuesday, April 27; 7-10 pm – 2021

Performances (TENTATIVE) June 3,4,5 |10,11,12,13 | 17,18,19 | 24,25,26 – 2021
 
 
 

BIG BEAR LAKE by Alexander Wilkie, Moorsetown NJ

Imagine trying to make it in a wild and dangerous place—a place where it’s hard to know whether you’re predator or prey and where survival is anything but guaranteed. Yes, it takes courage to try to make it in Hollywood, and on top of everything else, you might wind up going camping!

Character breakdown: 2 women, 1 man —age 20s-40s

CAMPFIRE STORIES by Loretta Bolger Wish, Manaquan NJ

Staring into a campfire can give you a clear sense of who you really are. That same fire, unfortunately, won’t tell other people anything about who you really are, and that can lead to some awkward conversations.

Character breakdown: 3 men – middle-aged, 1 woman – age

MARSHMALLOWS AND OLD FLAMES by Matthew Weaver, Spokane WA

Sometimes a campfire attracts beasties that don’t know who you are or what you’re doing there. Of course, your campfire might also attract a creature who knows you really well. That’s not necessarily better.

Character breakdown: 1 man – age 30s-40s, 1 woman – age 30s-40

ROLLING MY OWN by John Patrick Bray, Athens GA

There are times in life when you’re all wrapped up in external things and you feel like you just can’t move. Wouldn’t it be great if you had a couple of friends to pick you up and drag you out into the woods for a camping trip?

Character breakdown: 3 men – age 20s-50s

STAND EASY, STRANGER by Tod Shacklett, Victorville CA

When you’re deep in the forest, it’s like the rules of time and space don’t apply. The problem is that the rules of time and space don’t apply, even in places where the rules of time and space don’t apply.

Character breakdown: 2 men – age 25-50, 1 man – age 50-75

THE OTHER SIDE by Callie Minks, Danville KY

Hindsight is always 20/20, but hindhearing, hindsmelling, and hindtouching aren’t nearly that focused. This is the Heartland Theatre 10-minute Play Festival, though, so trust us when we say that sometimes all of the senses work together.

Character breakdown: 2 men – age 60s, 1 woman – age 60, 1 woman – age 20

THE STREAM by Brook North, Raleigh NC

Poets often say that time flows through our lives like water, bringing some things closer and carrying other things away. They’re always right.

Character breakdown: 1 woman, 2 men — middle-aged

WANDERING STEPS AND SLOW by Jim Kraft, Carmel IN

Getting a chance to connect with the natural world is a wonderful thing. When the natural world decides to connect with you, though, it can make things a little uncomfortable around the campfire.

Character breakdown: 1 woman, 1 man — age 50s

Performances: (TENTATIVE) JUNE 3,4,5 | 10,11,12,13 | 17,18,19 | 24,25,26 – 2021

Auditions: (TENTATIVE) June 2021

Performances (TENTATIVE) July 23,24,256 – 2021