What are these auditions for?

We’re holding auditions for our Second Annual Appalachian Playwriting Festival! Showing September 20-22, 2024, this festival will feature staged readings of new plays written by Appalachian Playwrights or plays that celebrate Appalachian Culture. One script from this festival will be chosen to be produced in our Mainstage Season!

When and where will these auditions be?

Auditions will take place on April 27th from 12pm-2pm at The Mountain Heritage Center located at 113 Green Mountain Dr, Burnsville, NC 28714 (Across the street from Parkway Playhouse).

What should I prepare for these auditions?

Please come prepared with a resume, headshot, and a one-minute monologue if you have them. You’ll also be asked to read sides. If you’re new to performing and don’t have the above items, no worries! Just come prepared to read sides. Sides are excerpts from the script.

What shows will be in this year’s lineup?

More information about this year’s festival selection, playwrights, directors, and more can be found by clicking the button below!

What are these auditions for?

We’re holding auditions for our Second Annual Appalachian Playwriting Festival! Showing September 20-22, 2024, this festival will feature staged readings of new plays written by Appalachian Playwrights or plays that celebrate Appalachian Culture. One script from this festival will be chosen to be produced in our Mainstage Season!

When and where will these auditions be?

Auditions will take place on April 27th from 12pm-2pm at The Mountain Heritage Center located at 113 Green Mountain Dr, Burnsville, NC 28714 (Across the street from Parkway Playhouse).

What should I prepare for these auditions?

Please come prepared with a resume, headshot, and a one-minute monologue if you have them. You’ll also be asked to read sides. If you’re new to performing and don’t have the above items, no worries! Just come prepared to read sides. Sides are excerpts from the script.

What shows will be in this year’s lineup?

More information about this year’s festival selection, playwrights, directors, and more can be found by clicking the button below!

ROGER MCELROY: (Age 76) Reclusive writer, recovering from recent heart surgery. He has a contentious relationship with his three adult children, all of whom want him to sell his home in the Blue Ridge Mountains and move to be closer to them. He is argumentative and generally cranky.

BRODY MCELROY: (Age 38) Oldest son, views himself as the de facto head of the family as Roger has been ill. He is a successful banker and is married with three small children. He is disdainful of his father because of how Roger treated Claire when they were married. He views his siblings as weaker personalities that can be controlled and manipulated by their father.

HEIDI MCELROY: (Age 34) Middle daughter. She is an elementary school teacher and is by nature very caring and nurturing, although her patience with her father is at an end. She tries to be sensitive to her father’s desire for independence while recognizing she is taking on the lion’s share of the burden of caring for him.

PHILLIP MCELROY: (Age 30) Youngest son. He is a college dropout and fancies himself a writer, although he is yet unpublished. He feels like he is a failure and a disappointment to his famous writer father, but he hides this fact by being sarcastic and caustic to his father and siblings. He is sincerely fond of his sister Heidi.

CALEB: Injured in a coal mining accident several years ago, he walks with a pronounced limp. He now operates the provisions store for the coal mining camp.

ANNA: Daughter of Caleb. Pretty, small, but a tomboy. Helps her father in the store.

JOSHUA: son of Caleb. Energetic, lives outside the coal mining encampment with other miners on strike against the company.

LILLIAN: Wife of Caleb’s younger brother who moved to Chicago some years ago.

QUINN: Works for the coal company as a guard and enforcer. A longtime friend of Caleb.

JIM: 30’s, rock engraver and carver, unsure of himself and his work. Only role for actor 1.

TESSIE: 50’s and up, wood turner, friendly, upbeat, veteran of festivals. Only role for actress 1.

SILAS: 50’s and up, husband of TESSIE, a good match, non-crafter, goes with her to the festivals. Only role for actor 2.

BECCA: 30’s – 40’s, reporter for local newspaper, feels her talent wasted there. Actress 2 plays BECCA, PAMMY and JUNIE.

ARLENE: 30’s-50’s, director of festival, competent, cares about festival, vendors and customers. Actress 3 plays ARLENE, EVIE and CERA.

RICKY: 30’s to 40’s, assistant to ARLENE for several years, general gopher, likes things done correctly. Actor 3 plays RICKY, DENVER, and ORTON.

PAMMY: 40’s, from long line of potters, straightforward.

EVIE: 30’s – 40’s, vendor, paints homey and inspiring sayings on rocks.

DENVER: Any age, husband of JUNIE, customer of EVIE, TESSIE, SILAS and JIM.

JUNIE: Any age, wife of DENVER, customer of EVIE, TESSIE, SILAS and JIM.

ORTON: 40’s, complainer, strict ideas of what proper craft subjects are.

CERA: Any age, pronounced as “Sarah”, hippy, or new age vibe.

ROGER MCELROY: (Age 76) Reclusive writer, recovering from recent heart surgery. He has a contentious relationship with his three adult children, all of whom want him to sell his home in the Blue Ridge Mountains and move to be closer to them. He is argumentative and generally cranky.

BRODY MCELROY: (Age 38) Oldest son, views himself as the de facto head of the family as Roger has been ill. He is a successful banker and is married with three small children. He is disdainful of his father because of how Roger treated Claire when they were married. He views his siblings as weaker personalities that can be controlled and manipulated by their father.

HEIDI MCELROY: (Age 34) Middle daughter. She is an elementary school teacher and is by nature very caring and nurturing, although her patience with her father is at an end. She tries to be sensitive to her father’s desire for independence while recognizing she is taking on the lion’s share of the burden of caring for him.

PHILLIP MCELROY: (Age 30) Youngest son. He is a college dropout and fancies himself a writer, although he is yet unpublished. He feels like he is a failure and a disappointment to his famous writer father, but he hides this fact by being sarcastic and caustic to his father and siblings. He is sincerely fond of his sister Heidi.

CALEB: Injured in a coal mining accident several years ago, he walks with a pronounced limp. He now operates the provisions store for the coal mining camp.

ANNA: Daughter of Caleb. Pretty, small, but a tomboy. Helps her father in the store.

JOSHUA: son of Caleb. Energetic, lives outside the coal mining encampment with other miners on strike against the company.

LILLIAN: Wife of Caleb’s younger brother who moved to Chicago some years ago.

QUINN: Works for the coal company as a guard and enforcer. A longtime friend of Caleb.

JIM: 30’s, rock engraver and carver, unsure of himself and his work. Only role for actor 1.

TESSIE: 50’s and up, wood turner, friendly, upbeat, veteran of festivals. Only role for actress 1.

SILAS: 50’s and up, husband of TESSIE, a good match, non-crafter, goes with her to the festivals. Only role for actor 2.

BECCA: 30’s – 40’s, reporter for local newspaper, feels her talent wasted there. Actress 2 plays BECCA, PAMMY and JUNIE.

ARLENE: 30’s-50’s, director of festival, competent, cares about festival, vendors and customers. Actress 3 plays ARLENE, EVIE and CERA.

RICKY: 30’s to 40’s, assistant to ARLENE for several years, general gopher, likes things done correctly. Actor 3 plays RICKY, DENVER, and ORTON.

PAMMY: 40’s, from long line of potters, straightforward.

EVIE: 30’s – 40’s, vendor, paints homey and inspiring sayings on rocks.

DENVER: Any age, husband of JUNIE, customer of EVIE, TESSIE, SILAS and JIM.

JUNIE: Any age, wife of DENVER, customer of EVIE, TESSIE, SILAS and JIM.

ORTON: 40’s, complainer, strict ideas of what proper craft subjects are.

CERA: Any age, pronounced as “Sarah”, hippy, or new age vibe.