Auditions: Heartbreak House by George Bernard Shaw

Directed by Don Taylor

Rehearsals: April 2021

Performances: May 2021

This production will take place in person.

We are committed to diverse, inclusive casting. For every production, please submit without regard to disability, race, age, weight, color, national origin, ethnic origin, gender identity, or any other basis. Any specifics integral to the plot or required by the publisher will be listed in the individual announcement.

(Audition information is subject to change)

Ellie Dunn has been invited to a party along with her father and fiancé at the home of the eccentric Captain Shotover, where he lives with his bohemian daughter Hesione and her husband Hector. But it soon comes to light that Ellie has eyes for another man. Surprises hit one after the other, when it turns out Ellie’s “true love” is not who he appeared to be, Shotover’s other daughter, Ariadne, shows up at the party after a 23-year absence, and love triangles shift and overlap.  

Captain Shotover: Male-presenting, 88.  He is the strange sea captain and father of Hesione and Ariadne.  He is constantly trying to attain the “seventh degree of concentration” whatever that is to him.  He appears to be a bit daft but is well aware of what goes on in his house.

Hesione Hushabye: Female-presenting, 40-50ish. Takes after her odd father, and is the lady of the house. She is a lovely woman, but it’s almost all fake, including her beautiful hair, as we find out. She is busy with everyone else’s personal lives in order to supplement her own. She understands that her husband, Hector’s, personal business is his own. The character of HESIONE will be costumed with a wig or extensions.

Hector Hushabye: Male-presenting, 40’s. A quite dashing man who likes to woo young women with his fictional adventures (lies) simply to entertain himself. He wins over Ellie, Lady Utterword, and his own wife. When not saying something extremely profound or alluring, he is attempting to sacrifice for the greater moral good. He exposes a lot about the inhabitants of Heartbreak House for this reason.

Lady Ariadne Utterword: Female-presenting, 40’s. The less Bohemian daughter of the Captain. She ran off to marry at 18 to escape Heartbreak House. Now, after 23 years,  she is back, to a less than warm welcome. She has always been plagued by men falling in love with her, but not the other way round. She thinks she is sophisticated but isn’t quite as much as she supposes.

Randal Utterword: Male-presenting, 30’s-40’s. He is a gentleman with a tendency to cause scenes. He has traveled the world in pursuit of  Lady Utterword, the wife of his diplomat, older brother. He’s a flute player plagued by jealousy.

Mazzini Dunn: Male-presenting, 50’s-60ish. Father of Ellie Dunn. A good man, but not good at business. He has lost everything and now runs a company owned by the notorious Boss Mangan.

Ellie Dunn: Female-presenting, mid-20’s-30ish. The very personification of sweetness and innocence. She aims to help her family by marrying into wealth. Her love for the classics, such as Othello, influences her romantic sentiments. Will she follow her heart or her head? Unlike her father, she is clever and enterprising and makes the most of her situation.

Boss Mangan: Male-presenting, 50’s. He is a plain, weak man with a powerful image.  While he has a head for business, he hasn’t a heart for love. He has decided to marry young Ellie, but his attention is diverted by someone else. His love of money all but guarantees his demise when he is joined by another crook.

Nurse Guiness (Housekeeper): Female-presenting, 60’s. She has worked for the Captain in Heartbreak House since Lady Utterword and Mrs. Hushabye were children.  She tries to control the chaos of the house. She introduces us to the disorder of the house and its inhabitants. A surprise relationship of hers is revealed near the end of the play.

The Burglar, aka, Billy Dunn: Male-presenting 50’s -60’s. A pirate who once robbed the Captain. He is now robbing the house. A fun character, and really the only real genius in the lot. His knack for robbing without stealing anything is truly inspired! 

Auditions will be online (Zoom) on March 20, 2021, with in-person Masked Callbacks on March 21, 2021.

Rehearsals begin virtually in March.

Sides will be provided.

Please contact the Box Office with additional questions.