A Murder Mystery
by: Vera Caspary and George Sklar, based on the novel by Vera Caspary
Directed by: Kira Blaskovich
Produced by:Joel Colburn & Lynn Wolsey
Audition Notes:
PowPAC welcomes and encourages actors of all ethnicities, gender identities, and abilities to submit for these roles.
PowPAC Theater is located at 13250 Poway Road, Poway, CA 92064 (Upstairs) – Elevator access in the back of the building.
Saturday, February 8th from 6:00-9:00 p.m. and Monday, February 10th from 7:00-9:00 p.m. (Please arrive early for paperwork and schedule comparison).
Callbacks will be by invitation on Friday, February 14th, 2025, if required.
The first rehearsal will be Monday, March 3rd.
Auditions will consist of readings from the script and other media chosen by the director.
Please bring a resume of theatrical experience and a recently headshot.
Appointments are not necessary.
For additional information and questions, please contact the Director at blaskovichdirect@gmail.com (Subject: Laura)
Watch for updated information on our Auditions webpage at www.powpac.org and on our Facebook page.
Compensation & Union Contract Details
No Pay - Volunteer Organization
Rehearsals and Performance Dates:
Rehearsal schedule will potentially be Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:30-9:30 p.m.; based on Cast availability. This schedule will increase two weeks prior to performance.
Rehearsal Start Time will be based on availability of cast.
Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. from Friday, April 11th, 2025 – Sunday, May 4th, 2025.
Saturday, April 19th and Saturday, April 26th will have a matinee performance at 2:00 pm and an evening performance at 8:00 pm.
Synopsis of the Play:
A young woman is murdered in her own home, and Detective Mark McPherson is assigned to solve the case. But, the more he learns about the murdered woman, the more tangled the web of suspects becomes. About the Characters: Casting Seven (8) Characters Mark McPherson Age:30s-40s Ethnicity: Any Line Load: Heavy Character: A shrewd young man, guarded in his manner, but with a dry sense of humor. He is not handsome, but attractive in a lean, vigorous, masculine way. He limps slightly.
Danny Dorgan Age:20s Ethnicity: Any Line Load: Medium Character: Carelessly dressed in loose slacks and a polo shirt, he is a New York kid with a rough, rather rude manner which he assumes to hide his sensitivity. Studied to be a classical musician, but gave it up for jazz.
Waldo Lydecker Age:40s-50s Ethnicity: Any Line Load: Heavy Character: Inclined to indulge his emotions, makes theatrical gestures at every opportunity, shows great gusto for everything he enjoys and greater scorn for everything his meticulous taste rejects. Uses his sense of superiority as a shield.
Mrs. Dorgan Age:40s-50s Ethnicity: Any Line Load: Medium Character: Faded with a touch of eccentricity in her dress. She wears an air of long-enduring martyrdom. Under her sweet, refined, controlled tones is a suggestion of suppressed hysteria.
Bessy Clary Age:30s-60s Ethnicity: Any Line Load: Medium Character: New York Irish, independent, plain-spoken and respectable, dressed in her Sunday clothes. Fiercely protects Laura's reputation.
Shelby Carpenter Age:20s-40s Ethnicity: Any Line Load: Medium Character: Well-bred, his manners are easy and gracious, but his features almost too symmetrical. He seems sincere but somewhat bewildered. Speaks with a slight Southern accent.
The Girl Age:20s-30s Ethnicity: Any Line Load: Heavy Character: Cross between femme fatale and damsel in distress. She has refined taste, but prefers comfort over luxury. Not afraid to stand up to the men in her life.
Olsen Age:30s-60s Ethnicity: Any Line Load: Light Character: Police officer charged with following Shelby, he is McPherson's right hand man. A little simple, but loyal.
Cast Requirements:
3 women, 5 men
Plot Synopsis:
When Mark McPherson first falls in love with Laura, he knows he's in love with a phantom—for Laura is dead, and he's in charge of her murder investigation. From her portrait, her letters, her personal effects and from his contacts with the three men who loved her, Mark has created an image of a woman tantalizingly alive and real, driving him down path of mad obsession in the quest to find her killer.