LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE SEEKS SUBMISSIONS FROM LOCAL ACTORS FOR:
A Dram of Drummhicit
By Arthur Kopit and Anton Dudley
Directed by Christopher Ashley
Producer: La Jolla Playhouse; Christopher Ashley, Artistic Director; Michael Rosenberg,
Managing Director
Contract: AEA LORT B
Schedule:
Rehearsals Start - April 12
Previews Start - May 17
Closing - June 12
Note:
A Dram of Drummhicit is a modern comedy set in rural Scotland. Characters are
variously Scottish, American, and British: required accent is noted with each
description.
Charles Pearse (early to mid-30s):
American. Charles is corporate “fixer”, so we need to see authority and intelligence.
People warm to him on first sight. Charles is someone other people trust. That’s what
makes him so effective at his job. But there is something else in Charles’ character: it’s
the ability to act ruthlessly. Though it comes out only rarely, when it does you don't want
to mess with him.
Harry Morgan (mid-50s):
Scottish. A true Scot. Canny businessman. Laconic. Dry sense of humor. (And of course
with a great Scottish accent.)
Robert Bruce (mid-50s):
American. Robert Bruce is Donald Trump, but without the weird hair. In short, someone
capable of exploding in anger at any moment (but without going over the top). Yet, like
Trump, he can be charming when he needs. One can understand why he has so much
power.
Angus MacLeod (a.k.a. Old Angus) (late 50s – mid-60s):
Scottish. Angus is a fisherman, and the fish have gone away: he knows it’s not an
accident. Therefore, one needs to see a sense of tragedy in him, and yet life. Old Angus
has spirit and impeccable dry comic timing. He also has Fiona, his daughter, and no
father has ever loved a daughter more.
Fiona MacLeod (Angus’s daughter) (mid to late 20s, could be 30):
Scottish. Pretty, and saucy, and sexy, with great comic chops. The temperament of a
fiery redhead. Like all the Scots, it's a dry sense of humor she has. Utterly unselfconscious about her body (brief nudity in one scene).
Mackenzie Stewart (age not a factor here, but 40 something would be fine):
Scottish. The pubmaster, he has energy and enthusiasm and dry humor. One can
understand why he’s who the other townsfolk look to for leadership.
William Ross (a.k.a. Old Willy) (needs to be old, but not decrepit; late 60s would be
good):
Scottish. Think Jim Norton. Ross needs to be crotchety, and quirky, with one leg half in
the grave. He’s done a bad thing and knows it. (He’s betrayed the island.) He’s also got a
very bad cold, and knows it’s not the flu but the gods, angry with him. (He needs to be
older than Harry or Bruce, and more of an “odd ball” than any of the others.)
Reverend Hagglehorne (50s?):
Scottish. A man of God, but only barely. When the play opens he's at the end of his
tether, and we should see that in his eyes, and manner. In short, he’s not a physically
strong man. This man has been beaten down by fate, and looks it. Like all our characters,
he needs to have a wonderful Scottish accent and great comic timing. On some
fundamental level, we must love him, and want things to work out for him, which they
will.
Little Nick (the sexton) (anywhere from early 20s to mid-30s):
Scottish. Tall, and appropriately gangly, with the right amount of quirkiness. He and
Reverend Hagglehorne are like Gogo and Didi, or, if you prefer, Mutt and Jeff.
Felicity Oliphant (maybe 40 to 50 – in short, neither young nor old):
British. As the Reverend Hagglehorne says, “It’s a sweet name she has, but she is
definitely no sweetie-pie.” That’s Felicity in a nutshell – who is not Scottish by the way,
but British. In short, she is one tough dame, more than capable of fending for herself in
the wild, the desert, the bush, or wherever her archaeological adventures take her. (I see
her as sort of a female Indiana Jones.) I would bet she’s great at arm wrestling. Certainly
can drink most men under the table.
**Please read the breakdown carefully and submit only if you are right for one or more
roles.**
Submit headshot and resume to auditions@ljp.org only if you are LOCAL to San Diego
or if you live in Southern California and have San Diego housing available to you.
Please put “DRAM – Local Submission” in the subject line of your email.