The Sherman Players, Sherman CT – Auditions for EVELYN IN PURGATORY
By Topher Payne
Directed by Terry Sagedy
Produced by Steve Stott
Auditions:
Sunday April 7th 2024 – 3.00 – 5.00 pm
Sunday April 14th 2024 – 7.00 – 9.00 pm
Monday April 15th 2024 – 7.00 – 9.00 pm
At The Sherman Playhouse, 5 Route 39 N, Sherman CT, 06784
(located between the firehouse and Mallory Town Hall)
Appointments are not necessary. Come to the Green Room at the rear of the Playhouse to sign in.
Audition sides are available at this link
Performance Dates:
Friday, June 7th – Saturday, June 29th
Available Roles:
We are looking for 4-5 women and 2-3 men.
Ages specified are guidelines.
The Sherman Players do not discriminate – Actors of all races, ethnicities and gender identifications are encouraged to audition.
Candace Metzger (30s) The person with the most power in the room and the least qualifications for it. From New Jersey, tries to hide the accent but fails when she gets emotional.
Evelyn Reid (30s) Likeable and resourceful. A careful mix of guarded pleasantry – she has a stellar game face. New England native.
Lila Wadkins (50s) Calm, maternal, thoughtful, witty. The voice of reason. The art teacher everyone wishes they had. Upstate New York native, some residual hippie around the edges.
Toby Fleming (20s) A bit of a geek. Quiet, passive-aggressive, perpetually uncertain. Brooklyn native.
Fred Disalvo (50s) Bombastic, funny, a bit of a bully. A gym teacher from Hell’s Kitchen, back when that still meant something.
Roberta Burke (60s) The self-appointed queen of all she surveys. Razor-sharp wit, no patience, and an uncanny ability to spot the weaknesses in those around her. Very Bronx.
Atwood (Unseen) The head of the disciplinary panel. The invisible voice of absolute authority. Written as “Ms. Atwood,” but can be changed to accommodate a gender swap.
Synopsis:
When a complaint is filed against one of the 70,000 teachers in New York’s public schools, they’re sent to a Reassignment Center, one of a series of empty offices in the Department of Education Building. There, they sit and wait for their case to be reviewed. Usually for months. Sometimes for over a year.
A claim of improper behavior by a failing student lands Evelyn Reid in “the rubber room,” where she encounters a group of teachers, some guilty, some not, who have long since lost any hope of returning to a classroom.
Over the course of the school year, these colleagues form an unlikely alliance, reminding each other of forgotten passions, emerging to face life outside in unexpected new directions. They also learn French and workshop a screenplay.
Reviews:
“The Breakfast Club for teachers… an uncommonly smart and restrained commentary on the public education system.” – Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“A remarkably well-constructed and very funny dramatic comedy… we’re kept constantly curious about each character.” – ArtsATL
“I love how these characters are introduced, how they change before our eyes (through an unlayering of truth and falsehood rather than through arbitrary plot contrivances.) I love how they surprise, how they make me laugh and move me, how they represent a broad spectrum of teachers and styles and ambitions. I loved every minute of Evelyn in Purgatory.” – Atlanta Theatre Buzz
For further information please contact admin@shermanplayers.org
