TCAN Players announce auditions for Agatha Christie's The Unexpected Guest
The Center for Arts in Natick, 14 Summer Street, Natick MA 01760

REHEARSALS BEGIN:
The rehearsal schedule is tentatively, Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday, evenings starting the first week in September, with some adjustments for schedule conflicts. Rehearsals will be held in North Framingham, not at TCAN.

PERFORMANCES:
Friday & Saturday November 6, 7, 13, 14, - 8:00 pm
Sunday November 8 - 7:00 pm
Sunday November 15 - 2:00 pm

AUDITIONS:
Open auditions to be held at TCAN Sunday July 19 6:00 to 8:00 pm Tuesday July 21 7:00 to 9:00 pm.
Auditioners will be asked to do cold readings from the script. A believable British accent is a MUST. Resumes and headshots are requested but not required. A perusal copy of the script will be available at the TCAN Box Office during regular Box Office hours.

STORY SYNOPSIS:
On a foggy night in Wales, a stranger walks into a house to find a man murdered and his wife standing over him with a gun. The woman is dazed and her confession unconvincing -- so the “unexpected guest” decides to help her blame the murder on an intruder. As the murder is investigated, a Pandora's Box of love, hate, suspicion and intrigue is opened in this lesser-known Christie jewel.

CHARACTERS:
(Ages are for a guide only. Chemistry is more important than actual age)

• Starkwedder (30+) The “unexpected guest”. Rough around the edges, outdoorsy type. Pragmatic and very determined. Has a sentimental side that he rarely reveals. A skilled manipulator.
• Laura (25-40) Richard’s wife. Very attractive woman in a miserable marriage. Not as fragile emotionally as she appears—she can, in fact, be quite cold and calculating.
• Mrs. Warwick (50+) Richard’s mother, and the matron of the Warwick family. She has an almost royal presence, quite commanding, and values the family’s reputation above all else.
• Mrs. Bennett (Benny, 40+) Housekeeper/secretary, efficient and capable and secretly nosy. She is very protective of Jan.
• Angell (30+) Richard’s caretaker. A sniveling worm of a man who is concerned only with his own well-being. He hides his worm-like tendencies under a veneer of insufferable British politeness.
• Jan (16-25) Richard’s half-brother (Laura is his step-mother). Described as “retarded”, he is more simple, child-like, and naive than actually retarded. He is tired of being treated like a child. Not as innocent as he appears.
• Julian (35+) Dashing and charismatic, with a military bearing and an inner kindness. A politician who truly cares about Laura, yet is horrified to think she may have killed Richard
• Sgt. Cadwallader (25-40) Head in the clouds, more cut out for poetry than police work. Approaches his responsibilities earnestly, if not always efficiently. May be played for comic effect, although he is not a buffoon.
• Inspector Thomas (40+) Dry. Subtle sarcasm. Generally unemotional but exasperated by Cadwallader’s scatter-brainednes. Dedicated to his work.

CALLING CREW:
TCAN Players is a community theater program that welcomes participation by everyone. Even if you are not cast for an “on-stage” role, there are many backstage jobs where we can use your skills and talents. Specifically for this production, Costume and Lighting designer and Run Crew are needed. If you are interested, contact the Producer Faye Harrington using our Feedback Page, here.