Auditions: The Wonder

Written by Maggie Lou Rader

Directed by Kate Adams

Rehearsals  September 11 - October 12, 2023

Performances October 13 - 29, 2023

This production will take place in person on the 3rd Act Theatre Stage at The Shoppes at Northpark.

We are committed to diverse, inclusive casting. For every production, please submit without regard to ability, 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)

SYNOPSIS

The Wonder is inspired by the first documented case of spiritual possession in America.  Mary Roff's unearthly illness turns her family and the town of Watseka, Illinois upside down, that is until Lurancy Vennum follows in her footsteps.

The Wonder is a journey of hope, loss, undying familial love, and healing beyond the bounds of this world. Also, it's a ghost story; an American Midwest Gothic ghost story for mothers and daughters.

Character Advisory: All characters will interact with themes of death, grief, child loss, self-harm, and miscarriage.

Cast: 4 Actors

CHARACTERS

Ann Roff:  female-presenting, mid-30s-40s.  Mary's mother and Asa's wife.  A fierce lover of her family.  Lives quietly but is unafraid to speak her mind.  Steadfast, a little stubborn, but can be open to the new and the unknown with time and the trust of a loved one.

Character advisory:  speaks of miscarriage and child loss; tends to Mary after a self-harm incident; discovers Mary after she passes.

Asa Roff:  male -presenting, mid-30s-40s.  Ann's husband and Mary's father.  Kind, gentle, and patient, he is extremely hopeful even in the face of overwhelming grief and sorrow.  Willing to explore the unknown to find answers.  Very much in love with his wife and in awe of his daughter.

Mary Roff:  female-presenting, late teens to early 20s.  Mary and Asa's daughter.  Jovial, wise, and patient, she can be a bit timid at times.  A bright and brilliant soul, even as she becomes weaker and more ill.  Loves her family to the point of reaching "through the veil" to find them.  NOTE:  Piano and gymnastic skills are appreciated but not required.  Character advisory:  Speaks of miscarriage and child loss;  experiences malnutrition and extreme illness; while possessed, experiences seizure-like fits and a comatose mental state; self-harms by using a knife to cut her forearm.

Lurinda Vennum:  female-presenting, early 30s-40s.  Rancy's mother.  A widow, she tries her hardest to be the best for her daughter.  Frightened and sensitive to the world around her, she works hard to find the approval of others but gives her all in anything she does.  Character advisory:  Speaks of miscarriage and child loss; witnesses her daughter's seizure-like fits.

Lurancy "Rancy" Vennum:  female-presenting, mid-teens (14-15).  Lurinda's daughter.  A vibrant young woman that most adults would call "a handful", she is smart but impatient.  NOTE:  Gymnastic skills are appreciated but not required.  Character advisory:  Speaks of miscarriage and child loss.  While possessed, experiences seizure-like fits and a comatose mental state; briefly mentions Mary's self-harm incident.

Content Advisory: All characters will interact with themes of death, grief, child loss, self-harm, and miscarriage.