Lillian Hellman’s powerful and timely Watch on the Rhine will open the 2019 season at Church Hill Theatre. Directed by Mary Averill James, the play will run for three weekends from January 18 to February 3. Rehearsals will begin as soon as possible after auditions to allow the cast time to enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas with their families.
Watch on the Rhine takes place near Washington DC, just before the outbreak of World War Two, at the wealthy Farrelly home. Tensions arise when Fanny Farrelly’s visiting daughter Sara and her German patriot husband interact with a titled Romanian houseguest. Watch on the Rhine received the 1941 New York Drama Critics’ Circle award for the best play and was widely praised for its anti-Nazi theme.
James is making her directorial debut at Church Hill Theatre but brings substantial experience from St. Martin’s Community Theatre and the Colonial Players. She looks forward to working with both CHT veterans and newcomers. Watch on the Rhine has roles for men, women and children, spanning a flexible range of ages and ethnicities, with even the smaller parts playing key roles in the drama. Auditioners will be asked to participate in cold readings from the script. James also invites those interested in backstage or technical positions to come to an audition.
Auditions will be held on: Saturday, November 3, at 1 pm and on Monday, November 5 at 6 pm on the Church Hill Theatre stage. If needed, call-backs will be held on Wednesday, November 7.
The characters in Watch on the Rhine are:
Fanny Farrelly, 60s -70s, a wealthy and well-connected Virginia matron
David Farrelly, her son, 30-40s, attracted to Marthe
Sara Mueller, Fanny’s daughter, in her 40s
Kurt Mueller, Sara’s German husband, 40s to early 50s
Joshua Mueller, their teen-aged son
Babette, Mueller, a 10-12 year old daughter
Bodo Mueller, a younger son
Joseph, the Farrelly butler, is an older African-American
Anise, Fanny’s long-time French housekeeper
Teck de Brancovis, a sophisticated Romanian count, 30s – 50s
Marthe de Brancovis, his wife 20s – 30s
Contact the Church Hill Theatre at 410-556-6003 or execmanager@churchhilltheatre.org with any questions about the play, the roles, or the audition schedule.
