Auditions
Tuesday and Wednesday, September 7 and 8, at 7:00 p.m.
Williams Center for the Arts Main Stage
Set in a town on Norway’s southern coast in 1882, the play exposes popular distrust of science as idiocy when the discoveries of a provincial town doctor threaten to destroy a growing local economy until politicians and business leaders step in to cover up an environmental catastrophe that cannot be contained.
Casting 7 women, 13 men, 2 boys
Women:
Katrine Stockmann – married to Tomas Stockmann and mother of his three children. Practical
and well-organized, she makes her husband’s scientific pursuits possible on a tiny
budget. Early 40s.
Petra Stockmann - idealistic daughter of Tomas and Katrine who is a school teacher in the town.
Early 20s.
Widow Kiil – manipulative and irreverent old woman who inherited her late husband’s fortune
from the tanneries polluting the town’s water supply. Adoptive mother of Katrine.
Stockmann. Nicknamed “the Badger” by the townspeople. Mid 70s.
Bandine – the Stockmanns’ sloppy servant girl and town native. Called “Sooty” by Tomas.
Early20s.
Mrs. Busk – unmarried and conservative principal of the town school where Petra teaches. Mid
50s.
Two Workers – uneducated middle-aged women from the town employed at the baths
Men:
Doctor Tomas Stockmann – a practicing physician with a fervor for the methods of science and
the chief medical officer of the town’s baths. Idealistic a
nd often impractical. Early 40s.
Peter Stockmann – the older brother of Tomas and mayor of the town where they both live.
Cautious but ruthless politician who has presided over an economic boom from the
town’s baths. Mid 40s.
Hovstad – hypocritical editor of the town’s leftist newspaper. Never far from his peasant roots.
Early 30s.
Aslaksen – owns the town’s only printing business and serves as chairman of the homeowners
association, which represents the business class. A self-educated and cautious moderate.
Early 50s.
Billing – an assistant at the newspaper who has dreams of running for local office. Early 20s.
Captain Horster – friend to Dr. Stockmann and has no interest in politics or current events. The
town is his home port. Mid-40s.
Mr. Vik – wealthy owner of the town’s shipping company and Captain Horster’s employer. 60s.
Mr. Rorlund – the town’s small-minded grammar school teacher. 40s.
Timber Merchant – a local businessman who spends his profit on spirits. The town drunk. 40s.
Two Gentlemen – wealthy elderly advisors to Peter Stockmann and board members of the town
baths.
Mailman – life-long resident of the town who is always late with mail delivery
Worker – local family man employed at the baths. Late 30s.
Boys:
Ejlif – son of Tomas and Katrine. Aged 13.
Morten – son of Tomas and Katrine. Aged 10
Perusal scripts can be signed out for a period of twenty-four hours from Joyce Wallace in Williams 132.
The director strongly suggests that students read the play before they audition.