The Liberty Center Association for the Arts Inc. will host auditions for Agatha Christie’s “The Hollow” at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7 and Tuesday, Dec. 8 at the Liberty Center, 111 W. Fifth St. The cast will consist of six women and six men (possibly seven women and five men) aged 20 and over. Performance dates will be March 4, 5 and 6, 2016, and March 11, 12, and 13, 2016.
An unhappy game of romantic follow-the-leader explodes into murder one weekend at The Hollow, home of Henry and Lucy Angkatell. Dr. Cristow is at the center of the trouble when his mistress Henrietta, ex-mistress Veronica, and wife Gerda, simultaneously arrive at The Hollow. Also visiting are Edward (who is in love with Henrietta) and Midge (who loves Edward).
Veronica ardently desires to marry Cristow and succeeds in reopening their affair but is unable to get him to divorce his wife. Veronica unwisely states that if she cannot have him, no one shall. Within five minutes Cristow is dead. Nearly everyone has a motive and most had the opportunity. Enter Detective Colquhoun and Sgt. Penny to solve the crime.
Cast includes:
British accents not necessary. Character age ranges (approximately):
Henry Angkatell (over 60)
Lucy Angkatell (over 55)
Henrietta Angkatell (30-45)
Edward Angkatell (30-45)
Midge Harvey (20-30)
John Cristow (35-45)
Gerda Cristow (30-45)
Veronica Craye (30-45)
Gudgeon (over 45) (could be a man or a woman)
Doris (20-30)
Detective Colquhoun (over 40)
Sgt. Penny (25-35)
In 1951, Agatha Christie adapted the book into a successful stage play and in 2004 the novel was premiered as a made-for-television movie. The LCAA production will be directed by Tom Eschbacher, who after 32 years in Houston, Texas, retired from his job and returned home to Sedalia where he was born and raised.
Tom played the narrator, Jean Shepherd, in last year’s production of “A Christmas Story, The Musical.” In Houston, he was very active with The Company OnStage, a suburban theater, where he appeared in many productions over the course of nearly three decades. He also directed 12 productions with COS, including “You Can’t Take It With You”, “Wait Until Dark,” “I Hate Hamlet,” “George Washington Slept Here” and “Absurd Person Singular and Postmortem.”
In the 1970s, Tom was active in theater at CMSU, SFCC and Smith-Cotton. Tom and his wife, Diane, and their two children enjoyed performing together in “A Christmas Story, The Musical” last year on the LCAA stage for the first time.
Those auditioning should come prepared to do a cold reading. For questions, call Eschbacher at 851-2065.