When Footlighters Theatre Society kicks off it’s 20th season in July, the audience will find trouble afoot at the Hanover D. Cash Clinic in Dogsbreath Devereaux, The Dastardly Doctor, which runs July 10-12 at the Prince Charles Theatre.
But first, the show has to be cast, which is why auditions are being held at 7 p.m. April 22 at the Snoring Sasquatch. Sixteen roles (four male, six female and six that can be either) are available in the play, and director Gail Kitt will write in short parts for “guest” patients and doctors, who visit Dogsbreath’s clinic.
Comedies are an important part of the Footlighters lineup, and Dogsbreath Devereaux is the most recent in a string over a dozen melodramas. Kitt, who was most recently seen on stage in Legend of Sleepy Hollow, directed The Villain Wore a Dirty Shirt in 2012 and acted in last summer’s hilarious Headed South from the Great White North.
The story concerns the title character, a doctor who plots in true melodramatic style to wed and do away with the wealthy widow Lotta Cash so he can inherit her fortune and her late husband’s clinic. He enlists the aid of nurse Hilda Hatchet, and promises to marry her once he disposes of Lotta. Problems arise with the insanely jealous Hilda catches Dogsbreath flirting with Wendy March, the heroine. Only the hero, Dr. Phil Good, can save Wendy and the unsuspecting Lotta from certain death.
Although singing ability is not required, Kitt will be adding songs to the story, so it would be an asset for performers in larger roles. Also, anyone auditioning should be prepared to move about during the audition.
“I want to see how they look,” said Kitt. “It’s a very physical comedy.”
For more information, contact Gail Kitt at 250-428-9415.
Dogsbreath Devereaux, The Dastardly Doctor, is the first show in Footlighters Theatre Society’s 20th season, and will be followed by a locally written version of Cinderella (Dec. 4-6) and Walt Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (April 16-18).
—FOOTLIGHTERS THEATRE SOCIETY