Auditions for

The Pillowman
By Martin McDonagh
Directed by Heather Penzo
The Pillowman will be presented October 26th – October 31st, 2015 in the Forbes Center Studio Theatre.

"The first duty of a storyteller is to tell a story…” (McDonagh)

With echoes of Stoppard, Kafka, and Brothers Grimm, The Pillowman centers on a writer in an unnamed
totalitarian state who is being interrogated about the gruesome content of his short stories and their similarities
to a series of child murders. The result is an urgent work of theatrical bravura and an unflinching examination of
the very nature and purpose of art. This Tony nominated dark comedy has been acclaimed as, “A complex tale
about life and art, about fact and illusion about politics, society, cruelty and creativity.” –The Financial Times

Characters include:

Katurian (a writer) Ensamble:

Michael (Katurian’s sibling) Mother, Father, Boy,
Tupolski (a detective) Girl 1, Girl 2, Man
Ariel (detective’s partner)

Auditions will be held in the Forbes Center Room 1220 Friday, September 4th from 7:00-
11:00pm. Callbacks will begin at 6:00 PM in Room 1220 on Sunday, September 6th.

Audition procedures:
Look for The Pillowman Audition Sign-Up Sheet on the callboard outside the Theatre and Dance offices in the
Forbes Center. Please sign up for a time slot and plan to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your slot to fill out an
audition form.

What to prepare:
Please prepare a package that is three minutes or less in length including two contrasting contemporary
monologues (dramatic and comedic).
Please bring a resume and headshot if you have them, and be prepared to fill out an audition form listing all
conflicts between auditions and the performance dates. If you do not have a headshot, it is likely that we will
take your picture immediately prior to or following auditions.

Familiarity with the script is vital, particularly for the callbacks. Scripts can be found in the Theatre Library.

If you have any questions, please contact Chris Nehls (nehlscr@dukes.jmu.edu) or Heather Penzo
(penzohm@dukes.jmu.edu)