Audition Dates and Times

April 8, 2022 at 7 p.m.

April 9, 2022 at 1 p.m.

Audition Location

130 E. Mountain Street, Kernersville, NC 27284, downstairs

Character Roles

Alice Murphy: Female

Alice is mostly seen at age 38–an editor of a southern literary magazine; intelligent, attractive, professional–but with an air of melancholy. The same actress will also play Young Alice at age 16–rebellious, high-spirited, sexually forward, adventurous–looking to break out of small-town life and experience the world. Must be very strong singer and comfortable in folk and bluegrass styles.

Billy Cane: Male

A young soldier returning home from WWII; an aspiring young writer; fresh, open, optimistic, charming, and a little naïve.

Jimmy Ray Dobbs: Male

Jimmy Ray is mostly seen in his 20s in flashbacks–Mayor Dobbs’ son and young Alice’s beau; handsome, boyishly charming, well-built, and intelligent; from a family of wealth and power and is being groomed by his father for a similar future in the family business; an independent thinker who is not afraid to stand up to his father for what he believes in; he has a sense of personal responsibility and morality as well as a deep reserve of passion and emotion. The same actor will also play an adult Jimmy Ray at age 40.

Mayor Josiah Dobbs: Male

He is the mature Mayor of Zebulon; a political and financial powerbroker – distinguished, even elegant, an imposing and controlling presence; has a genuine interest in protecting his son’s future and his family name, but in doing so, is ultimately pushed to a point of extreme and irrevocable cruelty.

Margo Crawford: Female

A young (20s) small-town bookstore owner; a childhood friend of Billy’s who now harbors romantic feelings towards him; a natural beauty with a keen intellect.

Daddy Murphy: Male

Mature father of young Alice (40s–60s) an authoritative and a stern disciplinarian; devoutly religious, hard-working, a poor but proud farmer.

Mama Murphy: Female

Mature mother of young Alice (40s–60s) a caretaker to her family and her rural community; a warm, loving, sensible woman; hardworking, with great inner strength and compassion.

Daddy Cane: Male

Billy’s mature father (50s-60s); a widower; spry, good-looking; kind-hearted, if a bit lonely.

Daryl Ames: Male

An assistant at a literary magazine; funny, with a dry and officious sense of humor; insecure, and perhaps a bit socially awkward, but endearing and innately likable; some character singing required but not a major singing role; should be able to move well. Age is negotiable – prefer young adult.

Lucy Grant: Female

A junior editor at a literary magazine; an ambitious, professional young “modern” career woman of the 1940s; sexy, forthright, and provocative with a sharp sense of humor; must be able to vocally carry a big uptempo “foot stopping” drinking song and dance/move well.

Max: Male

A customer atMargo’s bookstore, at first, he has a crush on Margo, but later becomes Edna’s beau.

Florence: Female

An employee at Margo’s bookstore and a childhood friend of both Billy and Margo.

Edna: Female

An employee at Margo’s bookstore.

Stanford: Male

Loyal assistant to Mayor Josiah Dobbs

Dr. Norquist: Male

The local family doctor in Zebulon

Ensemble: Roles for males and females with speaking parts that also sing and dance as part of the ensemble.

Take the Stage!

At KLT, we conduct open auditions and welcome anyone in the community to have the opportunity to “take the stage”. Auditions are generally held three to four months prior to the show’s production dates. Details of upcoming auditions will be communicated on our Facebook page, through email blasts and on our website.

For information on preparing for your audition and what to expect when auditioning at Kernersville Little Theatre, please scroll to the bottom of this page.  We want to make sure you make the most of your audition experience.

Audition Preparations

*Audition Form – Our audition form is now available here for you to download. Please bring 3 copies with you to auditions! This will speed up the process.

*Age Range – Look for the character descriptions and any minimum age requirements in each audition notice.

We want you to get the most out of your audition with KLT.  Below are some general guidelines about our audition process and tips on preparing for your audition.

*Experience – You don’t need any experience to audition, or even to get a great part at Kernersville Little Theatre.  We get people with lots of experience and some with none at all.  All that is required is an interest in performing and a willingness to commit!

*What to Bring – You will be asked to identify any conflicts that you will have starting with the audition dates and running through the last performance, so bring your calendar.  If you have a resume showing your performing experience, you can bring that, but most people don’t.  We will ask you to fill out an audition form with your contact information and experience.

*What to Wear – Always wear comfortable clothes and shoes – NO SANDALS OR FLIP FLOPS, especially if you are auditioning for a musical.  If you are an experienced dancer you may want to bring your specialty dance shoes.

*What to Prepare – The audition for non-musicals will consist of reading from the script.  You do not have to prepare anything, but it can be helpful to have read or seen the play ahead of time so that you are familiar with what is going on in the script.  Individual directors may ask you to participate in some improvisations or theatre exercises, but don’t let that intimidate you – we’re here to have fun and to learn more about you!

If you are auditioning for a musical, you will also need to be prepared to sing a song.  You should bring a rehearsed song as well as the piano accompaniment. The accompanist will be seeing your music for the first time, so don’t worry if they don’t play it perfectly – just do your best!  The Music Director will probably also ask you to sing some scales to understand your vocal range.

Musical auditions may also include a simple dance routine.  The choreographer will give you some dance steps to do in a group to evaluate your basic ability.

*Most Important – Relax and have fun! And don’t be afraid to ask questions if anything isn’t clear to you. KLT is all about creating opportunities for you to get experience on and off stage. Come PLAY with us!

Special Thanks to Our Season Sponsors

The Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County
North Carolina Arts Council
Kernersville Foundation
River Landing at Sandy Ridge
Town of Kernersville
Vintage Sound & Light