AUDITIONS FOR THE GLASS MENAGERIE AT CHURCH HILL

AUDITIONS FOR THE GLASS MENAGERIE AT CHURCH HILL

Church Hill Theatre is delighted to present Tennessee Williams’ classic drama, The Glass Menagerie, as its first production in March 2026. Director Michael Whitehill, known for his ability to challenge and motivate his actors, promises to make this a production to remember. Auditions will be held at the theatre on Monday and Wednesday, January 5 & 7, from 6-8 pm, and on Saturday, January 10, from 12-2 pm. The production will run from March 13-29, with performances on Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons.

The Glass Menagerie almost instantly made Tennessee Williams a major American playwright when it opened in 1944 and went on to win the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award in 1945. The play is strongly autobiographical, presented as Tom Wingfield’s unreliable memories of coming of age in shabby gentility. As in all his productions, Michael Whitehill promises an interesting and flexible audition process. Actors should be prepared for cold readings from the script—and for various other opportunities to demonstrate improvisation or teamwork skills. This play has chance-of-a-lifetime parts and the director invites both first-time and experienced actors to audition.

The characters are three members of the Wingfield family and a former acquaintance, the “gentleman caller.” The play is set in early 20th century St. Louis.

· Amanda Wingfield is a middle-aged Southern beauty, raised in luxury but now living with her adult children in much reduced circumstances. She pines for the past and worries about the future, but her devotion makes the situation even more dysfunctional.

· Laura Wingfield, the older child, has a physical disability and is mentally fragile. Isolated from the outside world, she has created an alternate reality through a collection of glass ornaments.

· Tom Wingfield works in a shoe factory to support his mother and sister, but yearns for independence and a more creative life. Resentful, he escapes by going to the movies almost every night. Tom serves as the narrator, but his version may not be truthful.

· Jim O’Connor knew both Laura and Tom in high school, when he was a star athlete. Now down on his luck, he by chance works at the same company as Tom. When Amanda becomes obsessed with finding a husband for Laura, Tom invites Jim to dinner.

· Mr. Wingfield left the family 16 years ago but is both absent and omnipresent. He never appears.

Wear comfortable clothes and be prepared for a bit of everything. While the “actual” Amanda is probably in her fifties and her children in their twenties, actors of any age, gender or ethnicity are welcome to audition. The theater is located at 103 Walnut Street in Church Hill Maryland. Please call the office at 410-556-6003 or consult the CHT website at churchhilltheatre.org for more information.