Auditions: Arms and the Man

Audition Dates: Sunday 4/7, 3:00pm and Monday April 8, 7:00pm (pick one)

Location: Rogers Park Amphitheater, 55 W. Howard St., Tryon, NC 28782

Performance Dates: Thursday, October 3 through Sunday, October 6 at 7:30pm

Performance Location: Rogers Park Amphitheater, Tryon NC

Regular rehearsals start in mid-August. We’ll take a 10-day break at the end of August/ September.

Each cast member will rehearse four or fewer times per week until the final few weeks.

We’ll have a few early cast get-togethers for read-throughs, character exploration and improv.

The play and its characters:

Arms and the Man is a brilliantly written, classic comic play set in a fancy but shabby home in Bulgaria in 1885. It follows Raina Petkoff (age 23) as she chooses between her fiancé, the rather stupid war hero Sergius (30’s), and a cynical mercenary from the opposing army, Captain Bluntschli (30 or so), whose surprise arrival in Act 1 sets the action in motion and whose radical views toward just about everything drive the plot through to the end. Raina’s servant, Louka (about the same age as Raina), chafes against her servitude. She knows she’s every bit as worthy as her supposed betters, and she shows it in her behavior — so much so that she ends up basically stealing Sergius away from Raina. Nicola (male, 30s or early 40s), the Petkoffs’ head servant, is the model of discretion and responsibility. Being engaged to the sassy Louka turns out to be more than he can handle. Raina’s parents Major Paul Petkoff (50s) and Catherine Petkoff (40s or 50s) are lovable and responsible, but they’re so enmeshed in their traditions and social paradigms that the changes surrounding the family throw them for a loop. 

Using satire and irony, Shaw lays bare the absurdity of war, social expectations and self-importance. Every character provides juicy opportunities for a good actor. So much fun!

There are a total of seven roles: three women and four men. 

From director Andy Millard: I promise you a welcoming professional atmosphere, low stress, and loads of fun.