Thinking about auditioning for Towngate Theatre’s upcoming production of “The Cripple of Inishmaan?” You should!
The Cripple of Inishmaan Is a Dark Comedy
Martin McDonagh, who just won Golden Globes for best director and screenplay for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” wrote “The Cripple of Inishmaan.” A dark, comedic play, set in the year 1934, the play concerns a tiny community of Inishmaan residing at the Aran Islands, off the western coast of Ireland. The inhabitants of the island are pretty excited about the prospect of a Hollywood film crew arriving in the neighboring region of Inishmore for the purpose of filming a documentary on the lives of people living on the island.
Billy Claven, who is regularly referred to as Cripple Billy, sees it as an opportunity to escape the boredom, poverty and gossip of Inishmaan. To everyone’s surprise, despite being a social outcast and an orphan, Billy lands a chance to play a role in the documentary film…or as is believed by some.
Being In Community Theater Is Good for You!
Being in a play has positive benefits that can affect your life in many ways!
• Communication skills. Performing onstage can help you get comfortable speaking in front of large audiences.
• Expressing our humanity. Acting is a way we express that which makes us human.
• Meeting people. Being in a play brings you together with a community of people that you may not have interacted with before, giving you the opportunity to meet new people.
• Community involvement. Theater gives back to the community. The time you give can entertain hundreds of people and bring joy to their lives.
Come Audition!
Auditions for “The Cripple of Inishmaan” will be held this Monday and Tuesday, January 22 & 23 at Towngate Theatre. The play will be staged March 16-18 & 23-24, 2018. The cast calls for 5 men and 4 woman (ages teen to adult). P.D. Gregg directs the production.
Characters include:
• Billy Claven, a crippled orphan
• Kate Osbourne, Billy’s adoptive aunt
• Eileen Osbourne, Kate’s sister and Billy’s other adoptive aunt
• Johnnypateenmike, the town’s gossip
• Mammy O’Dougal, Johnny’s alcoholic 90-year-old mother
• Helen McCormick, Billy’s crush
• Bartley McCormick, the village idiot
• Dr. McSharry, the town’s doctor
• Boatman Babbybobby Bennet
Keeping the Community in Community Theater in Wheeling. . .
Towngate is a cornerstone of creative life in Wheeling and serves as an entertainment destination for residents of the Ohio Valley and beyond. People of all ages and backgrounds gather here to create and experience art onstage. Most of all, Towngate celebrates the essential power of theater to illuminate our common humanity. The community enjoys and participates in hundreds of live performances, classes and workshops year-round.