What Glorious auditions!

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WHAT GLORIOUS TIMES THEY HAD artwork 2Gabriola Players is seeking to cast several women and men for our spring production of What Glorious Times They Had, Diane Grant’s loving tribute to Canada’s suffragists.

Director Miranda Holmes will be holding auditions on Tuesday, 5 January 2016, 7 to 9pm at the Rollo Centre. Rehearsals will begin the following week, with performances 11-13 March 2016.

A plot summary and brief description of the roles to be cast follows.

Nellie lecture

 SYNOPSIS

Set in Winnipeg between 1912 and 1916, What Glorious Times They Had tells the story of the successful campaign led by Nellie McClung and the Political Equality League to win the vote for women in Canada. The play combines the themes of politics, suffrage and prohibition, treating them all with liberal amounts of humour, music and vitality.

ROLES TO BE CAST

Seven major roles (five of which involve singing): five female and two male.

There are 12 supporting roles (one of which involves singing): eight male and five female. As in the original production, multiple roles will be played by individual actors.

MAIN CHARACTERS

SIR RODMOND ROBLIN, the Premier of Manitoba; a dignified man in his early sixties (singing role)

P.T. FLETCHER, the parliamentary secretary to Sir Rodmond Roblin

NELLIE MCCLUNG, a social reformer, novelist and suffragist; an attractive woman in her fifties (singing role)

FRANCES BEYNON, a journalist and suffragist (singing role)

LILLIAN BEYNON THOMAS, a journalist and suffragist, sister of Frances (singing role)

CORA HIND, an agriculture expert and journalist, a forceful woman in her early fifties (singing role)

ADELAIDE ROBLIN, wife of  Sir Rodmond Roblin

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

AL, a salesman for Purity Flour

MR. WILSON, a rancher from Calgary, Alberta

GERRY, an insurance clerk

MR. BLACK, Gerry’s boss

MR. ACKROYD, a factory owner

FACTORY GIRL 1, Mr. Ackroyd’s employee (singing role)

FACTORY GIRL 2, Mr. Ackroyd’s employee

C.P. WALKER, a theatre magnate

A MAN, petitioner for “male suffrage”

EVELYN, an Eastern woman

MILLICENT, Evelyn’s sister

TOBIAS CRAWFORD NORRIS, leader of the Liberal Party, a man in his early fifties