Theatre Arts & Performance Studies

Audition Notice: Machinal

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Auditon Notice

Machinal 
by Sophie Treadwell
co-directed by Richard Waterhouse & Kym Moore


Performances:
October 30 - November 9

Inspired by the 1920s story of Ruth Snyder, Machinal highlights the relentless pressure of a society that keeps a young woman trapped between expectation and desire. Through a series of nine episodes, we follow a young woman’s journey as societal demands of marriage, motherhood, and work clash with her yearning for freedom. A powerful expressionist drama, Machinal is a chilling exploration of isolation, convention, and rebellion. 

Please note that actors can receive half or full course credit.

Auditions
Stuart Theatre: 75 Waterman Street
Thursday, September 11: 6 - 10PM
Friday: September 12: 6 - 10PM
Callbacks
Saturday, September 13: 1 - 5PM

Audition slots will be 10 minutes long. Please arrive at least 10 minutes before your slot time and sign in.

Sign up for an audition slot here: MACHINAL AUDITION SIGN-UPS

For Auditions Please Prepare:

  • The first three minutes of the audition are yours to show us whatever you do best!

Act, sing, dance, play an instrument, spoken word performance, poetry reading….

almost anything goes! 

 

Casting Note

Machinal requires a large and versatile ensemble cast of 12 actors and 4 dancers. This production presents an exciting opportunity to perform in an expressionist theatrical piece, using bold visuals, intense emotions, and symbolic staging to convey deeper truths.  

Actors who dance, sing, and/or play an instrument are encouraged to audition.

The Young Woman (Helen) is the central character.  Other key roles include the Husband, Mother, Lover, and various supporting characters such as the Telephone Girl, Stenographer, Doctor, Lawyer, and Priest.  Each character plays a role in highlighting themes of conformity, gender roles, and the struggle for personal freedom.
 

TAPS is committed to inclusive casting. Performers of all races, ethnicities, genders, abilities, and neurodiversities are encouraged to audition. We believe that diversity and inclusion enrich storytelling and welcome actors of all backgrounds to share their talent with us. 

Character Descriptions

These descriptions are based on the text and are to be used as a starting point. Further discovery and development will continue from there.

Young Woman (Helen)

The protagonist, a young woman who feels trapped and is struggling against societal expectations and personal desires. 
Husband (George)

A successful businessman who is emotionally simplistic and treats Helen as a possession. He represents the suffocating conformity of marriage and society. Mechanical, emotionally distant, and demanding. 

MotherRepresents the societal pressures placed on women.  Resigned to her fate and the expectations of her gender, she emphasizes financial security over emotional fulfillment and pressures Helen to marry George.
LoverA charismatic and adventurous man who offers Helen a temporary escape from her mundane life. To Helen, he represents passion and aping Helen’s fate. The prosecutor is especially aggressive in dismantling her defense during the trial.
Telephone Girl

Helen’s coworker, who introduces her to the speakeasy and Mr. Roe. She’s lively and represents a more carefree approach to life. 

Adding Clerk

A dull, mechanical office worker who speaks in numbers and echoes others - symbolizing society’s conformity.

Filing Clerk

A young, curious office worker who occasionally shows enthusiasm, contrasting with the monotony around him. 
Stenographer

Judgmental and proper, she looks down on Helen for not fitting into the expected mold.

Doctor and NurseThe doctor is domineering and dismissive of Helen’s emotional distress. The nurse is more empathetic but fails to grasp the depth of Helen’s suffering. 
Defense Lawyer and ProsecutorThe attorneys represent the legal system’s role in shaping Helen’s fate. The prosecutor is especially aggressive in dismantling her defense during the trial.

Barbers & Bailiff

These characters underscore Helen’s loss of agency, especially in the final scenes where she is physically prepared for execution.  

About the Directors

Richard Waterhouse (he/him) teaches TAPS 023 Acting and TAPS 1285 Film Acting as well as On Camera Acting for the 2Y Brown/Trinity graduate students.  In 2023, he directed Cabaret and in 2024, Angels in America in Stuart Theater. 

Kym Moore (she/her) is returning from a long hiatus directing at Brown.  Previous productions at Brown include Pippin, Gross Indecency, The Other Shore, Sonic Life of a Giant Tortoise.  Kym has been teaching acting and directing at Brown since 2008 and is the co-artistic director of the Antigravity Performance Project.  She is thrilled to be collaborating with Richard and the Brown production team again after all these years.

For any questions, please contact Production Director, B Reo, barbara_reo@brown.edu