AUDITION NOTICE: A Few Good Men
WT is committed to being a diverse and open organisation. Auditions are open to anyone, regardless of background or experience, and we particularly welcome those who have been traditionally under-represented in theatre.
The second play in the new 2023-24 season will be A Few Good Men by Aaron Sorkin, directed by Lloyd White.
Based on a real life incident, A Few Good Men tells the story of the investigation into and court martial of two United States marines accused of murder, when their attempt to discipline one of their own underperforming comrades goes fatally wrong. During the course of the play we discover a high-level conspiracy which has led the two marines to be on trial for their lives – all in the name of “Unit, Corps, God, Country”.
Those familiar with Sorkin’s writing will know it to be slick, funny, clever and wonderful to perform. The majority of the play is a gripping courtroom drama with a number of fantastic parts available for a range of ages as shown below.
Note – a range of American accents required.
Roles
Washington DC
| Lieutenant Daniel A. Kaffee (M) | The main lawyer who defends the marines. Deemed to be young and cocky, he starts as a plea-bargain-happy lawyer and, with help from Joanne and Sam, he develops into a lawyer who is willing to fight for his clients. |
| Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway (F) | A crucial role of the hardworking and determined lawyer willing to upset the established order and who finds and brings light to the murder case. |
| Lieutenant Sam Weinberg (M) | A crucial part of the defence team, he guides and assists Kaffee in his pursuit of the truth. |
| Lieutenant Jack Ross (M) | The prosecuting lawyer who oversees the case against Dawson and Downey. |
| Captain Isaac Whitaker (M or F) | The commanding officer in Washington (only appears in first half so may double up). |
| Captain Julius ‘Judge’ Randolph (M or F) | The Judge who hears the case – requires an actor (male or female) with gravitas who can command the respect of everyone on stage. |
Guantanamo Bay – Cuba
| Lieutenant Colonel Nathan R. Jessep(M) | The commanding officer in Guantanamo Bay. A strong and powerful character who allows no doubt to interfere with, what he sees as, his God-given role in defending the United States. He is at the heart of the conspiracy. |
| First Lieutenant Jonathan James Kendrick (M) | A redneck, ‘good ol’ boy’ who has found himself in a position of authority under Jessep as the platoon commander. |
| Captain Matthew A. Markinson (M) | Serves under Jessep and is crucial in uncovering the conspiracy – spoiler, has a great death scene! |
| Lance Corporal Harold W. Dawson (M) | One of the two marines accused of the murder of Private Santiago. |
| Private Louden Downey (M) | The other of the two marines accused of the murder. He is the quieter of the two and lets Lance Corporal Dawson do the talking for him. |
| Commander Walter Stone (M) | The doctor who examines the body and gives crucial testimony in court. |
| Private William T Santiago (M) | The young marine murder victim who we see in flashback. |
In addition there will be three actors required to play multiple roles (with lines) in both Cuba and DC – all crucial to the action.
Auditions
A read-through will be held on Monday 22nd May at 7.45pm at Wokingham Theatre.
Auditions are on Wednesday 24th May at 7.45pm and Thursday 25th May at 7.45pm at the Theatre.
Performances will be from 18th to 28th October.
Lloyd White
chair@wokinghamtheatre.org.uk