Wheaton Drama, Inc. (WDI) announces auditions for Michael Hollinger’s play, Incorruptible.

Incorruptible takes place in Priseaux, France, c.1250 A.D. The river flooded again, the chandler’s shop just burned to the ground, and Ste. Foy, the patron of the local monastery, hasn’t worked a miracle in thirteen years. Yes, the Dark Ages are still dark. But there is hope! The Pope promises a visit that will surely encourage other pilgrims to make the trek and restore the abbey to its former glory. But, a rival church claims to possess the relics of Ste. Foy and these relics are working miracles. All seems lost until the destitute monks take a lesson from a larcenous one-eyed minstrel who teaches them an outrageous new way to pay old debts. This is a Monty-Python type show.

Auditions will be at 7pm on Monday July 25 and Tuesday July 26 at Playhouse 111, 111 North Hale Street in Wheaton, IL. Callbacks, if needed, will be on Wednesday July 27. Actors are encouraged to bring a completed Incorruptible Audition Form to save time at auditions.

Auditions will involve cold readings from the script. Actors interested in the role of Marie or Jack are asked to prepare an audition song (approx. 15 seconds in length) – Can be something very simple such as “Happy Birthday”, “America the Beautiful”, etc. Songs will be performed A Cappella. There will not be an accompanist provided.

Actors interested in the role of Jack may also wish to prepare to showcase any juggling or guitar skills (Note: other common minstrel musical instruments may be used as well).

Roles to be cast:

Charles (50s) – Abbot and leader of the Priseaux Monastery for the past 13 years. Charles is compassionate and has the best intentions, but when the livelihood of the church is threatened, he begins to succumb to the pressures and compromise his values for the greater good.

Martin (40s) – The 2nd in command at the Monastery. Martin will do anything necessary to help the church survive – so that it will still be around when he steps into the Abbot position after Charles. Martin lacks the patience, sympathies, and people skills one would expect a monk to possess.

Olf – One of the monks. Olf is a bit dim witted and childlike, but very loyal to church and the leaders. He is also the brawn and does much of the hard labor chores at the monastery. There is always a sense that he’s not completely following what is happening around him.

Felix (20s -30s) – The newest monk at the Priseaux Monastery when the play begins. Felix is often the moral compass as the actions of the monks become more and more questionable. Though in his past he was known to have “a weakness of the fairer sex”, he now takes his vows very seriously, including obedience.

Jack (20s – 30s) – The opportunistic eye patch wearing travelling minstrel “husband” to Marie. Although he does not have any faith of his own, he is later blackmailed into becoming a monk. During a performance scene in the play, Jack needs to juggle, play the guitar (or similar minstrel instrument), and sing – but thankfully not all at the same time.

Marie – (20s – 30s) – The pretty travelling minstrel “wife” of Jack and daughter of the Peasant Woman. Her true love drowned years earlier, and now Marie is not happy with what her life has become nor what she needs to do to earn money. There are several physical comedy moments, including being carried in a sack by other actors, and Marie should also be able to dance and sing.

Peasant Woman – (50s – 60s) – Marie’s mother, she is desperately poor and is seeking help in any and every way she can think of – including praying to the local saint. She encourages Marie to make money anyway that she can (wink, wink, nudge, nudge), but vocally disapproves of her relationship with Jack.

Agatha – (40s – 50s) – Charles’ sister and Abbess of a competing church in Bernay. She has no shame, no tact, and celebrates the failures of her brother and his monks. She plows her way through every scene she is in.

Performances of Incorruptible are September 16 through October 9, 2011. Shows are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 3pm. Incorruptible is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc.

Wheaton Drama’s 2011-2012 season will also include On Golden Pond, Bad Seed, Black Comedy, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

For tickets and information, please visit https://wheatondrama.org, or call 630-260-1820.