ARSENIC AND OLD LACE AUDITION INFORMATION

All those cast in ARSENIC AND OLD LACE are required to become a KVTA member ($30) by the initial cast meeting/read-thru. One parent/guardian being a member of KVTA does cover the membership requirement for all family members 17 and under. Failure to complete this requirement will result in the cast member being removed from the production.

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Director: Paul Snyder

Assistant Director: Beth Sutter

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​​​​PERFORMANCE DATES / LOCATION:

October 23, 24 and 25, 2026

KVTA Studios Black Box Theatre  1 Stuart Dr  Kankakee, IL 60901

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AUDITION AND CALLBACK DATES / LOCATION:

AUDITIONS: Friday, August 7 beginning at 6:00 pm, Saturday, August 8 beginning at 9:30 am

CALLBACKS: Saturday, August 8 beginning at 1 pm

LOCATION: KVTA Studios  1 Stuart Dr  Kankakee IL 60901

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Questions regarding auditions, callbacks, or casting, may be emailed to the Director, Paul Snyder, at: arsenicandoldlace@kvta.org​​

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All auditioners must be 18 and older by auditions on August 7, 2026. Proof of age may be requested. and actors of any ethnicity / race are encouraged to audition for any part. All auditioners must complete an audition form, a conflict calendar, and sign KVTA's policy acknowledgement form. Cast members are required to provide the following personal items: shoes, socks, and stage makeup. In addition, cast members may be asked to supply other items such as: leotards, tights, etc. Optional expenses include: a digital download from the production, a picture CD, apparel items, production party attendance, cast/staff chill times, etc. PLEASE NOTE: Child care is not available during rehearsals and performances. Cast and staff members are not permitted to bring their children, or any additional family members, to rehearsals, unless prior permission has been given by the KVTA Board of Directors. ​All rehearsals are closed to the public unless otherwise stated. All KVTA facilities are smoke-free, alcohol-free, and drug-free. Anyone found to be in violation of these policies may be removed from the production.

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If you have already signed a policy acknowledgement form during our 2026-2027 Season, you do not need to sign this form again.

KVTA Policies: PDF

KVTA Policy Acknowledgement Form to be signed: PDF

All participants, on-stage or off-stage, will be required to sign KVTA's Social Media, Sexual Harassment, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policies. If said participant is under the age of 18, a parent or guardian will sign for the participant. Any parent or guardian signing for their auditioner agrees to instruct and provide information to their auditioner regarding KVTA's policies. An Emergency Card and Waiver of Liability must also be completed and signed in order to participate. These forms will be distributed when you first volunteer with KVTA. If you have any questions please email: kvta@kvta.org

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AUDITION INFORMATION:

Please sign up for an audition time HERE.
-  Time slots are currently limited to 8 auditioners per time slot. 

-  Additional time slots may be added and/or the number of auditioners per time slot may be increased, if needed.

-  If you cannot attend any of these audition time slots, please email the Director at arsenicandoldlace@kvta.org and we will come up with a suitable option for everyone involved.

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Audition Form can be downloaded here: Microsoft Word    PDF

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Conflict Calendar can be downloaded HERE.

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CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LIST OF AUDITIONERS. THIS LIST WILL BE MANUALLY UPDATED ONCE A DAY.

 

ANTICIPATED REHEARSAL TIMES:​​

Rehearsals will start the week of August 10, 2026. During August, individual cast members can expect to have rehearsal no more than four times per week. During September and October, individual cast members can expect to have rehearsal up to five times per week. While we are learning blocking, not all actors will be needed at all rehearsals. Once we begin running the acts, rehearsals will be full cast.

 

Please list all conflicts that you have from auditions through performances. Conflicts will not preclude you from being cast. They are needed for us to develop a rehearsal schedule, which will be based on cast and staff availability. Attendance for Tech Week is mandatory.

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Rehearsal dates are subject to change. We want to have all of the cast at ALL of our final tech rehearsals, so please be open and honest when completing your conflict calendar. Please be sure to list all of your conflicts from the audition date through the final performance date. If you have any questions about the information provided here, please email the Director, Paul Snyder, at arsenicandoldlace@kvta.org.

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CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS (ages listed are stage ages):
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Abby Brewster 65-80
One of the Brewster sisters; pillars of the community in Brooklyn, New York. Abby is assertive but polite, insistent upon any level of kindness.

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Martha Brewster 65-80
The other of the Brewster sisters. Martha is the more empathetic of the two, willing to give ground and hear people out.

 

Teddy Brewster 35-45
A nephew to the Brewster sisters. He is absolutely convinced that he is former president Theodore Roosevelt. He is also set to be committed to Happy Dale Sanitarium upon the sister’s passing.

 

Mortimer Brewster 25-40
A nephew to the Brewster sisters. An accomplished theater critic. Confident and smooth, he has recently proposed to his gal Elaine.

 

Elaine Harper 25-35
The Rev. Dr. Harper’s daughter and new fiancée to Mortimer. A no nonsense and playful spitfire.

 

Jonathan Brewster 30-45
A nephew to the Brewster sisters. A criminal on the run after a worldwide killing spree. He has had his face changed to one the resembles Boris Karloff.

 

Dr. Einstein 25-40
A talented plastic surgeon of German nationality. He gave Jonathan his new face. A chronic drinker due to a stressful life of traveling with the criminal.

 

Officer O’Hara 35-50
A sergeant of the New York Police Department and friend to the Brewster sisters.

 

Officer Brophy 30-40
A beat cop under Officer O’Hara. An aspiring playwright.

 

Officer Klein 20-30
A rookie cop under Officer O’Hara

 

Lt. Rooney 45-60
A hardnosed detective that wants the job done as quickly as possible. Will also be playing Rev. Dr. Harper, minister of the church next door to the Brewster estate.

 

Mr. Witherspoon 50-65
Administrator of Happy Dale Sanitarium. Will also be playing Mr. Gibbs, a drifter

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INITIAL AUDITION FORMAT:

At the initial audition, everyone will read one monologue of their choice from the options provided below.

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O’Hara
Did they have that in the play you saw tonight? Gee, they practically stole that from the second act of my play. Why, in the second act, just before the… I’d better begin at the beginning. It opens in my mother’s dressing room, where I was born, only I ain’t born yet. Well, she’s sitting there making up, see. When all of a sudden through the door, a man with a black mustache walks in, turns to my mother and says, “Miss Latour, will you marry me?” He doesn’t know she’s pregnant.

 

Mortimer
Oh, you think people in plays act intelligently. I wish you had to sit through some of the ones I have to sit through. Take the little opus I saw tonight for instance. In this play, there’s a man… he’s supposed to be bright… he knows he’s in a house with murderers, he ought to know he’s in danger, he’s even been warned to get out of the house… but dose he go? No, he stays there. Now I ask you, doctor, is that what an intelligent person would do?

 

Elain
You were supposed to take me to dinner and the theater tonight. You called it off. You asked me to marry you. I said I would. And five minutes later you threw me out of the house. Tonight, just after your brother tries to strangle me, you want to chase me home. Now, listen, Mr. Brewster; before I go home, I want to know where I stand. Do you love me?

 

Abby
You see, Mr. Midgerly came here looking for a room and it didn’t seem right for that lovely room to be going to waste when there were so many people who needed it. All his kith and kin were dead, and it left him so forlorn and unhappy. Then when his heart attack came, and he sat dead in that chair, looking so peaceful… remember Martha? We made up our minds then and there that if we could help other lonely old men to that same peace, we would.

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CALLBACKS:

Saturday, August 8, 2026, beginning at 1 pm.
• For anyone new to the audition process, callbacks are only for select auditioners that the show staff members (i.e. Director, Assistant Director) would like to see again. If you are not called back, this does NOT mean that you will not be cast in the show.

• We will post a callback list on the KVTA website at http://www.kvta.org and on the KVTA Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/kankakeetheatre on Friday, August 7, after all initial auditions have been completed, so it will be late in the evening. Your patience is greatly appreciated!
• If for any reason you cannot make this callback date, PLEASE email the Director before your audition, or tell the board member working the check-in table at auditions.
• If you are called back, it is highly encouraged that you make every effort to attend the callbacks. 

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CALLBACK SCENES: CLICK HERE

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CAST LIST:
The cast list will be posted on the KVTA website at http://www.kvta.org and on the KVTA Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/kankakeetheatre on Saturday, August 8, after all callbacks have been completed, so it could be very late in the evening. Thank you in advance for your patience as we will have many difficult decisions to make! 
 

For those cast in the show, our CAST MEETING and READ THRU will be held on TBD at the KVTA Studios.

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Further questions regarding auditions, callbacks, or casting may be emailed to the Director, Paul Snyder, at: arsenicandoldlace@kvta.org  Please include Arsenic and Old Lace Auditions in the subject line.

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Break a leg!

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Sincerely,

The Staff of Arsenic and Old Lace​