Character Breakdown:

Mozart and The Gray Steward by Thornton Wilder
(1w, 2m)
A mysterious visitor wearing a mask and representing a prince offers Mozart the
fabulous sum of 400 crowns to write a Requiem Mass. The offer is tied to an
understanding that the composer will never “by any sign, by so much as a nod of your
head, acknowledge that the work is yours.” Mozart agrees to the bargain. Later, while
Mozart is sleeping, the masked visitor returns to him in a dream, this time representing
a different patron–Death.
Constanze - 20s-30s, Mozart’s wife 
Mozart - 30s-40s, the composer 
The Gray Steward - a mysterious visitor 

When Wendy Grew Up by J.M. Barrie
(1w, 1c, 1m, 1m/f) 
In this epilogue, Wendy Darling has grown up and is now an adult with a daughter of her
own named Jane. Peter Pan returns to take Wendy back to Neverland, only to find that
she has aged and can no longer accompany him. This realization is a poignant moment
for Peter, who remains forever young and is unable to comprehend the passage of time
and the changes it brings.
Peter Pan - teens-20s, mischievous and adventurous
Wendy - 30s-50s, matronly 
Jane (Wendy’s daughter) - teens-20s, naive and spirited 
Nana - their dog 

Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti
(3w, 6m/f)
A narrative poem by Christina Rossetti, first published in 1862. The
poem tells the story of two sisters, Laura and Lizzie, who encounter goblin merchants
selling exotic and enchanting fruits. The goblins' cries to come buy, come buy;
are both alluring and ominous. Laura, seduced by the goblins' tempting offers,
buys and consumes the fruit, paying with a lock of her golden hair.
After eating the fruit, Laura becomes addicted and desperately craves more,
but the goblins disappear, leaving her
in a state of decline and despair.
Jeanie: 50s-80s, Narrator and former buyer from The Goblin Market 
Lizzie: 20s - 30s, naive sister of Laura 
Laura: Curious and protective of Lizzie, her morals sometimes don’t equal out her ethics 
Goblins: All shapes and sizes, aggressive, reflective of animals 

Fears of Zero by Jerry Juhl
(1m, 6 m/f) 
Zero, a man alone in his study, recites his worst fears and how he cannot conquer them. 
Zero: 30s-60s, a man reflective, ready to settle the score with his insecurities 
Fears: nimble, similar to the archetypes of Noh Theatre in Japan

Knock! Knock! Who’s There?! By Edward Albee
(1 m voice)
An installment piece from the same playwright who penned Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Albee places a critic outside a theater wanting to get in but, sadly, is stuck outside, and cannot
fit in with the “in-crowd”. 
The Critic: sincere and bad with directions

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
(6 m, 6 w)
A narrative poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The poem begins with an old mariner
stopping a wedding guest to recount his tale of a disastrous sea voyage.
The mariner describes how his ship sailed southward and
encountered an albatross, which brought good fortune. However, he inexplicably shoots
the albatross with his crossbow, bringing a curse upon the ship and its crew.
Bride: 20s-50s, glowing at the prospect of her new life 
Groom: 20s-50s, glowing at the prospect of his new wife
Wedding Guests of all ages they are in awe of the new couple
Priest: 40s-70s, probably of the Episcopal persuasion 
Jock 1: 30s-50s, rich, arrogant, knows his insecurities
Jock 2: 30s-50s, middle-class, sticks with Jock 3 due to their similar following of Jock 1
Jock 3: 30s-50s, faux middle-class, a bit shabby, sticks with Jock 2 due to their similar following
of Jock 1 
The Ancient Mariner: 50s-80s, a frail old man whose traumas of the past haunt him and yearn
for him to teach others 

When Marshmallows Burn by Tara Meddaugh
Sammy and his mom are enjoying roasting marshmallows by the fire, under the full
moon, when something very strange starts to happen. Sammy’s arms look a little furry.
His teeth look a lot like fangs. And he has a sudden urge to kill squirrels—and eat them
raw. What (or who) else will he have an urge to kill? Is there anything his mother can do
to stop him, or can she ultimately accept and love him? This is a dark comedy about a
boy becoming a werewolf, but it’s also a story about needing acceptance and love, in
the face of evolving identity. 
Melissa: 30s-40s, Mother to Sammy 
Sammy: A boy around 10, Melissa’s son, he may be played by an actor into his 20s 

The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe
A narrative poem by Edgar Allan Poe. The poem tells the story of a
grieving man who is visited by a mysterious raven late at night. The man is lamenting
the loss of his beloved Lenore and is trying to distract himself by reading.
The Homeowner: Paranoia and anxiety riddle him to no end, and his tipping point is a raven
that lands on the his front ledge 

Christina Rossetti Poetry (Echo, Remember, A Bruised Reed He Shall Not Break, When I Am
Dead, My Dearest)
(4 W)
These four poems sum up the best of what Rossetti could offer the public.
Sincere, pointed, and beautifully crafted, four women grapple with the complexity of their Victorian cages
and discover that their own sufferings all intermingle with each other. 

Cold Journey in the Dark by Godwin Parke
A powerful dialogue between the ghosts of Jesus and Judas, it is, in the author’s words, “not so
much about two men involved as the clear types they represent: the follower who must at all
costs find an icon to worship and the born visionary leader who attracts such people, so
suffused by his vision that he never looks back to see if his worshippers are able to understand
or even keep up with him. 
Jesus: a legend brought about before his time 
Judas: a legend stripped before his time began

 

Total: 
33 roles for women 
36 roles for men