A Night at the Gardens
Written and Directed By: Allyssa Hynes and E. Dale Smith-Gallo
Following the success of last season’s sold-out hit, A Night at the Theatre, Detective Truen False returns to solve another original immersive murder mystery at the Van Vleck House & Gardens! As the non-profit Montclair Internet Museum comes together to make an appeal to potential investors, tensions are running high between the employees and management– so high that not everyone is going to make it out alive! Nine actors follow nine unique tracks through the historic Van Vleck House as they discover clues, uncover secrets, and try to discover the murderer– before they strike again! (Oh, and it’s really, really funny!)
Audition Dates:
- Saturday, Nov. 21st at 6:00pm
- Sunday, Nov. 22nd at 6:00pm
Performance Dates:
- Friday, Jan. 22nd at 7:00pm
- Saturday, Jan 23rd at 7:00pm
- Friday, Jan. 29th at 7:00pm
- Saturday, Jan. 30th at 7:00pm
A Note on the Acting Style:
These plays are written to be intentionally broad, and they are, above all, comedies. Dig for any laugh that you can find. While the performers that we seek should not fall into the tropes of high melodrama, they should be funny, comfortable with improvisation and audience interaction, and willing to play for laughs!
A Note on Accessibility:
As a fully-immersive show, A Night at the Gardens requires that every performer move throughout the Van Vleck House for the entire show (including moving quickly up and down stairs and quick transitions throughout the entire space). Performers with mobility or stamina concerns may face challenges meeting the requirements of this show. We encourage you to look at the other shows that we are presenting this season to explore the opportunities that we offer for all performers.
Character Breakdowns:
DET. TRUEN FALSE, P.I. (Female, 30-50) Still a bumbling detective, but now for hire!*
*In order to maintain continuity between the two shows, this role has been pre-cast with the actor who originated the role. All other roles are open to anyone who auditions! Thank you for your understanding.
BEAUREGARD BUFFOONERY (Male, 35-60) CEO of the Montclair Internet Museum (M.I.M.). The only thing worse than his ideas is his personality.
CHELSEA CHECKLIST (Female, 35-60) M.I.M.’s grant writer and office manager. She’s “all business,” but that “business” is other people’s.
WESLEY WATCHMAN* (Male, 35-60) A Van Vleck security guard. Unfortunately for the victims, he knows a lot more about history than security.
*This role is double cast as Beauregard. Performers interested in these roles should prepare both sides.
DOUGLAS DOORMAT (Male, 50-65) M.I.M.’s Vice President/CFO/IT/HR. To call him “worthless” would be kind.
DORIS DAY-DOORMAT (Female, 50-65) Douglas’ wife. A former T.V. actress, she has her sights set on a new beginning, and she’ll do anything to achieve it.
GRETCHEN GOFUR (Female, 25-45) Administrative Assistant at M.I.M. She’s everyone’s friend– even if they are her enemy.
HARLAN HANDYMUN (Male, 35-55) M.I.M.’s facilities and social media manager. A bit naive, no one would ever suspect him of murder– which is exactly how he likes it.
SIERRA SITSAROUND (Female, 21) An unpaid intern at M.I.M., if eyerolls could kill, she’d be the most murderous person in the office.
LEONORA LIPSTICK (Female, 35-45) Sierra’s girlfriend. She’s a bit of a bystander at the event– which should in no way imply that she is an innocent one.
Side 1: Det. False & Chelsea Checklist
Side 2: Det. False & Wesley Watchman
Side 3: Douglas Doormat & Doris Day-Doormat
Side 4: Gretchen Gofur & Harlan Handymun