Please join us at auditions for a dinner theatre production of Bill Hand’s “Murder on the Menu”, presented by Chelsea Area Players!
◈ AUDITIONS ◈
St. Mary of Chelsea Catholic Church
14200 E. Old US Hwy 12
Chelsea, MI 48118
• Sunday, December 14, 6:30-8:30pm
• Monday, December 15, 6:30-8:30pm
• Callbacks, *if needed*, will be on Wednesday, December 17, at 6:30pm
• Read-through will be on Thursday, December 18, at 6:30pm before a two-week holiday break.
Actors will not be expected to stay for the entire audition – drop by when you are able! Please only attend one night of auditions. Callbacks are invitation only.
Actors will be put into groups to participate in a few short improv activities. See more details below.
Auditioners will be individually notified of their casting status via email by the morning of Thursday, December 18, at the latest.
If you are unable to make these audition/callback dates but are interested and/or have any questions, please contact either:
Michael Cicirelli (the director): michaelcicirelli@gmail.com or (517) 206-9033
Todd Ducsay (the producer): toddducsay@hotmail.com or (734) 634-8073
◈ WHAT TO PREPARE AND EXPECT FOR AUDITIONS ◈
• Actors should prepare a one-minute comedic monologue. Memorization is preferred but not mandatory. Sample monologues will be available upon request and provided at auditions.
• Actors will have headshots taken at auditions and are encouraged to dress accordingly (i.e., solid-colored tops) and dressed to move.
• Actors should have their list of scheduling conflicts for Sunday, January 4, through Saturday, February 7.
• Actors are encouraged to bring a resume and/or headshot, although neither are required.
◈ PERFORMANCES ◈
St. Mary of Chelsea Catholic Church
Friday, February 6, 2026 at 7pm
Saturday, February 7, 2026 at 2pm and 7pm
Dinner will be served one hour before each performance.
There will be at least a one-hour break for the performers in-between performances on February 7 with food being served to cast in-between those performances.
◈ MORE ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION ◈
• All performers must be age 18+.
• No previous theatrical experience is required to audition.
• Rehearsals will typically be Sundays-Thursdays from 6:30pm-9pm, weather permitting, until they get closer to the show.
• We encourage actors of all ages, gender identities, races, and ethnicities to audition. While we welcome non-traditional casting and embrace actors to audition for roles that they feel that they can authentically portray, we ask that actors that identify as male or female audition for roles that align with their respective gender presentation to ensure authenticity in character portrayal. Our goal is to ensure that the portrayal remains true to the character’s essence while also being open to diverse interpretations.
• Rehearsals will be at St. Mary of Chelsea Catholic Church, unless otherwise specified by the director or producer.
• There is a $55 participation fee that helps cover production costs, along with a Chelsea Area Players membership fee, for those that are cast. The membership fee is $10 per senior or student, $20 per individual, or $35 per family. These fees are due on Sunday, January 4. If you have questions or run into payment issues regarding the participation fee, please reach out to the producer or director.
◈ SHOW SYNOPSIS ◈
Artemus Ward, head of the lucrative family publishing business, falls face-first into his mashed potatoes, revealing a knife in his back and turning the meal into a murder investigation! Luckily, Dr. Bullfinger, an over-eager, newly elected county coroner, was dining at the restaurant and is eager to lead this investigation… and give herself a career boost in the process!
It’s hard to say who did it considering everyone has a motive. Reginald, Artemus’s son and heir to his business who stand to gain control of it? Alexis, Artemus’s daughter and four-time widow of husbands who all died at the dinner table? The destitute nephew, Bernie, from the mailroom, desperate for money and respect? Jeannie, the bumbling owner of the restaurant? Eileen Morrow, the aggressive attorney connected to the business, known for backstabbing tactics and possible legal grudges? Or, perhaps… someone else?!
(Between scenes, there will be a block of time for the audience to interact with cast members and discover additional clues so they can fill out their Whodunit sheet. The humor, twists, and surprises don’t end in this cleverly crafted mystery!)
◈ CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS AND APPROXIMATE LINE COUNT ◈
Artemus Ward (1): Murder victim; philanthropic, cranky, and opinionated owner and publisher of Ward Books. NOTE: The performer playing Artemus will also perform as Major.
Gender/Age: Male, 40s+
Bernie Jones (74): Artemus Ward’s young nephew; an insecure loafer from the wrong side of the tracks; works in the Ward Brooks mailroom.
Gender/Age: Male, 18-20s
Eileen Morrow (88): Artemus Ward’s attorney-at-law and executor of his will; crisp and professional but cold and defensive.
Gender/Age: Female, 30s-50s
Jeannie Dell (77): Young owner of The Manor, a barely surviving but tasteful little restaurant; a trifle daft
Gender/Age: Female, 20s-30s
Alexis Ward-Regent-Middlefield-Abernathy-Gillicudy-Boskowicz (81): Artemus Ward’s oft-widowed, Dickinson quoting daughter, whose sanity is more than a little suspect; acquisitions editor for Ward Books and signer of their one best-seller, “Steamy Nights in N’Awlins”; she and her brother, Reginald, are heirs to Ward Books.
Gender/Age: Female, 20s-40s
Reginald Ward (94): Artemus Ward’s son; warm as a fish, scheming as a snake; he and his sister, Alexis, are heirs to Ward Books.
Gender/Age: Male, 20s-40s
Dr. Toni/Tony Bullfinger (70): The ambitious but incompetent, newly-elected county coroner.
Gender/Age: Any, 20s-30s
Major (93): An ambitious, aggressive, and quick-thinking journalist whose father was a big fan of Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. NOTE: The performer playing Major will also perform as Artemus.
Gender/Age: Male, 40s+