Auditions

RUDOLPH - Sun. AUGUST 23 & Mon. AUGUST 24 (5:00-7:30 PM both days)
ALMOST, MAINE - Sun. DECEMBER 6 & Mon. DECEMBER 7 (6:30-8:30 PM both days)
THE BAD SEED - Sun. JANUARY 31 & Mon. FEBRUARY 1 (6:30-8:30 PM both days)
THE FULL MONTY - Sun. MARCH 21 & Mon. MARCH 22 (6:30-9:00 PM both days)

REHEARSALS START - TBA

Directed by: Nova Hall
Produced by: Carin Zakes

POWERHOUSE THEATRE DIRECTIONS

EITHER GOING NORTH OR SOUTH take Exit 14 (old exit 37) off Merritt Parkway (Rt 15). Take left off exit onto South Ave. (Rt 124). Drive about 1/4 mile to 1/3 mile to Waveny Park entrance on left. Once in park, follow winding road to top of hill. Mansion with stone pillars is in front of you with a sign pointing left to Powerhouse. Take that left and follow down short winding hill to see the stone building with turret in front of you. Parking to the right of building. Entrance to theatre is through small courtyard.

The Bad Seed by Maxwell Anderson tells the story of a seemingly perfect little girl, Rhoda Penmark, who is able to charm her way into getting almost anything she wants.  However, when she loses a competition at school to a boy, and that boy mysteriously disappears during a class trip the following week, her mother Christine begins to suspect that Rhoda is not quite as perfect as she seems.  The tension and suspense builds around these two characters as gradually, Christine learns more and more about her daughter than she ever wanted to know. 

A Pulitzer Prize finalist, The Bad Seed was based on the bestselling novel by William March and adapted into an Oscar-nominated 1956 film of the same name. The New York World-Telegram said that “it ranks with Dracula and sets your spine to as much tingling,” and other critics have described the story as, “dark, original… a technically accomplished story of suspense” and “terrifyingly good.”

Although The Bad Seed is known as a horror genre play, It’s also the story of a mother’s love for what she believes to be her perfect child, and the struggle that she goes through when she finds out that the daughter isn’t the perfect angel that everyone thinks she is.  "It’s a really entertaining, thought-provoking drama.”

**All stage ages are flexible, except Rhoda – she needs to be believable as an 8 year old girl.**

RHODA PENMARK (Age: 8–12
) An exceptionally polite, intelligent, and seemingly perfect little girl. Beneath her charming exterior is a chilling lack of empathy and a frightening ability to manipulate adults.

CHRISTINE PENMARK (Age: 30s–40s
) Rhoda’s devoted mother, whose growing suspicions about her daughter begin to destroy her sense of security and identity. The role requires emotional depth as Christine moves from loving denial to psychological collapse.


COL. KENNETH PENMARK (Age: 35–50) 
Rhoda’s father and Christine’s husband. Often absent because of military duties, Kenneth represents stability and normalcy, unaware of the darkness developing within his family. (supporting role)

MONICA BREELOVE (Age: 40s–60s
) The Penmarks’ flamboyant landlady and close friend. Monica provides humor and energy throughout the play, though her tendency to laugh things off contrasts sharply with the growing horror around her.

LEROY JESSUP (Age: 20s–40s) 
The apartment handyman who becomes suspicious of Rhoda very early on. His taunting confrontations with her create some of the play’s most suspenseful and dangerous moments.

REGINALD TASKER (Age: 40s–60s) 
A crime writer and amateur criminologist fascinated by hereditary criminal behavior. His conversations with Christine unintentionally push her toward uncovering the truth about Rhoda.

MISS FERN (Age: 30s–60s) 
Rhoda’s teacher and headmistress of the school. Intelligent and observant, Miss Fern is one of the first adults to openly suspect that Rhoda may have been involved in Claude Daigle’s death.

HORTENSE DAIGLE (Age: 35–50) 
The grieving mother of Claude Daigle, the boy who dies at the school picnic. Consumed by sorrow and alcoholism after his death, she becomes increasingly emotional and desperate for answers.

MR. DAIGLE (Age: 35–55) 
Claude’s quiet and emotionally restrained father. While Hortense openly expresses grief and suspicion, Mr. Daigle internalizes his pain, creating a tense contrast within the family dynamic.

RICHARD BRAVO (Age: 50s–70s
) Christine’s adoptive father and a respected crime columnist. His past research into infamous murder cases becomes central to Christine’s terrifying discoveries about her own family history.

EMORY WAGES (
Age: 50s–70s
) Monica Breedlove’s brother and a frequent presence around the apartment building. Friendly and somewhat eccentric, he helps flesh out the social world surrounding the Penmarks.

REHEARSALS START - TBA

Directed by: Deborah Burke
Produced by: Chris Cluett