Auditions for 'A Gift of Undetermined Value' at Brookfield Theatre for the Arts

Open auditions are being held for the original drama, A GIFT OF UNDETERMINED VALUE, written and directed by Alicia Dempster. Auditions will be held on Monday, January 14th from 7-9 and on Wednesday, January 16th from 7-9. Auditions will be held at the theatre and actors will be asked to read from the script.

This is a full production. Rehearsals will begin on January 23, 2013. There will be four evening performances on March 1, 2, 8 and 9, 2013.

UPDATE Jan. 5:
As this is a work that is in development, actors should be comfortable with re-writes and character/plot development discussions with the author during the rehearsal process.

A brief synopsis and character breakdown is listed below. If you have any questions, please e-mail Alicia at alicia.dempster@me.com.

PLEASE NOTE: Two of the characters have already been cast.

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BRIEF SYNOPSIS:

When Regan is faced with a decision that could save her life, she begrudgingly returns to her childhood home in Oregon to ask a favor of her father, who she hasn’t spoken to in over twenty years. When she steps into her father’s home, she is faced with the memories of a once perfect childhood and the moment when it all started to go horribly wrong. When new secrets are revealed, Regan must re-open the darkest chapter in her life, one that she thought she had permanently closed when she left Oregon over a decade ago. In the process, she comes to recognize the unbreakable bond of family and the hope that can be found in the most unlikely of places.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

REGAN GALLAGHER (Late 30s) - Regan is a woman in need of an organ transplant to save her life. She is smart, independent and does not like asking anyone for help. At the request of her husband and daughter, she reaches out to her father, who she has not spoken to in years. When she returns to her childhood home for the next phase of testing, she discovers that her father is not a viable match for donation. Circumstances force her to reunite with her brother, who is imprisoned for a heinous crime. He is willing to be a living donor but red tape and bioethical issues pose a challenge for Regan when she is faced with her own mortality.

MICHAEL MURPHY (Late 50s) - Regan's father and a former alcoholic. He is a retired college professor, educated and charming, but he has a mean streak. Michael left when Regan and her brother, Daniel, were very young. After Regan's mother remarried, the family never looked back, eschewing Michael as a person who was never able to get his act together. Years later, Michael has turned his life around, yet nobody but Daniel is aware of these changes.

JOSHUA ADLER (Mid 30s) - A former schoolmate of Regan and Daniel's, Joshua is now Michael's caregiver. When Regan and her family arrive in Oregon to pursue the organ donation from her estranged father, they are not aware that Michael is in a condition that requires a live-in caregiver. Joshua, once a student of Michael's, has turned to healthcare as a source of income while demoting his creative aspirations to a hobby. He is very aware of all of the players in this game, more so than any other involved.

STEPHEN GALLAGHER (Late 30s/Early 40s) - Regan's husband. He is an English professor at a university in New York City. Stephen is a good man but has grown weary of Regan's struggles with her health and her family. Over the past few years, his relationship with his wife has grown more distant, forcing him to find happiness and escape in his work and with his colleagues.

AMANDA BARRETT (Late 20s/Early 30s) - Daniel's ex-girlfriend. When Daniel's trial ended, Amanda never thought she would cross paths with the Murphy family again. However, when Regan's desperation sheds light on Daniel's crusade from behind bars, Amanda confronts Regan, pleading with her find another alternative so she can finally put the past to rest.

DANIEL MURPHY (Mid 30s) - Regan's brother. This part has already been cast.

EMMA GALLAGHER (Early Teens) - Regan's daughter. This part has already been cast.