Starkville Community Theatre will hold auditions for “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” by John Bishop at 6 p.m. Sunday and Monday, November 7 and 8, at The Playhouse on Main. The show runs February 4 through 12, 2022.
This over-the-top comedy tells the story of the creative team responsible for a recent Broadway flop (in which three chorus girls were murdered by the mysterious “Stage Door Slasher") assemble for a backer’s audition of their new show at the Westchester estate of a wealthy “angel.” The house is replete with sliding panels, secret passageways, and a German maid who is apparently four different people—all of which figure diabolically in the comic mayhem which follows when the infamous “Slasher” makes his reappearance and strikes again—and again. As the composer, lyricist, actors, and director prepare their performance, and a blizzard cuts off any possible retreat, bodies start to drop in plain sight, knives spring out of nowhere, masked figures drag their victims behind swiveling bookcases, and accusing fingers point in all directions.
The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York. This production is sponsored by Renasant Bank, and is supported in part by funds from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and in part, from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
The large cast includes roles for five men and five women of various ages. Sides for auditions are available upon request from the director, Michele Crescenzo at michelecrescenzo@gmail.com. To be considered for casting, anyone auditioning (or interested in assisting as a crew member) must be able to provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination.