Audition Announcement: “Crimes of the Heart” December 16 & 18

by Beth Henley

Directed by Sophia Menconi

Sign Up to Audition

Providence Players is casting 8 performers to cover 6 roles in Beth Henley’s Crimes of the Heart as well as two understudies. The casting breakdown consists of 4 characters using she/her pronouns and 2 characters using he/him pronouns.

No roles are precast and all roles are open. All backgrounds, ages, and ethnicities are welcome and encouraged to audition.

Providence Players of Fairfax is:

• A non-profit community theater troupe. All participation is on a volunteer basis. No members of the cast or crew are compensated.
• A membership organization. Membership is not required to audition. If cast, all actors (and in fact, all volunteers), are required to become members of Providence Players of Fairfax ($25 per individual or $60 per family – three or more) for the season (if not already a member).

Audition Dates

• 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 16, 2025 in the Theater
  6:30 p.m. Thursday, December 18, 2025 in the Arts & Crafts Room
  

PLEASE RSVP! Complete the Crimes of the Heart Audition Form to let us know you’re coming.

If you are unable to fill out the online form, please email info@providenceplayers.org to RSVP and fill out and print this paper form and bring it with you to the audition.

Resumes and headshots will be accepted but are not required. We may ask to take a picture of you, but this is for internal use only and will not be shared.

Actors who audition one night may be asked to come back a second night, if available. You are not required to be available multiple evenings to be considered. The Director reserves the right to extend the audition period pending initial audition response.

Audition Location

James Lee Community Center
2855 Annandale Rd
Falls Church, VA 22042

Enter through the main lobby and follow signs to the audition room.

Audition Process & Sides

Most PPF auditions have actors up and down to read multiple times in multiple combinations and scenes. As space allows, you will be able to watch all the auditions. You may be asked to go into the hallway with audition partners and work a bit on a scene. We will do our best to get you up multiple times reading with different combinations. The Providence Players strives to make our productions open to interested and engaged actors.

Auditions will consist of cold readings from sides. You can review the sides in advance at this link. 

Southern accents are not required for the auditions. You may be asked to attempt it. 

Cast of Characters

Note: While the characters are written with “she/her” and “he/him” pronouns in the original script, we encourage gender non-conforming, genderqueer, transgender, and non-binary actors to audition for any role they identify with.

• Lenny MaGrath: 29/30, she/her. Lenny is the eldest daughter of the Magrath family, and the play is set on the eve of her 30th birthday. Lenny is deeply anxious, but knows how to pull herself together in the face of a crisis. Thoughtful, generous, lonely. 
• Meg McGrath: 27, she/her. The middle daughter of the Magrath family, and is perceived as the favorite child. This is her first time back to Hazelhurst after moving to LA to pursue a music career. Meg is the Manic Pixie Dream Girl of the family. Brash, playful, disillusioned. 
• Becky “Babe” Botrelle: 24, she/her. The youngest daughter of the Magrath family, she has taken her husband’s last name. Babe is currently under investigation for shooting her husband. She contains a constantly simmering rage, but can play the part of well-adjusted when needed. Mousy, restless, dreamy.
• Chick Boyle: 29, she/her. A first cousin of the Magrath family, and the family reputation haunts her social aspirations. Chick would be the HOA president of Hazelhurst if there were such a thing. Saccharine, superficial, insecure.
• Doc Porter: 30, he/him. Meg’s high school boyfriend. He is still known as “Doc” although his plans for a medical career stalled and eventually died after he was severely injured in Hurricane Camille. Steady, reliable, yearnful.
• Barnette Lloyd: 26, he/him. Babe’s lawyer. He has an old score to settle with Babe’s husband. He is an ambitious and talented lawyer, if overeager in his wish to help Babe. Spirited, eccentric, purposeful.

About the Play

Performance Dates and Times

Preview:  Thursday, March 12, 2026; 7:30 PM 
Evening Performances:  Thurs., Fri. & Sat., March 13 – March 28, 2026; 7:30 PM
Matinees:  Sunday March 15 & 22, 2:00 PM

Synopsis

Crimes of the Heart is a dark comedy that follows the three Magrath sisters as they reunite at Old Granddaddy’s home in Hazlehurst, Mississippi after their youngest sister shoots her husband. Past resentments bubble to the surface as the sisters are forced to deal with assorted relatives and past relationships, and struggle with the feeling that the lives they dreamed of are slipping away from each of them. At a time when it feels so easy to be paralyzed and exhausted by despair, Crimes of the Heart extends permission to laugh at the things that are truly tragic.

From the Director

In writing Crimes of the Heart, Beth Henley was inspired by Chekov’s Three Sisters, re-shaping that narrative to fit the American South of the mid-20th century. Mirroring the paralyzing nostalgia of Chekov’s sisters, each of Henley’s Magrath sisters have lost control of the circumstances of their lives and each feel, even before reaching the age of 30, that the life they dreamed of is slipping away from them. And yet, the play is hilarious, continuously cutting through its tragic circumstances with sharp, incisive humor. The seemingly endless “bad days” the Magrath sisters face are buoyed by laughter, and by the undeniable bond of love between the sisters. I am personally excited by Crimes of the Heart because in the Magrath sisters, I see the sass and wit and sincere love between me and my own sister.

Just as Chekov’s sisters remain motionless in a world churning with social upheaval, Crimes of the Heart presents a kitchen isolated from an offstage world steeped in turmoil. Set in 1974, 5 years after Hurricane Camille became the second-most intense hurricane to hit the continental USA, the world surrounding the Magrath household witnesses the ongoing war in Vietnam; growing distrust in the government following the resignation of President Nixon; and ongoing inflation, economic crisis, and social divides. The characters of Beth Henley’s play never address these issues head on, but their influence pulses under the surface of every interaction. I am interested in exploring the specter of these events across the play, and posing the question: how much do events outside of our immediate surroundings impact our daily lives?

Download a copy of the Crimes of the Heart Theater Access Calendar for this show. This is NOT the specific rehearsal schedule (which will be supplied by the Stage Manager), but it will give you an idea for the commitment you are making in terms of rehearsals and performances, and how to identify conflicts.

In addition to the stage rehearsal schedule, cast readings of the play and some selected scene study and character work may be scheduled based on actor availability prior to the stage schedule. The schedule for these rehearsals will be finalized soon after casting. Unless indicated otherwise, all rehearsals will happen at the James Lee Community Center. Rehearsals will be held in the evenings from roughly 6:30/6:45 to 9:45 pm usually two to three weeknights and Saturday afternoons. There will likely be more rehearsal dates the closer it gets to opening.

Please come to auditions prepared to list any availability conflicts with rehearsal or the performance schedule. Space is provided on the audition form for this purpose.

About the Director

Sophia Menconi (she/her) is a freelance stage manager and director based in Washington, DC. She is an Associate Producer and the Company Manager for the District Fringe Festival. She has a BA in Theatre from Denison University and an MA in New Play Development from the Playwright’s Lab at Hollins University. Sophia has previously directed at Silver Spring Stage, the Maryland Community Theatre Festival, and is an alumni of the Kennedy Center Directing Intensive program. Professionally, she has stage managed shows at NextStop Theatre, Rorschach Theatre, and Monumental Theatre.

We look forward to seeing you at Auditions! RSVP at this link!