We ask for a prepared monologue and have cold readings for the auditions.
Characters
Lenora (Lenny) McGrath:
Eldest sister of the McGrath family. She has all the responsibilities in caring
for her grandparents and recently Old Grandaddy. Lenny is thoughtful and responsible but
frustrated and lonely. Her relationship
with her sisters is not stable. She is
jealous of Meg for getting extra care from Old Granddaddy and Meg is always
around men and Lenny is lonely, so it makes her dislike Meg. She is a secretive person and has been
rejected by men. Even though she pushes
away her sisters, they encourage her to renew that relationship. She still tries to protect them and has a
fierce sense of family and pushes out their cousin when she is being awful
about them.
Margaret (Meg) McGrath
She is the middle sister. Meg was the one who found her mother’s body
after she committed suicide at the age of 11.
This traumatic experience changed Meg.
She is constantly checking her strength by viewing photos of an
offensive and unhealthy nature, like sick and handicapped children to block her
feelings and suffering. She smokes, drinks,
and lives her life dangerously. She is a
failed singer and comes home from LA.
She also had a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized. Meg always wanted to be the center of
attention. Her sisters are jealous of
her and got extra special treatment from their family. Meg is irresponsible and lies to her
Granddaddy about her successful singing career.
Rebecca (Babe) Botrelle
Youngest sister of the McGrath Family.
She is married to a wealthy lawyer.
She has also shot her husband in the stomach She says it is because she doesn’t like
him. Later, it is revealed that she has
a lover, and her husband has threatened her boyfriend, Willie, which is why she
shoots Zachary (husband). He has
blackmail photos that Zackary threatens to release. She tris to kill herself but fails and
discovers what her mother’s situation was and understands it.
Chick Boyle
She is the McGrath sister’s cousin. Older than the sisters, she is a blonde that
has shiny red lips. She is concerned
about her reputation in the community and rather than worry about her cousin
Babe’s situation, she worried about her reputation in the community. She is critical of the family, especially Meg,
because she is a “low-class tramp” and Babe because she doesn’t see the
seriousness of her actions and how it affects her (Chick’s) reputation. She likes Lenny and feels comfortable with her.
Barnette Lloyd
He is Babe’s lawyer to fight her case. Graduate of Ole Miss Law School, he has
opened his office in Hazelhurst and is a cleaver man. He has a vendetta against Zackary because he
ruined his father. He is attracted to
Babe. Barnette has all the evidence
against Zackary and doesn’t openly expose him to protect Babe.
Doc Porter
He is Meg’s old boyfriend. Doc tells Lenny that his horse was killed. He is called Doc even though he was seriously injured in a hurricane. He loved Meg so much, he stayed longer in the storm because of Meg and people believe Meg persuaded him to stay, thus, the injury. He is married and has a family but remains close with the McGrath family. Meg and Doc restart their friendship when Meg returns.