Auditions for The Three Musketeers

If you like to buckle swash, then do we have a show for you! Swordfights! Muskets! Cool mustaches and goatees. Swordfights! Seventeenth century French clothing and hair styles. Swordfights! Danger, intrigue, seduction, betrayal. Swordfights! Shadow acting. Swordfights!

We will be holding auditions for The Three Musketeers on Friday, January 10 (5 – 9 PM) and Saturday, January 11 (1 – 5 PM), at the South Foster Fire Station, 7 Mount Hygeia Road Foster, RI (Route 94, just north of Route 6 traffic light). If you can manage it, please try to be there for the full time. This is not required, but it will allow us to have you read with others, so that you might get a better feel for the characters. If you cannot hang around, we understand, and will help you get on your way as quickly as we can.

We posted the audition scripts that we will be using for auditions, so you can prepare. The more familiar you are with the lines and the characters at auditions, the easier it will be for us to see you as the character.

Rehearsals will begin in January (with an early focus on fight choreography), and shows will be May 2, 3, 4, and 9, 10, 11.

If you have any questions about the show, please contact Dennis Chretien (director@swampmeadow.org).

Character Descriptions

LEAD CHARACTERS

Please note that we will be striving to fill major roles with actors of the proper gender. You are welcome to audition for such a role even if you are not of the gender of the role, but you will be considered only if someone of the correct gender cannot be found.

We are striving also to find actors who are near to the ages specified, but we are more flexible in this area, and we expect that people will be “playing up” (or possibly “playing down”) to the age for some of these roles.

D’ARTAGNAN (male, 18-30, 217 lines, 16 scenes): A Don Quixote at eighteen, d’Artagnan has set out to join the King’s prestigious Musketeers. The Gascon is known to have a short temper and to fall in love very quickly. He is also the most cunning of the group of four, and is often the one to think of ingenious and dangerous plans to further their careers.

ATHOS (male, 30-50, 165 lines, 16 scenes): Athos is much older than the d’Artagnan, Porthos, or Aramis, and is seen as the wisest of the bunch. He has a dark, mysterious past that becomes revealed over the course of the play, and tends to be quiet as a result. Athos also generally remains calm in most situations, but does not hesitate to use weapons if necessary. Athos, in this story, is seen as the epitome of chivalry and gentlemanly behavior.

PORTHOS (male, 20-40, 65 lines, 13 scenes): Porthos is seen as loud and outspoken among the companions and is also described as being a ‘giant of a man’. Porthos enjoys women and often boasts about it. He is also highly intelligent, but happens to be the least cunning of the companions merely because he is competing with the likes of d’Artagnan, Athos, and Aramis.

ARAMIS (male, 20-40, 62 lines, 13 scenes): Aramis is the scholar of the group and regularly studies theology. If he could be both a musketeer and a priest, he would. Yet, Aramis enjoys a good fight like any of the others and is most known in the group for his skillful and discreet juggling of a large number of mistresses (no one knows how many he has, but they are all highly important women).

MILADY (female, 20-40, 72 lines, 9 scenes): Our primary villain in the play, Milady is described as a demon and/or the devil incarnate. She works primarily for Cardinal Richelieu, but also commits her own crimes. By the end of the story, she is responsible for the death of at least 7 people, all of whom were innocent of any crime. Milady also attempts to murder d’Artagnan (3 times), Lord de Winter (many times), and several other characters. She is cunning, inventive, and devilishly clever, right until fate catches up with her.

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

Note that all of the following characters come with additional responsibilities as townspeople, soldiers, musketeers, pantomimes, or a combination of these. While some specific characters do not have lines, in many cases, some of the associated roles do. If a single description includes two or more characters (ex: Queen Anne and Kitty), then the hope is that a single person would play all the roles. Each character has a MINIMUM of five scenes. We can be more lenient regarding gender and age for some of these roles.

We have attempted to combine roles so as to allow time for costume changes and such, and to keep most actors busy throughout the show, so you’ll have more stage time and less “down time.”

If you have your heart set on a particular role, but you are not interested in the roles associated with it, audition anyway, and let us know. We have some flexibility in rearranging some of these roles.

PLANCHET (male, 20-40, 5 lines, 10 scenes): Planchet is d’Artagnan’s servant. He has very few lines, but lots of stage time and most of his acting will be through reactions to the events on stage. Planchet and d’Artagnan get along quite well, though Planchet wishes d’Artagnan would fall into a steadier income. Planchet is deeply loyal to the four companions, particularly d’Artagnan. (Also townsperson and soldier)

BAZIN (male, 20+, 0 lines, 7 scenes): Bazin is Aramis’s servant and is, like his master, very engrossed in the study of theology. He always dresses as the servant of a holy man and often prays for his master to see sense and hang up his sword. Like the other servants, Bazin’s loyalty to his master and the four companions is unshakeable. He has very few lines, but lots of stage time and most of his acting will be through reactions to the events on stage. (Also townsperson and soldier)

GRIMAUD (male, 30+, 7 lines, 8 scenes): The servant of Athos, Grimaud is a quiet, patient man who holds Athos in the highest respect. Athos dislikes noise of any kind, and so he and Grimaud communicate through a series of gestures and the occasional movement of lips. This is a bit ironic, as Gimaud has the most lines of the four servants. He is on stage quite a lot, and most of his acting will be through reactions to the events on stage. (Also townsperson)

MOUSQUETON (male, 20+, 0 lines, 7 scenes): Mousqueton is the servant of Porthos, and mirrors Porthos quite well. Mousqueton enjoys spending money on lavish things and Porthos, wanting society to think him rich, outfits his servant quite nicely. He has very few lines, but lots of stage time and most of his acting will be through reactions to the events on stage. (Also townsperson and soldier)

DUMAS (male, 40+, 30 lines, 10 scenes): Alexandre Dumas is the author of the book and serves as the narrator for the play. He tends to be an older professor/writer at this point in his life, and is quite happy to tell his story to anyone who will listen. Please note that Dumas has a large number of paragraph-length lines that require very precise memorization skills.

LORD DE WINTER (male, 25+, 29 lines, 7 scenes): Brother-in-law to Milady, Lord de Winter becomes involved through his connections to her as well as his friendship with the Duke of Buckingham. He also believes that his brother was poisoned by Milady. He enjoys a good fight as much as anyone, and has sworn to stop Milady from committing further murders. (Also townsperson)

JOHN FELTON (male, 20-40, 26 lines, 5 scenes): John Felton is a servant to Lord de Winter, whom he looks to as a father figure. Felton is also a devout Puritan and has faced persecution because of it. He stands as Milady’s prison guard, but she eventually fools even him into setting her free. He also commits a murder in her name and later hangs for it. (Also townsperson and pantomime)

CONSTANCE BONACIEUX (female, 20+, 33 lines, 5 scenes): Constance is the linen maid to Queen Anne and assists greatly in the affair of the diamond tags. She and d’Artagnan fall in love, but she is kidnapped shortly afterwards and set to live her days out in a convent. Milady ultimately poisons her just as d’Artagnan discovers where she is. (Also townsperson and soldier)

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM (male, 30+, 16 lines, 6 scenes): Buckingham is the lover of Queen Anne and is madly, tragically in love with her. He is also in control of England’s armed forces. When he hears of a plot to destroy the Queen’s honor, he places an embargo on all ships leaving to or coming from France and thus incites the Siege of La Rochelle. Milady, angry that he has thwarted her plans, has the Duke tragically murdered. (Also musketeer and soldier)

MONSIEUR DE TREVILLE (male, 40+, 34 lines, 5 scenes): Monsieur de Treville is the Captain of the King’s Musketeers. The musketeers see him as a loving father and accord him the highest respect. He also treats his musketeers as his children, and is currently embroiled in a bitter rivalry with the cardinal. (Also soldier)

CARDINAL RICHELIEU (male, 40+, 48 lines, 5 scenes): Cardinal Richelieu, the second of our main villains, is the most powerful man in France. He holds the key to the King’s treasury and has his own corps of guards, who fight regularly with the musketeers. He is responsible for most of Milady and Rochefort’s actions and is engaged in a bitter rivalry with King Louis XIII and his musketeers. Richelieu is also secretly in love with Queen Anne, sparking the incident with the diamond tags. (Also townsperson and soldier)

ROCHEFORT (male, 20-40, 23 lines, 5 scenes): Rochefort happens to engage in a bitter rivalry with d’Artagnan at the very beginning of the story, though it is largely by chance. He is a servant of the cardinal and is responsible for as many or more deaths than Milady, but is far better at covering his trail. D’Artagnan chases him at various points throughout the story, but the two only meet up at the very beginning and the very end. Rochefort is secretly in love with Milady. (Also soldier)

KING LOUIS XIII (male, 20-30, 19 lines, 5 scenes): King Louis XIII ascended the throne at the age of nine. He is still a young man at the time of this story and is deeply worried that his wife is having an affair. He like war and hunting and often gets very bored at the Louvre (then the royal palace). Louis XIII is also engaged in a bitter rivalry with Cardinal Richelieu, in which he takes great pleasure. (Also townsperson and soldier)

QUEEN ANNE and KITTY (female, 20-40, 14 lines, 5 scenes): Queen Anne is the queen of France and madly in love with the Duke of Buckingham. She feels ignored by the King and persecuted by the cardinal. Her only joy comes in occasional visits from the Duke. Kitty is Milady’s maid who falls madly in love with d’Artagnan, though he is oblivious to it. (Also soldier)

MONSIEUR BONACIEUX (male, 30+, 11 lines, 5 scenes): Husband to Constance Bonacieux and landlord to d’Artagnan, Monsieur Bonacieux ends up involved in the affair with the diamond tags largely by coincidence. In the story, he sells out his wife and d’Artagnan and enjoys the reluctant favor of the Cardinal until he pushes his luck a little too far. The part also comes with the role of an English Guard, who appears to arrest John Felton for murder. (Also musketeer and soldier)

EXECUTIONER and BERNAJOUX (male, 30+, 4 lines, 5 scenes): The Executioner is the brother of Milady’s first murder victim and is responsible for branding her shoulder with the mark of a criminal. He has sworn revenge against her, and eventually gets it. Bernajoux is one of the cardinal’s guards who picks a fight with the four companions early on and ends up dying in the fight. This role also comes with the part of Companion to Rochefort, who aids in the opening duel with d’Artagnan, and one of the Magistrate’s Guard, who appears at the interrogation of Athos and Monsieur Bonacieux. (Also soldier)

PATRICK and OLIVIER (male, 20+, 2 lines, 5 scenes): Patrick is the servant of the Duke of Buckingham and appears in most scenes with him. He is a proper Englishman and is fiercely loyal to the Duke. Olivier is one of the King’s musketeers and friend to Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. (Also soldier)

INNKEEPER (male OR female, 30+, 4 lines, 5 scenes): The Innkeeper plays the part of every innkeeper in the play, despite there being multiple inns. (Also musketeer, soldier, and pantomime)

FRANCOIS and RENE (male, 20+, 7 lines, 5 scenes): Francois is a musketeer and friend to Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. Rene is an accomplice of Milady’s who attempts (and fails) to murder d’Artagnan. D’Artagnan captures him and frees him instead to show him the actions of a true gentleman. (Also soldier and pantomime)

MAGISTRATE (male, 20+, 7 lines, 5 scenes): The Magistrate attempts to prosecute d’Artagnan for crimes against the State, but realizes he has caught Athos instead. This role also comes with the part of a Soldier, who attempts to kill d’Artagnan and instead dies himself. (Also soldier, musketeer, and pantomime)

LA CHESNAYE and SIR PERCY BLAKENEY (male, 20+, 1 line, 5 scenes): La Chesnaye is the servant of Monsieur de Treville, but King Louis XIII occasionally borrows him. Sir Percy Blakeney is a friend to Lord de Winter and comes to his aid in a duel with d’Artagnan. (Also soldier and pantomime)

CLIVE BURTON (male, 20+, 3 lines, 6 scenes): Burton is also a friend to Lord de Winter and comes to his aid in a duel with d’Artagnan. This role also comes with the part of the King’s Guard, who holds a conversation with Aramis about women, and Stranger, who duels with Porthos on the way to England (Also soldier and pantomime)

CAHUSAC (male, 20+, 0 lines, 6 scenes): Cahusac is one of the cardinal’s best guards and is among those who pick a fight with the four companions early in the play and is wounded badly. This role also comes with the part of De Winter’s Servant, who says nothing, but appears in multiple scenes during Milady’s captivity, as well as and the Cardinal’s servant, who appears in two scenes. (Also soldier)

BISCARAT and GEORGE BYRON (male, 20+, 6 lines, 5 scenes): Biscarat is among the cardinal’s guards to challenge the four companions early in the play and the only one to come away with his honor still in tact. George Byron is friends with Lord de Winter and aids him in a duel. He forces Athos to reveal his name, for which Athos kills him. This role also comes with the part of an English Guard, who appears to arrest John Felton for murder. (Also soldier and pantomime)

JUSSAC and DE BUSIGNY (male, 20+, 3 lines, 5 scenes): Jussac is the leader of the group of cardinal’s guards that challenges the four to a duel early in the play. He comes away badly wounded, despite being one of the best swordsmen in the country. De Busigny is one of the three men who make a bet with the four companions to breakfast for an hour in the Saint Gervais bastion. This role also comes with the part of a Companion to Rochefort, who aids in the opening duel with d’Artagnan. (Also pantomime)

MONTAREN and DRAGOON (male, 20+, 6 lines, 5 scenes): Montaren is a musketeer and friend to Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. The Dragoon is one of the three men who make a bet with the four companions to breakfast for an hour in the Saint Gervais bastion. This part also comes with that of Magistrate’s Guard, who appears when Athos is arrested (Also pantomime)

PIERRE (male, 20+, 3 lines, 5 scenes): Pierre is a Swiss guard and one of the three men who make a bet with the four companions to breakfast for an hour in the Saint Gervais bastion. This part also comes with that of Cardinal’s Guard, who joins in the duel with the four companions in the first act, and Magistrate’s Guard, who appear during the interrogation of Athos and Bonacieux (Also musketeer and pantomime)

ABBESS and MADAME DE BOIS-TRACY (female, 30+, 1 line, 5 scenes): The Abbess runs the convent where Constance Bonacieux is held and eventually killed by Milady. Madame de Bois-Tracy is one of Aramis’s mistresses (or at least rumored as such) and is heavily involved in the Queen’s affair with the Duke of Buckingham. (Also townsperson, soldier, and pantomime)