AUDITION INFO

Thank you for your interest in auditioning for our next Riverbend Players Community Theater production at the NCRD Performing Arts Center in Nehalem, OR.

Here you will find information to help you learn more about the play and the characters you’ll be auditioning for.

No experience is required. We all have to start somewhere. And community theater is a great place for that to happen!

If you have auditioned for us before, welcome back! If this is your first time auditioning for a Riverbend Players production, thank you! We are excited to meet you!

Riverbend Players' auditions are open to all, and there is no need to prepare anything for the audition process.

Arrive prepared to fill out an audition form and make sure to bring your schedule and any potential conflicts.

  • Everyone will read from pre-selected sides of the show.

  • All characters listed are open to actors of all racial backgrounds and types.

  • Age ranges are flexible for the characters.

  • The director is open to casting actors in non-traditional gender roles.

We also encourage everyone to get involved in the production of our performances by helping with set design and props, sound and lighting, backstage, in the booth, or as the stage manager. There are many ways to get involved with our theater group. Just ask!

We understand there will be scheduling conflicts during the rehearsal schedule but all actors must be able to commit to all performance dates and tech week rehearsals.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you at the auditions!

MISERY

Directed by: Randy Schultz
Assistant Director: TBD
Executive Producer: Frank Squillo

THE STORY: Bestselling novelist Paul Sheldon is “rescued” from a Colorado car crash by his self-proclaimed “number one fan,” Annie Wilkes—then awakens captive in her secluded home. When Annie discovers he killed off her favorite character, she forces Paul to write a new novel… or else. A taut, cat-and-mouse thriller.

NUMBER OF ACTS: 2 Acts (15 minute intermission)

DURATION: 120 minutes

FIRST PRODUCED: Goldman’s stage adaptation premiered at Bucks County Playhouse (Nov 24, 2012); Broadway production opened at the Broadhurst Theatre (Oct 22, 2015).

GENRES: Thriller

SETTING: Annie Wilkes’ secluded cabin in rural Colorado (primarily the kitchen and spare bedroom).

TIME & PLACE: Winter, snowbound Colorado; present day (contemporary).

AUDITION PACKET ON GOOGLE DRIVE:

Coming Soon

AUDITION DATES: Thursday, 11/20/25, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm and Saturday, 11/22/25, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

AUDITION LOCATION: NCRD Performing Arts Center Lobby

REHEARSALS BEGIN: 12/07/25

WEEKLY REHEARSAL SCHEDULE: Tentatively, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 pm - 8 pm, and Sundays, 4 pm - 6 pm

TECH WEEK: 02/23/26 - 03/05/26

PERFORMANCE DATES: 03/06/26 - 03/22/26… Friday and Saturday nights at 7 pm, Sunday Matinees at 2 pm.

SUMMARY: MISERY

Misery is a tense, two-hander thriller about bestselling novelist Paul Sheldon, who’s “rescued” after a car crash by his self-proclaimed #1 fan, Annie Wilkes, and wakes to find he’s her captive. When Annie discovers he killed off her favorite character, she forces Paul to write a new novel at any cost, turning their snowbound Colorado house into a battle of wills. A cat-and-mouse fight for survival, the play explores obsession, control, and the dark side of fandom.

CAST OF CHARACTERS: 1 W, 2 M

  • ANNIE WILKES – (F, 35–60) Former nurse and Paul’s “number one fan.” Cheerful, devout, and prim on the surface; volatile, controlling, and dangerously unpredictable underneath. Rapid mood shifts; dark humor. Requires a strong emotional range and precise comic/psychological timing.

  • PAUL SHELDON – (M, 35–60) Bestselling novelist recovering from a car crash—and Annie’s captive. Wry, intelligent, resourceful; deteriorates physically while fighting to stay mentally sharp. Role demands sustained vulnerability, seated/bed-bound acting, and bursts of desperate courage. (Some staged violence.)

  • SHERIFF BUSTER – (M, 45–70) Small-town Colorado lawman. Folksy, observant, patient; reads people well and doesn’t underestimate danger. Grounded presence with understated humor. (Brief staged action.)

    Notes: Contemporary American speech; light Colorado/neutral dialect acceptable. Intimacy/violence moments will be carefully choreographed for safety.