Character Breakdown for "The Diviners":

Jennie May Layman – (age 17-20)  Buddy’s sister; has taken care of her brother since their mother passed away twelve years ago; yearns for a life of her own

Ferris Layman –  (age 35-45) Their father,  a mechanic;  has been lost ever since his wife’s death; loves his children but doesn’t know how to be a good father to them; believes kids are just fine on their own

C.C. Showers – (age 30-35) A backsliding preacher;  comes from a long line of preachers but lost the “spirit”; more of a thinker/philosopher than a preacher

Norma Henshaw – (age 35-55) Owner of the Hoosier Dry-Goods/ Dine-Away-Café; a true believer; believes that if it’s in the Bible it must be true

Dewey Maples – (age 18-20)  A young farmhand;  Norma’s nephew

Melvin Wilder – (early 20’s) A farmhand, Dewey’s best friend

Basil Bennett – (35-55)  A farmer/the local doctor of sorts; more grounded than most of the town folks

Luella Bennett – (35-55) Basil’s wife, a doubter

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THE PRODUCTION COMPANY

MEMBERSHIP AUDITIONS SOON!

Looking for a prestigious theatre company

that is always busy producing great theatre?

The Production Company is for you  …and the Los Angeles theatre community’s wide recognition of our track record

for extraordinary production quality speaks for itself.

We are a member-supported theatre

offering unique benefits for artists with a passion for live stage-work.

Membership Auditions will be held by appointment

For a membership audition appointment, send headshot and resume to auditions@theprodco.com

A Guide to Company Membership

Membership is by invitation of the Board of Directors to actors, directors, designers and technicians in stage crafts.  While we understand that there are many great forms of theatrical expression, The Production Company seeks members who have a passion for work on the live stage.

Members enjoy the following benefits:

Right to Be Seen:   Members will be granted an audition appointment for any of our productions at their request.  Company members are given special consideration in casting, though casting is not guaranteed.  At the member’s request, we offer pre-audition preparation advice as well as constructive audition feedback to assist members in developing and refining audition skills.

Skill-Building Workshops:   At our Bi-Monthly meetings , we offer exclusive training and skill-building classes and workshops geared to help our membership grow in their craft.

The Members’ Forum:   Our philosophy is that members hone their skills best by getting onstage.  We offer a unique opportunity for members to enhance their skills through the potential for performance opportunities of their choosing and design through The Member’s Forum.   The Director of the Members’ Forum operates as a division producing those works for full performance on a special schedule with our membership specifically in mind.

Members are encouraged to present Members’ Forum production  proposals to the Managing Director of The Forum for approval and scheduling.  The goal of these projects is to create extraordinary performance opportunities that enhance and showcase the skills of the company and to allow the membership to actively lobby for plays and roles they find exciting.   All work generated through these member-generated projects is eligible for consideration for expanded run.

Use of the space:  Members are welcome to request theater facilities to work on any project of their choosing.  Preference will always be given to rehearsals for mainstage productions and then Members’ Forum productions. This benefit is to be used for work on member projects only.  No public performance can be presented without the permission of the Artistic Director.

Observe and Learn:   Observing the work of other actors, directors, and designers can put our own skills into perspective and assist us in focusing our energies on skills we wish to enhance.   To assist in this, The Production Company encourages all members to see all our production free of charge as seating permits.   Further, since we understand that including our lives outside the company is equally important to our lives within, members attending a production may bring one guest for half the usual ticket price whenever seats are available.   Reservations are suggested.

Membership includes the following responsibilities:

Members pay dues of $50 per month. These dues allow the company to pursue projects that might otherwise be financial impractical.  Dues revenues go solely to the direct expenses of the company.  Dues are payable on the first of every month and are considered late on the 10th. Membership benefits  are frozen if dues are more than 60 days late and expired if more than 90 days late.  In 2009, the Board voted to reward dues payments received by the 5th of each month with a credit of $10 – effectively making dues $40. per month for those who make their payment on time.

Members work one tech. assignment per year. New members are expected to work their first tech. assignment within the first six months of membership.   Tech assignments may include Assistant Director, Associate Producer, Stage Manager, and other such positions as determined by The Managing Directors.  There are many ways that the assignment may be scheduled in order that it is practical for all members, but as part of a team, all are expected to commit to this important aspect of production.

Members work four hours per month on short-term projects such as painting, building, cleaning, box office, etc.   A single shift per month is usually sufficient to fulfill this responsibility.  These hours are managed by The Managing Director of Membership

We believe that we have created a unique environment where artists and technicians can come together to share their abilities to benefit the membership as a whole We believe that the best way to achieve personal goals is by doing and exploring within the art form itself.   We believe that our members will be uniquely endowed with the ability to offer direct input into the direction of the company as a whole.   We believe this so much that we called ourselves The Production Company - a company of skilled craftspeople with a singular focus:   the creation of the highest caliber stage productions while building our skills in the process.   After all – cliché as it may sound – we believe that “the play IS the thing”.

We hope you will be encouraged to apply for membership.   And  we wish you good luck in your application process.

August, T L, Skip, and Allyson

The Managing Directors of The Production Company