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2009 CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONSPICKLEVILLE PLAYHOUSE

Annie Get Your Gun:

Annie Oakley - Backwoods woman, an incredible talent as a markswoman, hasno idea about nuthin' cept shootin.' She immediately falls head over heels forFrank, who prefers a more dainty type of woman. A happy, endearing countrygirl who is an amazing markswoman. Illiterate, not very "lady-like". Strongsinger-comedian who carries the show. (Mezzo-Belt) Low G-High F

Frank Butler - A suave sharpshooter in Buffolo Bill's show - he enjoys his statusas a heartbreaker and star of the show, and would like to keep it that way.Low A-High F.

Tommy Keeler - a dashing young knife-thrower with the Wild West Show, partNative American, and very much in love with Winnie. Tenor or High BaritoneLow B flat – High F. Two duets with Winnie.

Winnie Tate - Dolly's 17-year-old sister. Tommy throws knives at her and hopesto marry her as soon as she turns 18. Mezzo Soprano or Soprano. Low B flat –High F. Two duets with Tommy.

Dolly Tate - Frank Butler's "lovely" assistant, an over-the-top, bigoted,ambitious and mean-spirited woman whose principal role is to make everyoneelse miserable. She does this in a very funny way.

Buffalo Bill Cody - middle-aged soldier/Indian scout turned showman, runs the"Wild West Show" that features sharpshooters Annie Oakley and Frank Butler,and plenty of musicians, cowboys, cowgirls, Indians and assorted familymembers. Low B – High F.

Charlie Davenport - middle-aged manager of the Wild West Show, alwayssetting the scene for this show-within-a-show.

Chief Sitting Bull - leader of the Sioux Nation, adopts Annie as his daughter andputs his money into show business with the Wild West Show in order to be nearher. Has keen insight into human nature, which he shares through many one-liners.

Pawnee Bill - owner of the Far East Show; Buffalo Bill's former partner andcurrent rival.

Little Jake - Annie's 8-to-10-year-old brother, her "bird dog" who flushes outgame for her to shoot. Extra points if he can make "armpit noises." Boy Sopranoor Alto. Low B flat-High D.

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Mary, Jessie, Nellie - Annie's 10-to-14-year-old sisters, also part of the familyhunting business. Sopranos/Altos. Low B flat-High D.

The Ensemble: Cowboys, Indians, Roustabouts, Squaws, Cowgirls, Royals ofEurope, New York Socialites. Special talents for members of the ensembleinclude rope twirlers, guitar pickers, gymnasts and tumblers, mandolin orfiddle players, tap dancers, Indian hoop dancers, and whistlers. All voice typesneeded.

The Hanging of El Bandito:

Sheriff Rowdy – The perfect melodrama hero. Young, handsome, charming,humble and determined to capture and hang the evil Juanito Bandito.

Sam – Our heroine. Sweet but strong willed Indian girl who falls for SheriffRowdy while being forced to work with Bandito and his gang.

Billy – One of Bandito’s two outlaw sidekicks. Hilariously ignorant. Comedictiming is key. Rap / hip hop skills are preferred as the outlaws do “break itdown” on more than one occasion. Billy may be played by a male or female.

Happy – the dumbest of the two sidekicks. Also hilarious. Both Happy and Billyspeak in a thick western drawl and play together most of the show.

William – got bumped on the head a while back and hasn’t been himself since.Certifiably insane man who follows Sally into town. Will plays a variety ofdifferent character types, from pirate to Brittish royalty.

Sally – female bounty hunter sent to capture Bandito. Has a secret historythat’s revealed at the end of the show. Older than Sam. Confident and cool.

Juanito Bandito – Evil Spanish villain seeking revenge from the Sheriff afternearly losing his life in the gallows. Of all the roles listed, Bandito is the onlyone that has already been cast

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Audition readings for The Hanging of El Bandito 2009

READING #1ROWDY / SAM-This is part of the first scene in the show. SAM works for Bandito and has come to the hangingdisguised as a newspaper reporter from back east. It’s extremely important that SAM andROWDY establish chemistry right off so that the audience “roots” for their relationshipthroughout the show. As you can see, there isn’t much time or dialog to establish the neededchemistry, so it must be shown mostly in the subtext during the last part of this section.

SAMCan you confirm reports that the US government awarded you with a $2,000 bounty forBandito’s capture?

ROWDYYes I can.

SAMAnd what do you plan to do with all of that money?

ROWDYI dunno. Maybe we’ll build us a Subway or somethin’.

SAMA subway? Don’t you think that would be a bit premature?

ROWDYNo I don’t mean like a subway for transportation. I mean a subway for eatin’. Everybodyknows that a subway restaurant is a town’s first step on the road to civilization.

SAMI see. Last question. Juanito Bandito and his gang have been the thorn in the side of everywestern territory from here to the Mississippi. How does it feel to be the man responsible fortheir capture?

ROWDYOh shucks, it weren’t nothiin’.

SAMThis could mean the beginning of the end of lawlessness on the western frontier and it’s allthanks to you! You’ve got to feel some sort of pride or accomplishment.

ROWDYI was just doin’ my duty ma’am.

SAM(impressed and taken by him)

Very well Mr. Angus.

ROWDYRowdy ma’am. The name’s Rowdy. And yours?

SAMSam. You can just call me Sam.

ROWDYWell O.K. Sam.

(starts to walk away, then SAM stops him)

SAM

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Rowdy?!

ROWDYYes ma’am?

SAM(takes his hand)

Um, good luck.

ROWDYWell, uh … thanks?

(Sam nods)

SAMYou’re welcome.

ROWDY(flustered by her touch)

Yeah .. well we got a whole lot a people here wantin’ to see Bandito get hung, so ... Betternot be disappointing them. We’ll see you around?

SAMOh, I’m sure you will.

ROWDY(tips his hat)

Ma’am.

SAMSheriff.

READING #2

BILLY / HAPPY / BANDITO-These characters have all just narrowly escaped death thanks to SAM’s skill with a revolver.BILLY and HAPPY are still scared to death of the Sheriff, but BANDITO is just angry.

HAPPYSo boss, you want us to start packin’ up camp?

BANDITOWhat are you talking about?

BILLYSheriff’ll be sendin’ out a search party I’m sure. If’n we don’t hightail it outta here beforesundown, we might as well hang ourselves and save him the trouble.

BANDITONo we will not be going anywhere.

BOTHWhat?!

BANDITOI must have my revenge.

BILLYReally? Cause I was fairly uncomfortable with that rope around my neck and I kinda hoped wemight could just forego on the revenge thing and skeedadle.

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BANDITONever!!!

BILLYOr not, whatever.

BANDITOHe must pay!

HAPPYSure as shootin’.

BILLYAmen to that!

BANDITOBut how?

BILLYGood question.

HAPPYI was just thinkin’ about that myself.

BANDITOWe must think.

BILLYThink!

HAPPYYou know I think I tried that one time.

BILLYWhat? Thinkin’?

HAPPYYep, and for those who haven’t tried it, it ain’t as easy as it looks.

BANDITOWe must make him cry. He must beg for the mercy like a little sissy girl. He must feel thepain! But how?

HAPPYI got it! Two words. Atomic wedgie.

BANDITONo.

BILLYIndian burns?

BANDITOWhat? (BILLY gives him one) Ouch. No.

HAPPYPaper cuts?

BANDITOWhat?

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HAPPYPapercuts.

BILLYI think with the paper cuts it’s really all about the location.

HAPPYOooh, like a paper cut on your eyeball!

BILLYOr in between your fingers!

HAPPYOr toes!

BANDITOYou guys, please! You are making me woozie. This man came this close to killing us all andthe best you can come up with is paper cuts?

HAPPYI actually said atomic wedgie.

BANDITODo you guys have frijoles instead of brains?!

HAPPYNot as far as I know about.

BANDITOListen. I want not only to break his nose, but also to break his spirit. And to do this, we musthit him where it really counts.

HAPPYOh boss, please no. That just ain’t ethical.

BILLYThis is a family show so…

BANDITODo you know where you must hit a man to make it really count?

(look at each other, then)

BILLYYep.

HAPPY(voice cracking)

Pretty sure I’m familiar with the concept.

BANDITOTo make him beg for mercy like a little sissy girl we will hit him right in the finances.

HAPPYRight in the who-nances?

BANDITOThe finances! The bank account. The pocket book! Comprenden?

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BILLYOh yeah sure. The pocketbook.

HAPPYSmack him right in the finances. Got it! (wink wink)

BANDITOYou guys are so weird.

READING #3SALLY / WILLIAM / ROWDY-SALLY has just arrived in town to assist ROWDY in his search for BANDITO.

(enter WILLIAM using his umbrella as a sword and his shirt tied around his head like a pirate)

WILLYo ho, yo ho a pirate’s life fer me.

SALLYOh no.

WILL(SINGING)

Well shiver me timbers and shiver me timbs,Drink up me hearties yo ho,And shiver me timbers and shiver me timbs,Drink up me hearties yo ho, Everybody!Yo ho yo ho a pirate’s life for me.

Well hello thare ye fair maiden. I thought I’d went on and lost ya.

SALLYUnfortunately, no.

ROWDYWho’s the pirate?

SALLYHis name is William Pumpernickle.

WILLCaptain Willie I am, and who be this scurvy land-lubber?

(as WILL circles around inspecting ROWDY)

SALLYHe’s been following me ever since Kansas City. I thought I’d lost him this morning when I snuckoff the train, but he must have jumped ship.

WILLHe be not the evil Cap’n Blackbeard be he? Tell me and I’ll run him through straightaway!

ROWDYNo William, this is Sheriff Angus.

WILLSheriff Angus? That be a peculiar name for a pirate. Instead, I think I’ll call ye … PotBelly Joe.

SALLY

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(to ROWDY)He has a small identity problem.

(WILL has begun to challenge the far left proscenium to a duel)

Earlier today he was King Arthur at the round table, yesterday he was one of Peter Pan’s lostboys and right now it looks like he’s channeling his inner Johnny Dep.

WILLHand over that treasure or I’ll make ye walk the plank!

(ROWDY hides the money)

SALLYWhat’s that?

ROWDYSomethin’ that don’t belong to me no more.

SALLYWouldn’t happen to be the two thousand bucks you would have gotten to keep had you beenable to hang El Bandito?

ROWDYMaybe it is.

SALLYCan I see it?

ROWDY(worried about WILL)

I don’t think that’d be such a good idea.

SALLYAw c’mon. I haven’t seen that much money in one place since I held up the Carson City bank.

ROWDYWait a minute. Didn’t Bandito rob the Carson City bank?

SALLYWith my help! I said we had a history didn’t I?

ROWDYYou’re an outlaw?

SALLYA reformed outlaw. I ain’t proud of it, but I paid my dues and now I’m trying to write all of mywrongs.

WILLIsn’t she aaaaaaaawesome?!

ROWDY(pause)

Is he okay?

SALLYYeah. He’s fine.

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READING #4

SAM / BANDITO-SAM and ROWDY have just sung their big “love” song and are interrupted by Bandito. Sam hasto feign attraction toward BANDITO to give ROWDY a chance to escape without being seen.The comedy lies in SAM saying that she loves him while in reality, the very sight of him makesher want to “toss her cookies.”

BANDITOWho is there?

SAMIt’s just me.

BANDITOWhat are you doing? Did I hear … singing?

SAMUm, no. No one was singing.

BANDITOIt was coming from over here …

(he goes toward where Sheriff’s hiding and SAM stops him with her hand)

SAMNo!

BANDITONo?

SAMNo, you’ll wake the others. We must cherish this time … to be alone.

BANDITOAlone?

SAMYes …

(sexy voice)alone.

BANDITOAlone! So my chiquitita bundle of Indian beauty, the truth is finally revealed.

SAMYou said it.

BANDITOTell me more.

SAMI have fought against my feelings long enough.

BANDITOYes you have!

SAMI can no longer control the … passion within my soul.

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BANDITONo you can’t!

SAMI must do what my heart is telling me to do!

BANDITOYes, yes! You must!

SAMAnd so …

BANDITOSo?

SAMAnd so …

BANDITOCome, my love and kiss me. Kiss me like a thief in the night. Like a moth to the flame, likedust in the wind! Kiss me now!

(Sheriff escapes as JB goes in for the kill)

SAMNo!!!

BANDITONo?

SAMThe timing is not right.

BANDITOIt’s not?

SAMNo. We don’t want to do something rash!

BANDITOI do. Wait. Did you say you have a rash?

SAMNo. I mean, yes.

BANDITOSo which? You have rash? Yes or no.

SAMNo.

BANDITOGood. So now what is the problem? Is it me?

SAMNo, it’s just … something doesn’t seem quite right.

BANDITOOhhhh! Say no more, say no more. I read you.

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SAMYou do?

BANDITOLoud and clear.