Audition Details for the High School Production of Murder on the Orient Express

We are excited to announce the information for this fall’s high school auditions for the performance of “Murder on the Orient Express.” Auditions are for any CAI High School student that would like to try out. Auditions will be held Friday, September 9, and the production dates are November 17-19. Following is all the information you will need to prepare for the auditions.

Hope to see you there!

“Murder on the Orient Express” Audition Information

Who: ALL CAI High School Students

Date: Friday, September 9

Time: 3:15-6 p.m.

Where: Dr. Jason Branim’s Classroom (Room 280)

What to Expect: Auditions will be on a first come, first served basis! Signups will be outside the classroom right after school. After individual auditions are finished, students are free to leave. Anyone that needs to report to a sports practice at that time, may go first.

What to Bring/Prepare:

Completed Audition Form
Five minutes (at a maximum) to WOW the judges with the following items and whatever else you choose. Don’t forget the nature of the show you are auditioning for!
- Minimum of Two Distinctively Different Monologues
- Minimum of Two of the Accent Statements Provided Below
- Girls ONLY – Belt a Song Operatically (around 30 seconds)

Accent Pieces – Demonstration Video Links are Below!

Male Accents – Belgian, Southern, French, Scottish

Female Accents – Russian, Swedish, Hungarian, Minnesota, British

Synopsis of the play, “Murder on the Orient Express”

Famous detective Hercule Poirot is called back from Istanbul to London on urgent business. He intends to book a first-class compartment on the Orient Express, run by his former friend and colleague, Monsieur Bouc. The train is surprisingly full, but Bouc manages to secure Poirot a spot in the first-class cabin. While aboard the Orient Express, Poirot meets a host of peculiar characters: an aging Russian princess, her Swedish companion, a Hungarian countess, a Minnesota housewife, a Scottish colonel, an English governess, a French conductor, a disagreeable American businessman, and his anxious secretary. While aboard the train, the angry businessman, Samuel Ratchett, corners Poirot and demands Poirot to investigate a series of ominous letters that have been sent to Ratchett, threatening his life.

As a snowdrift halts the Orient Express in its tracks, Ratchett is found stabbed multiple times in his locked train compartment. Poirot is tasked by Monsieur Bouc to solve the murder, as the killer could still be in their midst. As Poirot investigates, conflicting clues and convoluted alibis lead him to dead ends. Over the course of 48 hours, will Poirot be able to solve the case of the Murder on the Orient Express?

Male Roles (7)

Hercule Poirot – male – mature adult – lead – Belgian accent, detective, celebrity, mustache, short, intelligent, inquisitive, honorable, theatrical, committed, confident, observant

Monsieur Constantine Bouc – male – supporting role – Belgian accent, good humored, friend, businessman

Hector MacQueen – male – young adult – supporting role – stutter, nervous, American accent, secretary, translator, suspect, murderer

Michael the Conductor – male – mature adult – supporting role – French accent, conductor, quiet, serious, suspect, murderer, distraught

Samuel Ratchett/Bruno Cassetti – male – mature adult – supporting role – victim, murderer, threatening, angry, violent, businessman, ruthless, secretive, unforgiving, rage, American Accent, kidnapper, paranoid

Colonel James Arbuthnot – male – mature adult – supporting role – Scottish accent, handsome, matter of fact, soldier, lover, straight forward, friend, standoffish, enraged, suspect, murderer

Head Waiter – male – featured role – any age – French accent – pompous, presumption, waiter, dismissive, elitist

Female Roles (5)

Princess Natalya Dragomiroff – female – mature/elderly adult (70s) – supporting role – Russian accent, princess, royalty, lavish, expensive, reluctant, secretive, friend, suspect, murderer

Greta Ohlsson – female – young adult – supporting role – Swedish accent – plain, frightened, sheepish, religious, missionary, companion, suspect, nurse, murderer

Countess Elena Andrenyi – female – late teen/young adult – supporting role – Hungarian accent, American accent, beautiful, intelligent, doctor, countess, royalty, suspect, sister, aunt, murderer

Mrs. Helen Hubbard – female – mature/elderly adult (50s)– supporting role – dancer, singer, Minnesota accent, flamboyant, out spoken, flirtatious, well dressed, passionate, manipulator, master mind, suspect, murderer

Mary Debenham – female – late teen (young adult) – supporting role – beautiful, British accent, calm, cool, protective, suspect, murderer, manipulative, determined

Accent Links (Male and Female)

Male

Belgian –

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rh1WajhoAac

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CD0J-gF_QKs

Southern –

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EzkCOnq4kLU

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CB_nhquynN0

French –

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4YtMC4yUDhc

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LxMmI4lSjp4

Scottish –