AUDITION INFORMATION
The Dio - Dining & Entertainment, Livingston County's award winning professional theatre company, is thrilled to announce auditions for their upcoming production of Misery by William Goldman, based on the novel by Stephen King, directed by Steve DeBruyne. Actors of color are especially encouraged to audition. Video submissions only, accepted through Sunday, July 20 at 5pm. In-person callbacks will take place from 6pm to 11pm on Tuesday, July 22 at The Dio, 177 E. Main Street, Pinckney MI, 48169.
CASTING THE FOLLOWING ROLES:
ANNIE WILKES - female presenting actor, mid 30s to 50s, any ethnicity. Paul's number one fan. She initially seems to be a kind, tender woman as she cares for Paul after his car leaves the road during a snowstorm, but something is off. Her mood can change on a dime. Annie is manipulative, cunning and cruel. Actor must be able to commit to staged violence that will require falling to the floor and choreographed wrestling.
PAUL SHELDON - male presenting actor, age 45+, any ethnicity. A successful author with a touch of arrogance. Paul finds himself trapped and writing for his life under the watchful eye of Annie. Crafty and resourceful, and determined to match wits with his captor. Actor must be able to commit to staged violence that will require falling to the floor and choreographed wrestling.
BUSTER - male presenting actor, late 20s to 30s, any ethnicity. The sheriff of a nearby town who is searching for Paul. Actor must be able to commit to staged violence that will require falling to the floor.
VIDEO SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:
Prepare two contrasting monologues, no more than one minute each. Please film one from shoulders up, and one full body. Email video link to steve@diotheatre.com with your name and "Misery submission" in the subject line. Unlisted YouTube links are preferred (make sure video is set to be viewed by anyone with the link).
Please include the following in your submission email: your headshot and resume, as well as a list of all conflicts from August 25 through October 19. Video submissions will be accepted through Sunday, July 20 at 5pm. In-person callbacks will take place from 6pm to 11pm on Tuesday, July 22 at The Dio, 177 E. Main Street, Pinckney MI, 48169.
PAY:
All actors receive a one-time stipend of $790 plus a meal following each performance and two complimentary tickets. Actors with previous serving experience may choose to serve tables on select nights for additional tip money. Servers are scheduled on an alphabetic rotation.
*If any of the performances are cancelled for any reason, stipend will be reduced by $40 per cancelled show. Meals are subject to availability, based on the needs of the audience at any given performance.
REHEARSAL INFO:
Rehearsals will begin August 25, 2025 and take place at The Dio, 177 E. Main, Pinckney MI, 48169, Mondays through Fridays from 6pm to 10pm and Saturdays from noon to 6pm. No rehearsal on Labor Day, Monday, September 1. Tech Saturday will take place from noon to midnight on September 13. Please be aware that rehearsal may run later than 10pm during tech week, September 15 through September 18. Can work with rehearsal conflicts if necessary, however, conflicts are a deciding factor in casting. All conflicts must be supplied at the time of auditions. The Dio reserves the right to require masking during the rehearsal process depending on the health of the cast, and the state of spread of Covid-19 in the community.
PERFORMANCE DATES AND TIMES:
*Call for evening performances is 7pm.
*Call for matinee performances is 1pm.
Friday, September 19 - evening
Saturday, September 20 - evening
Sunday, September 21 - matinee
Friday, September 26 - evening
Saturday, September 27 - evening
Sunday, September 28 - matinee
Friday, October 3 - evening
Saturday, October 4 - evening
Sunday, October 5 - matinee
Friday, October 10 - evening
Saturday, October 11 - evening
Sunday, October 12 - matinee
Thursday, October 16 - evening
Friday, October 17 - evening
Saturday, October 18 - evening
Sunday, October 19 - matinee
SHOW SYNOPSIS:
Misery follows successful romance novelist Paul Sheldon, who is rescued from a car crash by his “number one fan,” Annie Wilkes, and wakes up captive in her secluded home. While Paul is convalescing, Annie reads his latest book and becomes enraged when she discovers the author has killed off her favorite character, Misery Chastain. Annie forces Paul to write a new Misery novel, and he quickly realizes Annie has no intention of letting him go anywhere. The irate Annie has Paul writing as if his life depends on it, and it does.
IN THE SPIRIT OF SHARED HUMANITY AND A CONCERN FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND THE WORLD AT LARGE, WE AT The Dio CELEBRATE DIVERSITY AND AFFIRM OUR SOLIDARITY WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS MOST AT RISK. WE DISAVOW ALL RACISM AND HATE SPEECH OR ACTIONS THAT ATTEMPT TO SILENCE, THREATEN AND DEGRADE OTHERS. WE ENCOURAGE AND WELCOME BIPOC, AAPI, Latinx AND LGBTQ+ PERFORMERS TO ATTEND OUR AUDITIONS, AND TO JOIN OUR DIO FAMILY.
