Jobs and Auditions at The Pear…

CASTING

The Art of Murder

by Joe DiPietro

Directed by: Melissa Mei Jones
Stage Manager: Kelly Weber Barazza
Set Design: Louis Stone-Collonge
Lighting Design: Ed Hunter
Costume Designer: Lisa Rozman
Artistic Director: Sara K. Dean

Art: ✔️ Murder: ✔️ Deception ✔️ What happens when art and manipulation become one and the same? Acclaimed artist Jack Brooks has invited his art dealer, Vincent, to his secluded home for what seems to be a business discussion. With his wife, Annie, and Kate, the housekeeper, drawn into the mix, the night unfolds as a thrilling exploration of trust, morality, and the choices that shape our fate.

Packed with razor-sharp dialogue, dark humor, and shocking revelations, in The Art of Murder, the mask of civility and artistic integrity is shattered by ambition and revenge.

Rehearsals start September 3, 2025
Performing October 3 -19, 2025

Role breakdown: 2 M, 2 F

To Audition:

Auditions are held at the Pear Theatre, 1110 La Avenida Suite A, Mountain View, CA.
ALL auditioners: please complete The Art of Murder Audition Form - whether you plan to submit virtually or attend in-person!

In-Person Auditions are on June 14, 10am-12pm, with callbacks to be arranged by invite. Please submit via the audition form to note your availability and we will confirm an audition timeslot on June 11. Timeslots will be assigned on a first-come basis, and may fill up.

Video Auditions: Choose and record two of the sides FOUND HERE. Submissions are due by June 13 at midnight via The Art of Murder Audition form.

ALL Prepare: Please prepare the following readings to the role(s) you’d like to be considered for; no need to be memorized. (Link to Folder with SIDES.)

All roles have multiple sides available:
ANNIE: Prioritize Sides 3 & 6, if time permits Sides 1 & 4
JACK: Prioritize Sides 1 & 6, if time permits Sides 5
VINCENT: Prioritize Sides 3 & 5, if time permits Sides 2 & 4
KATE: Prioritize Side 1, if time permits Side 4

All positions are volunteer. A $300 travel stipend is available.

For questions, please contact: auditions@thepear.org

Pear Theatre places equity at the core of what we do. In order to fulfill our mission, we strive to share stories that represent the full spectrum of human experience. We consistently engage with our past and present missteps with regards to equity, and we commit to moving ourselves, our artists, our patrons, and our community toward a more equitable, just, and inclusive artistic world. The Pear Theatre is designed to be physically accessible to people with disabilities, and encourages all to audition.

Synopsis: What happens when art and manipulation become one and the same? Acclaimed artist Jack Brooks has invited his art dealer, Vincent, to his secluded home for what seems to be a business discussion. With his cunning wife, Annie, and Kate, the housekeeper, drawn into the mix, the night unfolds as a thrilling exploration of trust, morality, and the choices that shape our fate.

We are actively seeking actors of all ethnicities and gender identities/expressions for all roles. While the descriptions below refer to the characters’ identities/expressions, all roles are open to actors of any/all identities and expressions who are comfortable portraying the characters as described.

Note from the director: I’m looking for actors who can drive a scene forward with urgency, energy, intention, and a firm hand; who can seamlessly navigate rapid beat and mood shifts with fluidity. The script has an undercurrent of tension that’s alleviated by pops of unexpected humor and one-liners, and those sudden beat shifts between tension and humor are key to making it work. Be big (bloody), bold, and resolute!

ROLES:

ANNIE BROOKS (she/her)
AGE: presents 30s+
ETHNICITY: any
DESCRIPTION: Feisty, resourceful, quick thinker, emotional chameleon (can strategically code-switch/shift tactics depending on who she’s talking to), a woman who’s found her backbone and isn’t afraid to use it now, a hidden streak of cunning and ruthlessness with an inner core of strength and resolve, a thinly veiled bitterness that peeks out at unguarded moments, a talented visual artist whose talents and identity have been subsumed by her overbearing husband

OTHER NEEDS:
Character will handle a prop gun
Character will briefly be unwillingly accosted by the character of JACK
Character may briefly kiss the character of VINCENT on the mouth in a celebratory way
Must be able to lift and carry an adult (deadweight) with the help of the actor playing KATE

JACK BROOKS (he/him)
AGE: presents 30s+
ETHNICITY: any
DESCRIPTION: Brash and bold; self-aggrandizing, overbearing, egotistical, entitled, toxic masculinity and narcissism, unpredictable and volatile mood shifts, a big-name-but-now-washed-up artist not above passing off other people’s work as his own in a bid to stay relevant, refers to himself in the third person

OTHER NEEDS:
Character will appear shirtless and in swim trunks
Character will handle and fire a prop gun, and engage in hand-to-hand stage violence as the aggressor, including handling stage blood
Character will briefly accost the characters of ANNIE and KATE, who are unwilling

VINCENT CUMMINGS (he/him)
AGE: presents 30s+
ETHNICITY: any
DESCRIPTION: Jack Brooks’ art dealer/agent, handles high-end clientele. Vivacious, flamboyant, irreverent, the type of person who’d greet others with “air kisses” on the sides of the cheeks, flair for the dramatic, will do what he needs to do to close a deal but is ultimately a coward at heart, Nathan Lane’s effervescent charm mixed with lowkey shyster vibes

OTHER NEEDS:
Character will engage in hand-to-hand stage violence as the victim
Character may briefly kiss the character of ANNIE on the mouth in a celebratory way

KATE (she/her)
AGE: presents 18+
ETHNICITY: any. Character is written as an Irish immigrant with an Irish accent (referenced in the text), but actors of all ethnicities will be considered. Additionally, The Pear is checking with the publishing company for flexibility to change character to any ethnicity/nationality.

Regarding an accent, Irish or otherwise: no need to use one for auditions, though you’re welcome to pull one out if you have it! If Irish, any region in Ireland is fine (the text doesn’t specify where in Ireland she’s from). If an accent ends up being required for performance, a dialect coach will be provided.

DESCRIPTION: The Brooks’ maid, an immigrant. Intelligent and highly educated as a chemist in her home country but working this low-paying job as she waits for her green card. On the surface, she’s seemingly subservient but has a hidden reserve of conviction and cold calculation (that we briefly glimpse at the beginning of the play and see more of at the end) fueled by a desire for revenge

OTHER NEEDS:
Character will briefly be unwillingly accosted by the character of JACK
Must be able to lift and carry an adult (deadweight) with the help of the actor playing ANNIE