Actors Needed for "The Shawshank Redemption" Play Audition

Red was played masterfully by Morgan Freeman in the movie, despite being originally portrayed as Irish in the Novella. Red has been at Shawshank since he was 20—an “Institutional Man”. He is charismatic but cynical. Pragmatic but jaded. He also acts as the narrator, which makes him serve as an observer to his own life and others. The central theme of the story is “Hope in a Hopeless Place”.

Andy was a banker on the outside. He is accused of killing his wife and her lover. He was convicted because he is seen as cold and detached. Andy is really thoughtful and strategic. In either case, he is calculating and targeted in his words and actions. Andy should be notable for how he differs from the rest of the inmates. Andy personifies hope in a hopeless place. Andy should be somebody with a powerful stillness that rises above his environment.

Warden Stammas is in charge of Shawshank Prison. Warden Stammas is, first and foremost, a cheat and a hypocrite. Warden Stammas is quick to put on a display of charity or empathy, but always he is out for himself. The inmates of Shawshank are a fact of his situation to be exploited. Warden Stammas portrays that of a devout Christian, but is quick to cruelty to anybody that runs afoul of him, and he runs several scams out of Shawshank prison.

Hadley is the “tightest screw that ever walked a turn at Shawshank”. Hadley is a blunt instrument with a short temper. The inmates fear him. The other guards tiptoe around him. He is quick to lose his temper, even when things are going his way. The whole world is out to get him, so he takes the chance to use Shawshank to exert his authority.

Within the Shawshank prison community, Bogs is Andy Dufresne’s foil. Like Andy, he is cold and calculating. But unlike Andy, instead of rising above the Shawshank environment, Bogs has embodied it. Bogs is leader of “The Sisters” and recognizes Andy’s type immediately. Bogs decides to break Andy both physically and intellectually, menacing him with both rape attempts and chess challenges.

Brooksie has been incarcerated since the 1920s. He’s one of the only college educated inmates, so he runs the library before Andy arrives. Brooks is a model prisoner, but under the surface Brooks represents the hopelessness of Shawshank, because Brooks is fearful of Andy’s proposed changes to the library, and Brooks becomes unhinged when finally paroled. Brooks is the bird who never sees beyond his cage.

Entwistle is the “other” prison guard besides Hadley. He tries to emulate Hadley’s demeanor from time to time, but the inmates see through him. Entwistle is a ‘good’ prison guard.

Rooster was a drug addict on the outside. He killed his stepson with a claw hammer when his stepson threatened to tell his mother about Rooster’s sexual advances. Rooster loves Shawshank because it gives him status and an environment for his sexual violence with men. Must be comfortable with simulated violence and male-on-male rape scenes.

Rico is entered into Shawshank at the same time as Andy Dufresne and Pinky. Rico is a born-again Christian, whose defining features in the play are his piety, naivety, and sexual repression, which first results in him being targeted by “The Sisters” and later results in a fixation with “Lady Chatterly’s Lovers”. Must be comfortable with nudity and simulated violence.

Tommy was raised in an orphanage. He’s been in and out of bad situations his entire life. He is brash with a good heart but very little in the way of prospects, so he took up car theft until he married and had a child. Tommy wants to be better but he doesn’t know how until he meets Andy Dufresne. Andy helps Tommy get his school equivalency, and in turn, Tommy discovers that he has information that can help Andy. Tommy must be charismatic and energetic.

Dawkins is best described as an ordinary decent criminal. Dawkins is open to all types.

Pinky is a minor character that doubles as other characters, as needed, such as “The Cook”. Also, for our production, we will be using projected art that Pinky may ‘symbolically draw’ during the scenes.