Garden Theatre 

Auditions for the ACT Youth Wing Garden Theatre production of "Cassia and Hemlock" will be held at 5:30 on Monday April 22 and Tuesday April 23 on the Main Stage at the Aiken Community Theatre. Show dates are June 19 - 21. 

Cassia and Hemlock

by Virginia Wayt

Princess Cassia isn’t like most princesses. She talks back, she’s sarcastic, and she hates having to take “princess classes” like ballet. She’s the exact opposite of what her mother, the Queen, wants her to be. When the evil Prince Hemlock escapes the dungeon and kidnaps Princess Cassia, the whole kingdom will have to come together to try and get her back before Hemlock can marry Cassia and take the crown for himself.

Characters (in order of appearance):

Narrator (m/f): Just trying to move the story along, almost like a stage manager. Not very patient. Overall sarcastic, witty, and sassy.

Princess Cassia (f): Rebellious princess, like Merida from Brave (but more willing to listen to her mother and less equipped to use weapons). Smart-mouthed and wants to rule the kingdom before her little brother. Thinks the world isn’t fair (it’s not). Breaks the fourth wall occasionally.

Queen Linnea (f): The queen of the kingdom of Jardin. Mother to Cassia and Florian. Is trying her best to parent a future queen who doesn’t really want to rule the traditional way, which is by being soft-spoken and delicate. Will do anything to protect the kingdom, from negotiating with rulers of other realms to keeping Jardin’s biggest enemy locked securely in the dungeons. Friends close and enemies closer, eh?

Prince Florian (m): Younger brother to Cassia and heir to the throne of Jardin. Loves to rub that fact in his sister’s face because he knows how mad it makes her. Desperately wants to be cool.

Tutor 1(m/f): Florian’s tutor.

Tutor 2 (m/f): Cassia’s tutor.

Sorrel (m/f): The Royal Advisor. Trying their best to advise the Queen in a lot of difficult circumstances.

Basil (m/f): Guard. Not the most intelligent or attentive person, but means well. Comic role.

Saffron (m/f): Guard. Equally inattentive and unintelligent (which means dumb and easily manipulated). Comic role.

Hemlock (m): The villain! Descended from a long line of evil kings. Since he no longer has a kingdom of his own, he’s trying to take over the kingdom of Jardin by marrying Cassia and disposing of Florian.

Stagehand (m/f): Cares a lot about shrubbery.

Robin (m/f): A bird. An early one, specifically. Comic role.

Jay (m/f): Another bird. Wanted to be a carrier pigeon when he grew up. Comic role.

Sir Hawthorne (m): The strongest and most handsome knight in the kingdom. He knows it. And by ‘He knows it’ I mean he really knows it. He’s a complete and self-absorbed narcissist, and will do anything for the sake of glory.