The Rose of Charleswood
Project Overview
https://www.amazon.ca/Rose-Charleswood-Fran-Philp-ebook/dp/B082BD8NF7
Genre: Slice of Life, Family Drama, “Weekend Read”
Synopsis: When Sarah’s father, Dr. Wayne Gibson dies, her entire world is turned upside down. The man she loved and cherished more than anyone else, had been keeping an immense secret. One that completely changes her life and the lives of those around her forever.
Follow along with Sarah as she recounts her life growing up in Charleswood, a small farming community outside Winnipeg, Manitoba. Choices that will take her overseas during World War II and decisions that span decades of love and loss. She navigates adulthood through friendships, war, tragedy, and her own heartbreaking secrets that have impactful consequences for the lives of many, including Lenore, Jack and... the Rose of Charleswood.
Possible Content Triggers: War Trauma, Death/Grieving, Forced Adoption; troubling but not overly graphic. Family Secrets, Cheating/Adulteries, all told in tasteful/non-intense ways.
Thank you for taking an interest in my audio story drama, originally written in 2018 by my paternal grandmother, Fran Philp.
As a gift to her, I have started working on recording her novel, but quickly wanted to hear other voices bring her characters to life. This is a just-for-fun project without goal to earn income; just experience and practice.
I will be voicing the Narrator, Sarah Spencer and doing the Audio work and {possibly} minor video touches. The final project will be uploaded to YouTube with full blessing to use your recordings in demos, resumes, etc.
Guidelines
-please be 15+, 18+ for Jack Manning (scene of mild-sexual situation)
-please have discord, comment your discord name for me to add you
-please audition for as many characters as you’d like
-please have a clean audio audition, demonstrate what quality would be in your final cuts.
- XLR cable mics pref, but not mandatory.
-wav. files pref, mp3 is fine.
-note that there will be deadlines. As of posting this casting call, episode 1’s script is complete and has a final deadline of completion for May 1st, to be uploaded within days of that. Scheduling conflicts happen, please be open to communicating and don’t fear my wrath! (I don’t have one)
If you would prefer to audition privately, feel free to email me at mochibelli91 (at) gmail.com
I’m looking forward to seeing what we can create together!
Kind Regards,
MochiBelly
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Sarah's Mother. please use [text in these brackets as direction], only read "lines in quotations"
pitch is optional to actor, cadence must be motherly and confidently "submissive".
From novel; "She was slender, but curvaceous with dark brown eyes and long silky brown hair which she kept pinned up in a bun. She was considered to be quite attractive. She was born in Regina, but at the tender age of four lost both her parents and was sent to an orphanage. A couple from Charleswood adopted her and gave her a good life. It was a farming life, full of chores such as helping to plant seeds, gather the eggs, feed the animals, and clean out their pens. She was very bubbly and seemed to enjoy every aspect of her life. She discovered books at the age of twelve and once every couple of months her father would take her into Winnipeg where he would buy her books. The ones she cherished the most were her two volumes of Little Women. She identified with Jo the most, but instead of wanting to write, she wanted to be an actress. She would sing and dance, putting on plays that she had made up so she could perform them for friends and relatives. As a young woman, she helped to form the Elmhurst Players. They would do readings and perform plays and musical numbers. While performing, she met Dad. She took one look at him and knew she would be marrying him."
[Betty is telling Sarah the story of her birth, her husband Wayne suggests naming your newborn daughter Sarah]
"That's perfect, I replied happily. I can't wait to get her home to meet her big brother, I said as I looked lovingly into your tiny face."
[finish line with a gentle, dramatic sigh of delight][Betty and Wayne are just finding out about Sarah's unwed pregnancy. It's 1945, and post war depression on a farm. huge no-no. Betty has asked how a nurse could let this happen. She loves her daughter but she's so scared it may come across as anger, with cracks of fear.]
"We must do something, we must. We'll have to send her to a home for unwed mothers, ohh no!!!!!"
[it's described that she's 'wailing'][Betty's eldest son, Tommy, Brings home his handsome and well spoken friend Jack over for dinner, as he leaves she 'gushes']
"What a nice boy"
Sarah's Father. Please use [text in these brackets as direction], only read "lines in quotations"
From the Novel; "Dad was little taller than her, at 5’9”, he had thick, untamed sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Dad was lean and lanky. He had the warmest smile, the kind that crinkles the edge of his mouth and eyes. After getting his medical license, Dad moved from Toronto to Winnipeg in June of 1913 to work at the new Winnipeg General Hospital. When war was declared, he joined the army as a medic. While on the battlefield, Dad sustained an injury to his left leg, having cracked his knee cap when he landed on the hard ground after pushing an officer out of the way of a grenade that was heading right for him. He was taken to a makeshift military hospital, where they bandaged his knee and gave him just enough therapy to be sent home with an honourable discharge, in December of 1916."
[Betty has just given birth to your second child, first daughter. you've come up with a name.]
"She looks like a Sarah to me. We'll call her Sarah, Sarah Anne Gibson. What do you think, mother?"
[He's written to be 'Radiating Love']
[Wayne and his wife have heard and are shocked by the news of Sarah's unwed pregnancy. He snaps at her, Sarah snaps back, Betty is sobbing and wailing, Sarah is too now, He needs to take over the situation.]
"Okay, Okay, let's all just take a deep breath a calm down. We just need to relax for a while. Then we'll get some rest and talk this all out in the morning."
[the scene finishes with Wayne giving Sarah a bear hug, bringing in Betty as well. He's scared and now slightly shamed about being angry]
[Wayne has passed away at this point but wrote a letter to Sarah before his condition worsened. He will open up about his deepest secret in hopes of not destroying the love he had built while alive. The letter will be cut off at the reveal for this audition, I just want you to read up to that point.]
"January 27th, 1968
My Dearest Sarah
As you know, today I found out that I have inoperable throat cancer. A few years ago I made a promise that I intend to keep even though the inability to speak the truth has, I believe, brought on this cancer. This secret has, literally been eating me up. I must have passed on, if you are now reading this, my sweetheart.
When Helen & John, Lenore's Parents, died in the car accident in December of '65, Helen's attorney gave me a letter from her.."
Sarah's First Crush, Lenore's Husband, Tommy's High School Friend. Between 17-19 when first introduced, ages throughout the story but is described as "never aging a day", always as charming. He's well spoken, "deep-rich" tone, charismatic but assertive/passive "good ol' farm boy" attitude.
please use [text in these brackets as direction], only read "lines in quotations"
18+ for Jack Manning (scene of mild-sexual situation)
From the Novel: "When he walked through the door it was as if the world was turning in slow motion. This seventeen-year-old Adonis, with his lean but muscular body, smokey blue eyes and perfectly coiffed blond hair, strolled through our front door and smiled at me.."
(17-19 y/old) [Jack is over at his friend Tommy's house for dinner after school. His mother Betty asks with sincerity, "Tell us about your parents?"]
“Mom was involved with many clubs in Winnipeg, like drama and bridge, and she still does a lot of charity work. My Dad is the General Manager for the Soo Line in Winnipeg which runs from Sault Ste. Marie to Portland, Oregon. Dad wanted to move out this way to get some peace and quiet. It’s really quite noisy at the rail yards.”
(28-30 y/old) [Sarah has entered Jack's life again, and he is seeking a nanny/house help for his family. He holds a secret with Sarah, but dares to even remotely acknowledge it. He offers her a job, ignoring his "history" with her (past fling) *Rose is your 5 y/old daughter]
“Say, listen Sarah, you’re a nurse. Do you think you might consider coming to work for us? Can you cook? It would only be light housekeeping and looking after Rose. Oh, you’d love her. She’s cute and funny and has a lot of spirit.”(65-70 y/old) [Sarah confronts Jack about their fling and starts to open up about that night. She says, That night I seduced you out of grief. For that, I am sorry.]
"You were the only person, besides my wife, that I have ever slept with. I felt your pain but I felt guilty about that night for quite some time after."
Part of "The Growing Years Gang"; Him, Frank, Sarah and Mary Jane are all friends. He has a strong romantic interest in Sarah, and is happy going at her pace &/or remaining friends, until he meets his first wife, Joan. Charlie remains a constant character throughout Sarah's life. He's a theatrical and musical soul, but think classic cinema front-men; mid-low baritone.
please use [text in these brackets as direction], only read "lines in quotations"
From the Novel; "Of course with Mary-Jane and Frank pairing off, everyone assumed that Charlie and I would become an item. Charlie was the more serious, but fun-loving one of the group. He studied hard and worked on the weekends delivering groceries. Charlie was an average guy, but the one trait that made him stand out was his signing voice. No matter where we went or what we were doing Charlie would always start a sing-a-long..." , "Charlie said that he always wanted to go to California to become a song and dance man in the big musicals Hollywood was producing at the time. What he did instead was to pay the hundred dollar tuition to go to Normal School in Winnipeg to get his teaching certificate."
(14-16y/old) Sing some of "Happy Days are Here Again"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqsT4xnKZPg <lyrics in description(45-50 y/old)[Charlie hasn't seen Sarah in many years. Now as a school principal, he notices she's the schools inoculation nurse and wants to ask her out before she walks away. Its noted he says this line with "anticipation in his eyes"]
“Wait, Sarah. I was wondering if you would like to have lunch with me today. Some place simple, like the Salisbury House on Fort Street where they make the best burgers in the world?”
(75 y/old)[Charlie was expected to have listened to Sarah's secrets and findings with maybe apprehension, but with care. He surprises them. From the novel; 'Charlie had put me up on a pedestal, it only made sense that this bump would knock me off." This is the first thing Charlie says in their break-up argument.]
“Sarah, you have hurt me deeply. You never trusted me enough to mention that you were having Bill Jr. look into the adoption. Then when you do find out, it’s not me you go to, to help you figure out how to handle the situation, it’s Jack.”
Sarah's Childhood friend, same age. Her Parents are close with Sarah's, Lenore's mother Helen helped deliver Sarah at birth. She marries Jack Manning and has daughter Rose Manning.
please use [text in these brackets as direction], only read "lines in quotations"
From the Novel; "At six, Lenore was very chubby and a little standoffish until she got to know you. She had sandy blonde hair that seemed to have a mind of its own. I remember feeling quite comfortable with her. She had a very happy laugh and her giggles seemed to come from her toes. Their family was Roman Catholic, so Lenore went to St. Ignatius Church and school. She took an instant liking to my family as I did hers. I felt a certain unexplained kinship with her. Over the years, I would see Lenore sporadically, mostly in summer or at a community event, such as the Harvest Fair in October. We were never close, but we were always glad to see each other. [...] Even though we didn’t see a lot of each other and travelled in different circles, we always felt a connection. Lenore and her family always felt like an extension of ours. "
(in 40's) [Lenore and Jack have hired Sarah to be their daughters Nanny. It's been a few years and Rose is reading a school project about the war that she had done with help of Sarah's experiences as a ward nurse, and her father, a solider. Lenore notes they both look slightly discomforted]
“For the first time I really realized what the two of you had gone through in that war. Neither of you have ever said much about it.”
(in late 40's) [Lenore now knows the secrets of her passed parents as well as Sarah's. She's come back to Sarahs a few days later to express her confusion and feelings]
"When I left your place on Saturday, I didn't call Jack to pick me up. I had my finger on the button. Anyway, I just drove around for awhile trying to figure out how I was going to tell Jack and Rose. I was having a lot of trouble. My emotions were all over the place. I really, really don't like secrets, but part of me came to understand that they both kept their secret because it may have destroyed two marriages and shattered both families over a situation that only happened once, out of grief..."
(in 70's) [More secrets and lies have come out and Lenore has turned to drinking. She and Jack come to meet up with Sarah to talk again, but Lenore is pretty out of it.. once she snaps out of her drunken-daze and comes too, she notices sarah and says with a slurring voice..]
"Ohh... it's the Bitch!"
Jack and Lenore's Daughter. Sarah is her Nanny and "second mother figure".
please use [text in these brackets as direction], only read "lines in quotations"
**Rose doesn't have lines in the first couple episode, but becomes a main figure in the latter half of the story. Her VA submission deadline is longer than the others**
From the Novel; "She became an avid reader. She still loved her mysteries for escapism but she seemed to be leaning more toward biographies of great leaders, painters and philosophers. She also read about the golden age of Hollywood. Her tastes were very eclectic, much the same as her taste in music. She enjoyed everything from big bands, to blues, to pop, to rock 'n roll, to folk, to country, to The Beatles."
(in her mid 20's) [Rose just found out a life-changing secret and runs to Sarah to talk it through first. She is said to be 'bawling', and saying the following with 'shaking sobs']
"Oh, Sarah, my life is a mess!!"
[Following the scene above, Sarah gives Rose some advice and calms her confusion. Sarah over hears the now exhausted Rose on the phone with her mum and says;]
"I love you, Mum."
(in her late 30's) [all of the secret have come to the surface. A rift has formed between her mother and Sarah, and Rose is in the middle. Sarah has called her to talk/have an update, but Rose is stone cold until she says;]
"Well, Sarah, I really don't know what to tell you right now. I need you and Mum to figure out how the two of you are going to make peace with each other. I can honestly see where you both are coming from, but I really don't want to be pulled in two directions or asked to take sides. I won't do that. Maybe Dad can help you get something set up so you could see Mum when she's sober. That's not too often these days."
Bill Thatcher Sr and Bill Thatcher Jr are Father/Son working in the same Law office as Jack Manning.
please use [text in these brackets as direction], only read "lines in quotations"
I would, ideally, like Bill to be played by the same man. A heartier low voice for Sr, and a lighter laid-back reading for Jr.
[In Sr's Voice, Read the title of the Prolgue]
"The Reading of the Will'
[Sr is reading the will of Dr. Wayne Gibson to his family and friends]
“This is the reading of the last will and testament of Dr. Wayne Patrick Gibson,”
[Jr is discussing the legalities of searching for a child put up for adoption to Sarah]
"I spoke with the judge and he's given me a court date for next Monday, January 23rd to hear the case and rule on it. The next part is what takes time. Discreetly approaching the other two parties, without giving your name, we need to get their approval and/or level of disclosure they will grant.
Once we have that, it goes back to the courts for a final decree from the judge to grant your application to have the records unsealed.
My law clerk will then go, under court order, to the necessary agencies to retrieve your records. Once gathered, I will bring them to you."
please use [text in these brackets as direction], only read "lines in quotations"
From "The Growing Years Gang"; Friends with Charlie and Sarah, Marries Frank. They have a child, Joshua together and many years after Franks death, Sarah introduces her to her second husband, Joe.
Mary Jane is a reoccurring character throughout the whole story.
[On the evening of the last day of high school, Frank proposes to Mary Jane, she squeals with delight and immediately says;]
"Yes!!"
[Mary Jane sends Sarah a letter updating her on her life, wishing her well and inviting her to be her newborn son's godmother, this is the latter half of the note]
"...We are hoping that you will agree to be Joshua's godmother. The christening is being held on Sunday, May 7th at St. Mary's at 11am. Charlie has agreed to be the godfather. It's too bad you don't feel the same way about Charlie. He would make a very good husband and father.
I wish you good luck with your exams. The next time I see you, you'll be an RN. I'm so proud of you.
I'm missing you my friend and I'm really looking forward to seeing you soon.
Your dearest friend, Mary Jane."[Reading the title of Chapter 2]
"The Growing Years"
Various Male Extras
please use [text in these brackets as direction], only read "lines in quotations"
I have 3 male doctors and 3 males with few lines. I would pref each man to also play a dr as well.
All have Canadian/North American Accents, **EXCEPT; Andrew Spencer. When reading his lines, please use an english/london or nottingham accent. The dr's can have any accent/dialect.
[Andrew Spencer is a **British pub owner, and becomes Sarah's husband before leaving for war. When they were first getting to know each other he'd lean over and announce to others, with charm;]
" Ah, there's my girl-- I'm going to marry her one day."
[Tommy Gibson has been in the frontlines of war and been brutally injured, he is breathless, dying, in his sisters arms in the hospital ward]
"Tell Mum, Dad, and Bonnie that I love them."
[Dr. Samuels is Sarah's (in late 60's during scene) doctor and about to deliver some alarming news, but levels with her first..]
"Sarah, as a nurse you should know the value of yearly check ups. It's been five years since your last visit. We think, as medical professionals, that we know how to treat ourselves. But, we don't! You should have come to me sooner..." [he chastises, but now turns softer].. "I'm sorry to tell you this, Sarah, I have the results of your blood work and urinalysis and they are not good."
I need about 2-4 Female extras to voice various minor lines throughout the story.
please use [text in these brackets as direction], only read "lines in quotations"
[Shelia, is a receptionist at Bill Thatcher Sr's Law Office, she knows Sarah well before her arrival in the start of the story. She's professional but comfortable. She speaks this line into her intercom]
"Mr. Thatcher, Sarah Spencer is here to see you.."
[Freda, is one of the other Nurses in training with Sarah, they become friends along with Nancy and Lynda. They are in there new dorm together, day 1, unpacking and having a laugh about the strict rules]
"Some of the rules must have been written by a prison warden.."
[Nameless Social Worker; stern and cold, professional. "She" keeps Sarah on track in the "unwed mothers home" to give her child for adoption immediately after giving birth. These are the cold questions she has to ask Sarah while she goes through her pregnancy]
"Did you leave home to hide your shame?
Are you giving your baby to strangers so that your misconduct remains unsuspected at home?
Do you love your baby?
Do you want to keep it..?"
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