Ojai ACT

The Cemetery Club

By Ivan Menchell

Directed by Sindy McKay

Produced by Jill Dolan and Christina Fabbro

When: Sunday, January 18th at 6:00 PM, and Tuesday, January 20th at 7:00 PM
Where: The Raymund Room at the Ojai Art Center, 113 S. Montgomery St.

Callbacks: TBD

PERFORMANCES

Weekends, March 27th – April 19th, 2026 (Including Easter Sunday, April 5th)

Friday and Saturday evening performances at 7:30 PM, Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM.

All Roles are open. Casting 4 women, 1 man, ages 55 and above.

OACT is a non-Equity theater. There is no pay.

Please bring all potential rehearsal and show conflicts to auditions.

About the Play

Ivan Menchell’s, The Cemetery Club, is a charming and funny play about three Jewish widows struggling to reclaim their own lives and identities after their husbands have died. At one of their monthly visits to their husbands’ graves, they encounter Sam, a shy widower whose wife is buried nearby. The women’s friendship becomes strained when a love triangle develops. A heartwarming story about the importance of relishing life and friendships, The Cemetery Club also reminds us of the importance of finding love the second time around.

AUDITION DETAILS

The Cemetery Club derives much of its humor from the cadence of a New York Jewish accent. All actors must demonstrate the ability to speak with this accent. Think Barbra Streisand, or take a look at a few videos for inspiration.

Joan Rivers on The Johnny Carson Show:

Modi:

• Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. No appointment is necessary. Sides are linked below.

AVAILABLE ROLES

Character Descriptions: Some movement and physical comedy is required.

• IDA – 55-75. Once the devoted wife of Murry, Ida’s identity as his devoted widow is beginning to pale. The thought of a relationship with another man has never entered her mind. Until lately. Would it be such a crime to fall in love again? Caught between the views of her “no other man – EVER” friend Doris, and her “any other man with a bankroll” friend Lucille, Ida realizes there comes a time – a second time – in her life when she has to follow her heart.

• DORIS – 55-75. Fiercely loyal to her late husband Abe, Doris takes her responsibilities as a widow very seriously. She is not interested in a new relationship and is appalled when her friends consider dating again. Rigid? Maybe. Opinionated? Oh yes. She’s always able to give as good as she gets in her quick banter with Lucille.

• LUCILLE – 55-75. Lucille is a widow with a secret. On the outside, flashy, expensively dressed, and on the prowl for an available, financially successful, zesty man. On the inside? Well she’s not ready to reveal that. To anyone. She is the least interested in going to the cemetery but goes to spend the time with her friends.

• SAM – 55-75. Also doing diligence at the grave of his deceased spouse is Sam. He’s a successful local butcher in the neighborhood. Like Ida, he wants to move on with his life but is unsure how to go about it, or if it would be a betrayal to his late wife, Merna. Nice, unassuming, lonely, but not weak.

• MILDRED – 55-75. Not exactly the brightest candle on the menorah, Mildred is clueless to all the tense energy going on around her. Would it change the way she behaves if she were aware? Probably not. She is only focused on having a good time. A stark contrast to the other women. Mildred only appears in one scene. Great for the actress who doesn’t want to learn a lot of lines, with the potential to steal the show.​

REHEARSALS

 Rehearsals will start Monday, January 26th and take place Mondays through Thursdays until opening,
with some possible weekend rehearsals.

LOCATION
The Raymund Room
The Ojai Art Center Theater
113 S. Montgomery St. Ojai, CA 93023

SIDES

Doris and Lucille p. 18

Doris Monologue

Ida and Lucille p. 11

Ida Monlogues 1 and 2

Ida and Doris p. 78-79

Ida and Sam p. 50

Lucille Monologues 1 and 2

Mildred, Doris, Sam p. 79

Sam Monologues 1 and 2

Thank you for your interest!

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