Auditions

Rabbit Hole

By David Lindsay-Abaire

Directed by Anna Baird

SEASON: 6-27 September, 2025 (13 performances)

AUDITIONS: from 10am, Saturday, 7 June, 2025, by appointment

REHEARSALS: Sunday afternoons from 4pm and Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7pm.

SYNOPSIS
Becca and Howie Corbett are struggling to find their way after losing their young son in a tragic accident. As they drift apart, Becca’s family try to offer well-intentioned support, but their own complicated lives only add to the troubles. When the teenage driver involved in the accident reaches out, the family are forced to confront their loss and the possibility of finally moving forward. Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for drama.

Email info@hlt.org.nz for a copy of the script, or click the link at right to learn more and request an audition time.

CHARACTERS
The play is set in Larchmont, New York (about 35 minutes from Central New York), so a standard American accent is preferable. Dialect support can be provided. There are five strong roles and although Jason is a smaller role, it’s still challenging given his age, what he has been through and how his presence affects the others.

Age ranges are indicative: if you feel you may be suitable, please audition. These are unpaid roles.

Becca (Female, late 30s)
The grieving mother of Danny and wife of Howie. You could be forgiven for thinking Becca is in denial about her son’s death. She shuts down immediately if there is any mention of therapy or help of any kind, and is angry at her friend for not being there for her. She is stuck in a place where she can’t go back but can’t move forward either, where she can’t forget but can’t bear to remember. Her answer is to try and erase everything that reminds her of her son. However, beneath her steeled exterior is a woman desperate to regain control, yet constantly reminded that nothing will ever be the same.

Howie (Male, late 30s - early 40s)
Becca’s husband who is trying to hold everything together. Howie loves his wife so much and wants to help her but keeps getting rebuffed. He desperately needs her but he can’t reach her. Howie is also dealing with his own grief and pain while attempting so hard to ‘fix’ things. He is kind and patient but also capable of showing his anger and at times his frustration simmers beneath the surface.

Izzy (Female, 30s)
Becca’s younger sister. Izzy will call a spade a spade and is able to speak her truths to her sister and to Howie, sometimes with heartfelt honesty. Not afraid to call people out if she thinks they are wrong, she is the wild child and free spirit. She brings another level of pain but also hope when she announces she is unexpectedly pregnant.

Nat (Female, 60s)
Becca and Izzy’s mother. Nat is well meaning, trying to help Becca through her grief but  gets shut down a lot by her. Nat has had her own fair share of grief having lost her son Arthur (Becca & Izzy’s brother) when he was 30 years old. However, Becca is not interested in comparing notes, believing that the two deaths are unrelatable. Nat feels like she is walking on eggshells a lot of the time and has a tendency, to make matters worse rather than better with what she says, despite her best intentions.

Jason (Male, 17)
A naïve but earnest teenager with a heavy burden. Jason was driving the car that accidentally hit and killed Danny. Though he wasn’t at fault, the guilt he carries is profound. Seeking forgiveness, he attempts to reach out to the family to try and make things better. Initially he is rejected but in a strange way his meeting with Becca later in the play helps her to find a path out of the place where she has found herself stuck. His presence greatly affects the other characters.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Anna Baird is a professionally trained actor, graduating from The Actors’ Program in 2015. A familiar face at Howick Little Theatre, Anna most recently delighted audiences as Molly in Old Love, which jointly won Best Production in 2023. Her extensive acting experience spans professional and community theatre across Auckland, web series, and screen roles, including an appearance on The Brokenwood Mysteries. She received the Best Actress award for her portrayal of Carol in Dolphin Theatre’s Death of a Dream (2018). Rabbit Hole marks Anna’s directing debut, and she is thrilled to bring this deeply moving and beautifully crafted play by David Lindsay-Abaire to life.

Watch this space for details of the remaining play in our 2025 season, Many Happy Returns, or sign up to our emailing list to receive advance information.