Cloud 9
by The Stage

Mar. 02 - Mar. 03

Caryl Churchill’s Cloud 9 (1979) uses gender-bending and casting reversals to satirize Victorian colonial repression and modern sexual liberation, with characters evolving
from rigid roles in Act 1 Africa to self-discovery in 1979 London.

Act One takes place in Colonial Africa during the Victorian era. Act Two takes place in the 20th century. 100 years pass between Act One and Act Two but the characters of Edward, Betty, and Victoria have only aged 25 years.

Auditions for Caryl Churchill’s Cloud 9
Directed by Tracy Arnold

Rehearsals begin Saturday March 21st, 2026 and will be Monday-Wednesdays 7-10 and Saturdays 11-2
Actors will receive a stipend of $300

Runs May 1-24, 2026. Thursdays-Saturdays 7:30 pm and Sundays 2:30 pm

Each actor will play 2-3 roles. The pairing of these roles will be decided during the rehearsal process.

For audition purposes, you will be exploring more than one character. The director will
assign roles to read at the audition.

Key Act 1 Characters (Victorian Africa)

● Clive: The central patriarch, a colonial administrator obsessed with order, duty, and strict traditional gender roles.

● Betty (played by a man): Clive’s wife, who suppresses her own desires to be the ideal, subservient woman defined by men.

● Edward (played by a woman): Clive and Betty’s son, who defies masculine norms by playing with dolls and having a close bond with Harry.

● Victoria: Edward’s younger sister, portrayed as a doll, symbolizing her lack of agency.

● Joshua (played by a white actor): The family’s black servant, who adopts white colonial attitudes while rejecting his own culture.

● Mrs. Saunders: A widowed neighbor who breaks conventions by being independent, sexual, and unconcerned with propriety.

● Harry Bagley: A gay explorer and friend of the family who lives a double life, acting as a “black sheep” of the empire.

● Ellen: Edward’s governess, who is repressed and in love with Betty.

● Maud: Betty’s traditional mother, who represents the rigid moral code of the older generation.

Key Act 2 Characters (1979 London)

● Betty (played by a woman): Now in her 50s, she is navigating life after leaving Clive, seeking independence and defining her own identity.

● Edward (played by a man): Working as a gardener, he embraces his homosexuality but struggles with emotional instability.

● Victoria (played by a woman): Edward’s sister, now an adult trying to balance motherhood, marriage, and personal liberation.

● Lin: A lesbian mother fighting for her rights and helping Victoria explore her sexuality.

● Martin: Victoria’s husband, who claims to support liberation but is controlling and insecure.