Ozark Actors Theatre Announces 2023 Auditions

Ozark Actors Theatre Announces Auditions for 2023 Season

In-Person Auditions – February 18th:

Auditions will be held by appointment on Saturday, February 18 at The Cedar Street Playhouse, home of Ozark Actors Theatre. 701 N. Cedar St., Rolla, MO 65401

To schedule an audition time, please follow this link.

Video Recorded Auditions – due February 15th:

Video auditions must be sent to casting@ozarkactorstheatre.org and received by February 15th.

What to prepare:

For your in-person or video recorded audition, please prepare a monologue and short song selection that show off your vocal range and storytelling abilities – no more than 2 mins long. Material from the season is acceptable and encouraged.

​Ozark Actors Theatre and Actors Equity Association’s contracts prohibit discrimination. AEA is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policies of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, AEA and OAT encourage performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to submit auditions.

​Questions or accommodations:

Please contact casting@ozarkactorstheatre.org

Play Summaries & Character Descriptions

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder

Rehearsal: May 30 – June 14

Performance: June 15 – 25

Director: TBD

Music Director: TBD

Choreographer: TBD

Summary:

A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER won 4 Tony Awards, 7 Drama Desk Awards, AND it was nominated for a Grammy! This production is a hilarious farce following a young man’s luck at the prospect of inheriting a fortune, but he has 9 relatives ahead of him in the inheritance. This production will give one actor the opportunity to die 90 times on the OAT stage in this incredible comedy!

Character descriptions:

• The D’Ysquith Family -The principal conceit of Gentleman’s Guide is that one actor plays all members of the D’Ysquith family. As such the actor portraying the D’Ysquiths must have a tremendous and transformational acting ability. Actor should have strong physical comedic skills and accent ability to help establish and differentiate multiple characters. Must have stamina to carry the different characters throughout the show and make extraordinarily quick costume changes.
  • Age: 30s to 50s

• Monty Navarro – charismatic and cunning enough to ingratiate himself with both the audience and his prospective victims. He is a leading man, and often, the straight man, in the show. Monty should also have excellent physical comedy skills to adequately play along with the D’Ysquiths in their various incarnations. Charming and handsome, Monty is not upper class but has no trouble blending in with high society.
  • Gender: Male identifying
  • Age: 20s to 30s

• Sibella Hallward – A beautiful and flirtatious social climber, Sibella has true affection for Monty but also true affection for social status. Sibella is smart, funny and stylish and, as far as relationships are concerned, she wants to have her cake and eat it too.
  • Gender: Female identifying
  • Age: 20s to 30s

• Phoebe D’Ysquith – Monty’s cousin. Phoebe was raised high class with idealistic fantasies of love. As beautiful as Sibella, Phoebe foils Sibella in her interest in love over status, and a desire to find the true virtue in people. Though she is smart and earnest, she can also be naive. Must be an excellent singer with a legit, possibly operatic sound. A true soprano.
  • Gender: Female identifying
  • Age: 20s to 30s

• Miss Shingle – Monty’s unexpected visitor. Sneaky and mysterious, Miss Shingle has an obvious sense of justice. She comes to tell Monty the secret of his D’Ysquith lineage with a pivotal song in Act 1 that sets up the story of the show. Actress should be a supreme and interesting character actress with a vocal style to match.
  • Gender: Female identifying
  • Age: 40s to 60s

• The Ensemble – A group of strong and dynamic musical theatre performers who all play multiple featured roles. These actors will play 40+ roles including: Lady Eugenia, Miss Barley, Tom Copley, Detective Pinckney, The Magistrate, various clerks, newsboys, ancestors, maids, actors and many others. All Ensemble members are expected to be comfortable with some movement. Expected to work with the directing team to create dynamic characters.
  • Age: 16 to 99
  • Ensemble Vocal Ranges:
    • Soprano (coloratura) Ab4 Bb6
    • Mezzo Bb4 G5
    • Alto Gb3 Gb5
    • Tenor Ab3 B5
    • Baritone Ab3 G#4
    • Bass C2 G#4

Sunday in the Park with George

Rehearsals: June 19 – July 5

Performances: July 6 – 16

Director: Blane Pressler

Music Director: TBD

Summary:

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE follows the story of the famous pointillist painter Georges Seurat. A fictional retelling of the painter and his immersive existence in creating a masterpiece. One of only 8 musicals ever to have won the Pulitzer Prize for drama. It was also nominated for 10 Tony awards and has had two major Broadway revivals. At OAT it will be under the direction of Artistic Director, Blane Pressler.

Character descriptions:

• George – In Act 1: George Seurat, a rather cold artist obsessed with his work at the cost of his personal life. Constantly troubled and borderline obsessive. Act 2: Seurat’s burnt-out descendant and inventor-sculpture searching for his purpose.
  • Gender: Male identifying
  • Age: 25 to 40

• Dot/Marie – As Dot, George’s headstrong mistress and occasional model so discontent with their relationship that she eventually leaves him. Age: 20 to 40. As Marie, George’s elderly wheelchair bound grandmother who helps him connect to his artistry through her grammar book notes.
  • Gender: Female identifying

• Old Lady – George’s mother. A cranky and rather demanding fixture in the park. She is able to find solace in nostalgia and inspires George to find order in his art. Doubling as BLAIR DANIELS.
  • Gender: Female identifying
  • Age: 60 to 80

• Nurse – The Old Lady’s attendant. She is calming and assertive. Doublings include HARRIET PAWLING and MRS.
  • Gender: Female identifying
  • Age: 40 to 60

• Jules – A rival artist. Callous, critical, and ultimately shallow. He forces Frieda to engage in extramarital affairs. Doubling as BOB GREENBERG.
  • Gender: Male identifying
  • Age: 25 to 45

• Yvonne – Jules’ pampered wife. She is as snippy and snooty as her husband. Doubling as NAOMI EISEN.
  • Gender: Female identifying
  • Age: 25 to 35

• Boatman – A surly, blue-collared laborer, simple-minded and slovenly. Doubling as CHARLES REDMOND.
  • Gender: Male identifying
  • Age: 35 to 60

• Celeste #1 – A young shop girl, gossipy and flirtatious. Her friendship with the other Celeste is strained when they fight over the Soldier and his companion. Optional Doubling as A WAITRESS.
  • Gender: Female identifying
  • Age: 18 to 30

• Celeste #2 – Another young shop girl, gossipy and flirtatious. Her friendship with the other Celeste is strained when they fight over the Soldier and his companion. Doubling as ELAINE.
  • Gender: Female identifying
  • Age: 18 to 30

• Louise – Jules and Yvonne’s spoiled little girl. She faces neglect and abuse from her parents, despite being honest. Doubling as BOY.
  • Gender: Female identifying
  • Age: 8 to 12

• Franz – Jules’s German coachman and Freida’s husband. Disgruntled with his job. Has a bit of a temper and secretly yearns for the Nurse. Optional Doubling as DENNIS.
  • Gender: Male identifying
  • Age: 30 to 50

• Frieda – As Frieda, Jules and Yvonne’s cook and Franz’s wife. Caring and positive as a surrogate nanny to Louise. Forced by Jules into an affair. Doublings include BETTY and YOUNG MAN.
  • Gender: Female identifying
  • Age: 35 to 55

• Soldier – A French military man, polite and gentlemanly. Close with his companion, though he yearns for a separation. Doubling as ALEX.
  • Gender: Male identifying
  • Age: 20 to 35

• Louis – A baker who Dot starts seeing to make George jealous. Kind, friendly, and very popular, but a bit dull. Doublings include BILLY WEBSTER and MAN.
  • Gender: Male identifying
  • Age: 35 to 55

Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville

Director: Suzanne Withem

Rehearsals: July 11 – 26

Performances July 27 – August 6

Summary: 

BASKERVILLE A SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY comes from multi-award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig and follows Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson cracking the mystery of “The Hound of the Baskervilles.” With an original piano score by Jeff Horger and direction by our own Suzanne Withem, our intrepid investigators will take the stage at OAT portraying more than 40 characters!

Character descriptions:

• Sherlock Holmes – The world’s greatest detective is sophisticated, quick-witted, and passionate. He is an English gentleman who is very precise in speech and manner. A strong standard British or RP dialect is required. This actor plays only one role.
  • Gender: The character will be portrayed as male, but all genders will be considered.
  • Age: 25-40

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• Dr. John Watson – A kind amiable doctor and Sherlock Holmes’s faithful sidekick. A man of action, intellect and deep emotion. He is also very British. A strong standard British or RP dialect is required. This actor plays only one role.
  • Gender: The character will be portrayed as male, but all genders will be considered.
  • Age: 25-40

​​

• Actor 1 – Plays more than a dozen characters – primarily the male-identifying villains and baddies. Must be a versatile character actor adept in physical comedy and various accents and dialects.
  • Gender: Male identifying
  • Age: Any

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• Actor 2 – Plays nearly a dozen characters – primarily male-identifying heroes and gentlemen. Must be a versatile character actor adept in physical comedy and various accents and dialects.
  • Gender: Male identifying
  • Age: Any

• Actor 3 – Plays more than a dozen characters – primarily female-identifying maids, nurses, and damsels in distress. Must be a versatile character actor adept in physical comedy and various accents and dialects.
  • Gender: Female identifying
  • Age: Any

​​

• Roustabouts and Foley Artists- These two or three nonspeaking roles will assist with scene changes, participate in comedy bits, and serve as Foley artists providing live sound effects for the production from onstage. They should be creative problem solvers adept at physical comedy and familiar with silent storytelling. They are vital to the success of keeping the “trunk show” design of the production moving forward and creating the world of the theatre in which the play is performed.
  • Any Gender
  • Any Age

The Adventure of the Nameless Corpse

Lovely little nutcracker, isn’t it?  Well, this nutcracker has a very interesting story behind it.  This nutcracker is both a trophy and a reminder of the time I assisted Mr. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson in solving a murder at the Victorian Villa in Union City, MI.

I had alluded to this story when I wrote my remembrance of the inn back in 2014, but enough time has passed that it is now safe to share the tale.  Some elements must still remain hidden, so some names may be changed and some details removed and altered, but those that know the truth will understand.

Many believe Holmes and Watson to be fictional characters, but that is a myth perpetuated by Dr. Watson’s literary agent, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who published Dr. Watson’s stories under his name.  In truth, they are real and much older than one would believe. 

In his retirement, Holmes had cultivated a royal jelly elixir and ingestion of it had greatly extended his life span and that of Dr. Watson.  Over the years Holmes and Watson had regularly visited the Victorian Villa as its owner, Ron Gibson, is the great-grandson of Senator Neil Gibson referenced in the case known as “The Problem of Thor Bridge”.  Aside from their friendship, Holmes also enjoyed visiting Union City as, in his own words, “it is a hellhole of crime of great depth and brilliance”.

When I learned that Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson would be visiting, I immediately booked a weekend stay to meet the famed detective and his trusted associate.

It was September of 2005 and I was making my second foray out to the Villa.  I was a bit weary as I had mistakenly forgotten to schedule myself as unavailable for Hamlet rehearsals the night before so I had put in a long night of rehearsing before setting off on my drive at 10pm.  By midnight, I was exhausted and collapsed at a Motel 6 in Des Moines, IA before driving another 8 hours to Union City the next morning.  The welcome sight of the gorgeous Victorian mansion served as a salve to my spirits and boosted my energy level as I pulled into the tiny parking lot.

The Victorian Villa

Once more, I was greeted by Ron and his two sons, Zach and Josh, before being led to my room for the weekend:  the Victorian Country Bedchamber.  As I got myself situated, I found a note under my pillow.  It was rather snarky and, I noted, written in a feminine hand.  I put it away before freshening up and reacquainting myself with the Villa.

Around 6pm, Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson arrived at the inn.  I introduced myself to Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson who politely shook my hand.  Holmes was just as Watson had described him with his aloofness and unmistakable air of authority.  Watson was friendly and every bit the gentleman.

I retired to the parlor with Holmes and Watson and the other guests who had come to meet the legendary duo.  Among them were Ted and Rhonda Cowell and their Holmesian scion society, The Stormy Petrels of Maumee Bay; the Mallon family; George Ault; and Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Harbaugh.

We opened up the night with a round of Sherlockian Trivial Pursuit.  We formed into two teams and Mr. Holmes asked diabolically difficult questions relating to the many cases he had investigated.  As the two teams battled back and forth, Mr. Holmes would vacillate between contentedly smoking his pipe and brooding about some vexing problem.  On several occasions he alluded to a case he was working on before returning to the game.

Sherlock Holmes relaxes

By the end of the game, the two teams were locked into a tie, though I ended up stealing a symbolic victory for my side when I answered the question “Who killed Victor Savage?”  After the hard-fought game, we entered the dining room where Mr. Holmes gave us a demonstration on the art of observation and deduction while we dined on one of Ron’s fine meals which consisted of English Cheshire Cheese Soup and roasted loin of boar among other delicacies.  I did note that Ron had brought on some help for the event as a placard on the table said the meal had been partially catered by Maxine Simons.

Upon finishing our meal, we returned to the parlor where Mr. Holmes told us he was investigating a murder that had taken place at the Villa a few days prior.  A man had shown up at the Villa around 11am on the fateful day and asked Ron if he could have a room.  As Ron had no reservations, he rented a room to the man who gave no name, but simply went upstairs to his bedroom with his dressing bag.  A short while later, Ron saw him descend the stairs sans bag and enter the parlor.  Ron left him to his own devices as he had to leave the Villa to run some errands.  When he returned later, he found the man collapsed on the floor, arm outstretched in front of him, and clearly dead.  Ron contacted the police who found no identification on the man nor in his room.  The labels on his clothes had been cut off and the only items found on him were a handkerchief, some cigarettes, and a pen.  Ron had told Mr. Holmes of the baffling death and he agreed to look into it.

Mr. Holmes wanted us to be his eyes and ears and help him investigate.  He asked us to discover the following:

1. Who was the victim?
2. How was he killed?
3. Who killed him?
4. Find a way to link the killer to the crime and unmask him or her.

Certain rules were set in place for us.  As Mr. Holmes had already investigated the private areas of the mansion, we were not to enter them.  He also told us not to snoop into Ron’s desk as only he would be allowed to investigate it.  Short of that we were free to investigate as we chose. If we managed to discover any evidence, we were only to hold onto it for 10 minutes before returning it exactly where it was found.  Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson bade us good evening and left the Villa promising to return after breakfast in the morning.

Exhaustion had found me again so I retired to my bedroom, vowing to rise early and begin looking into the case.

I arose the next morning feeling refreshed.  After heading to the dining room and enjoying some of Ron’s special scrambled eggs and sausage patties, I began to look into the case. 

From re-reading Ron’s statement, I realized that the victim had not carried his dressing bag back down with him so I immediately went to the second floor and began searching for it, but was unable to find it.  I searched the mansion from top to bottom and then made my way over to the Carriage House.  Up in the Sherlock Holmes Bedchamber, I discovered George Ault and Glenn Harbaugh discussing something and they froze when they saw me.  I asked if I could enter and Glenn said I could.  I quietly closed the door and noted they had the dressing bag.

“So you found it,” I said.

Realizing I had already deduced the clue, George and Glenn opened the bag and we all looked into it.  Among the toiletries, we found a letter addressed to James Fitzsimmons requesting a meeting in the parlor of the Villa to discuss the matter of a deadly toxin that had been developed by the writer of the letter.  Apparently Fitzsimmons had been the letter writer’s boss and had aspirations of selling the toxin to the highest bidder who would likely weaponize it.  The toxin caused almost instantaneous paralysis before shutting down the body’s vital organs.  Death would occur in a matter of minutes.  The writer wanted Fitzsimmons to destroy the toxin and begged for a meeting to convince him of this.  It was simply signed Max, though I recognized the handwriting as being the same as that on the note in my bedroom.

After examining the evidence, I asked the two men if they had found notes as well.  They admitted they had and let me read them.  Red herrings and smart alecky comments.  After reading this, we looked at each other and I suggested pooling our resources to which George and Glenn readily agreed.

“All right, we’re now a team,” I said.

Upon forming our alliance we headed down to the parlor to meet Mr. Holmes who asked if anybody had anything to share.  I casually blurted the bag clue to which Mr. Holmes looked at me and said, “You’re a rather blithe young man, aren’t you?”

After unintentionally giving out the clue, the race was on.  Though we were investigating a crime, it was treated more like a competition and ended up as a three way battle between The Stormy Petrels, the Mallons, and my little triumvirate.  The Petrels played for keeps and were not above providing a few red herrings.  The Mallons were smart and crafty, though I engaged in a little quid pro quo with Mrs. Mallon which I’ll get to in a bit.

Mr. Holmes was always available for private consultation where we could bring our discoveries and theories and he would make comments and subtle suggestions to help light our path.  When we first informed Holmes about the letter we found, Glenn kept referring to the writer as a he, to which Mr. Holmes asked, “Why do you keep saying ‘he?’”.

“What do you mean?” asked Glenn.

“He means how do we know it’s a man,” I replied.

“Precisely,” said Holmes as he clasped my shoulder.

A vital clue, indeed.  While not a guarantee, we did have to open our minds to the possibility that Max, if that was the real name, was a woman.

We continued to investigate.  I realized that no matches or lighter were found on the corpse, though cigarettes had been discovered.  No smoker would ever lack those items and there was no reason for the killer to take them.  Remembering the outstretched arm, I assumed the position of the corpse and found a book of matches under the coal scuttle.

Taking them, I opened up the packet and found a scrawled message which said “Beware TR-70”.  The name of the toxin had been found!!

Outside the parlor, I found a business card book on a stand and began thumbing through it and saw Mrs. Mallon watching me.  When I leafed to the third page, she suddenly coughed.  I looked up and saw her smiling at me, I took a hard look and found the business card for Maxine Simons—Caterer.  However, “caterer” had been written in pen over a blacked out word.  Reversing the card and holding it up to the light, I saw “chemist” written under it.  I had the name of the killer!!  I then shared with Mrs. Mallon the name of the poison out of gratitude.

My team had another consultation with Holmes where Glenn spun an amusing, but outlandish, theory that Ron Gibson was the killer or, at least involved with her.  Mr. Holmes and I shared some glances and after Glenn finished his theory, Holmes simply stated, “I sense you have some misgivings about his theory.”

“One or two,” I replied.

I then finally had a chance to fill in Glenn and George on my discoveries and had a private conversation with Mr. Holmes and Mrs. Mallon while I made my deductions.  When I finished, Mr. Holmes looked to Mrs. Mallon and said, “You know, I have great faith in this young man.  He’s quiet, thoughtful, and observant and everything he says is based soundly on logic.”

Then we took a break and had a reading of one of Watson’s stories followed by a pop quiz.  I ended up winning the quiz contest and surprised Mr. Holmes with one of my answers.

“This number is the square root of the number alluded to by Watson,” said Holmes.

“Sixteen,” I readily answered.

“Sixteen is correct!!” said Holmes with some wonderment.  “Tell me, young man, how did you come up with that answer?”

“Watson mentioned the wait was like the night the two of you faced the Andaman Islander which was a reference to the case known as The Sign of Four,” I said.

Holmes smiled and nodded approvingly.

After the quiz we had afternoon tea where Ron had prepared a whole turkey and we helped ourselves to little sandwiches with a bit of homemade mustard and fixings.

The case was solved, but there was still one last item:  how to unmask Maxine.  There was no real proof tying her to the death and all my deductions wouldn’t hold water in court.  I had a final consultation with Holmes where I told him everything I had learned, but felt I was just one step away from the total truth. 

“Think of the problem of the three Moriartys.  All of them were named James and were identical.  How would one tell them apart?” said Mr. Holmes.

I began to see the light when he gave me one final nudge.

“You have two pieces of vital evidence.  What you need is a third.”

The truth hit me like a thunderbolt.  The letter on my pillow plus the letter in the bag were my pieces of evidence.  What I needed was a way to get a third example of Maxine’s handwriting to connect her with the other two.  Handwriting was how you’d distinguish the Moriarty boys from each other.

Piecing the puzzle together

I expressed this problem to Glenn and George and we threw around ideas until I said, “Maybe we could get a card of some sort.”

“My son is serving over in Iraq.  We could get him a Wish You Were Here card,” said George.

“Yes, and we’ll have everybody in the inn sign it!!” I exclaimed.

The three of us dashed to Mr. Holmes where I laid out the scheme.

“An excellent plan,” said Holmes. 

I shook hands with Holmes and Watson and dashed to the bar area where I found Ron.

“Is there a drug store nearby?” I asked.

“Yes, just a few blocks up on Main Street,” said Ron.

“Thank you,” I said.

Then I speed walked through the front door and vaulted over the steps to the sidewalk.  I then sprinted and I do mean SPRINTED to the drug store where I bought the card and repeated the process back to the Villa where I hurdled the steps once more.  George later said it was the funniest thing he ever saw.

As I walked back in, I heard Mrs. Mallon’s daughter ask if there were a drug store nearby.  I then politely coughed and gently waved the card.  Knowing that the game was up, the Mallons signed the card and Mrs. Mallon’s daughter assisted me with finishing the job by asking Ron if there were any other people in the kitchen as Maxine was also helping to cater tonight’s dinner.  Ron stepped into the kitchen and asked Maxine to step out.  I told her about the card while George showed a picture of his son and Maxine signed the card.

I then led my team back to the parlor where the other guests had gathered. 

“Do you have something to show me, young man?” asked Mr. Holmes.

I presented the card to him and he looked at it.

“Were there any witnesses?” he asked.

“Yes, sir.   Myself, (Mrs. Mallon’s daughter), George, Ron, Zach, and Josh all witnessed this.”

“Very good,” said Mr. Holmes.  “This case has been solved.”

Then we proceeded to have a debate about what to do with the killer.  Her motivations were understandable.  Fitzsimmons would have unleashed a plague of death on the world.  He had committed no crime, but would have had the blood of countless people on his hands had he sold the toxin.  Maxine shouldn’t have killed him, but her act had thwarted a much greater evil so I pleaded for leniency.  Holmes said he would consider the situation.

Glenn gave me a hug and then bought George and myself a drink at the bar.  Mr. Holmes approached me privately and asked me to present the denouement after dinner.

A splendid dinner was served and after we were all satiated, Mr. Holmes signaled for silence, indicated my two partners and then clasped my shoulder acknowledging our victory.  He then presented me with the nutcracker as a trophy for the case.  Then he brought Ron, his two sons, and Maxine into the dining room where I presented my findings.

I walked the group through the maze of the case, casually keeping an eye on Maxine who whitened with every revelation.  When I explained about the card we had purchased and how the killer had sealed her fate by signing it, I calmly looked at Maxine and said, “Isn’t that right, Maxine?”

At that point, Maxine begged for mercy and Holmes gently led her out of the dining room while discussion resumed.  Shortly afterwards, he returned and he and Watson made their final farewells and exited.

And that was how I helped Mr. Holmes solve The Adventure of the Nameless Corpse.  I would later learn that Holmes did show mercy to Maxine, letting her leave the country.  George did send the card to his son with an incredible story.  I had made new friends and had a reminder of the case forever gracing my mantle.  And the next morning, I enjoyed some of Ron’s incredible cream cheese stuffed French Toast.

Little did I know that I would return to the Villa a few years later with my trusted friend, Mat O’Donnell, to engage in a peculiar investigation centering around a crying woman.

But that is a story for another time.

Professional Auditions for Great Plains Theatre

Great Plains Theatre Announces Audtions for Season 28: Season of Possibilities

Artistic Director, Mitchell Aiello, will be holding in person auditions as well as accepting video submissions. All shows listed below will be cast by February 2022. Please see the audition details below.

IN PERSON AUDITION

Where: Great Plains Theatre – 215 N. Campbell St, Abilene, KS 67410

When: Saturday, December 11, 2021 – Registration @ 8:00am – Auditions begin @ 8:30am

What: Please prepare one 32-bar cut of a song that showcases you as well as a 60 second monologue. You may be asked to sing something else from your repertoire. A group dance call will be held at 11:00am. Any needed callbacks will be discussed at 11:45am or conducted virtually. Please bring one copy of a current head shot and resume for the Artistic Director to keep. Must sign up below to audition.

Sign up for In Person Audition at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4fabae23a3face9-gptseason

​VIRTUAL AUDITION SUBMISSIONS

Where: All audition submissions must be sent to the Artistic Director at mitchell@greatplainstheatre.com

When: Audition Submissions must be received by January 28, 2022 for consideration. All callbacks will be virtual and sent/received between January 31 and February 28.

What: Please submit a current head shot and updated resume. In addition, please send one 32-bar cut of a song that showcases you, a 60-second monologue, and any dance footage. All videos MUST be submitted as a viewable YOUTUBE link. You may be asked to sing something else from your repertoire. You may also submit any musical theatre reels for considerations. 

Thank you and happy auditioning!

Great Plains Theatre’s 28th Season (Main Stage):

Footloose (Rehearsals: May 23-June 2, Performances: June 3-12)

Matilda the Musical (Rehearsals: June 13-23, Performances: June 24-July 3)

Jersey Boys (Rehearsals: July 4-14, Performances: July 15-31)

Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery (Rehearsals: August 29-September 8, Performances: September 9-25)

The Christmas Schooner (Rehearsals: November 20-December 1, Performance: December 2-18)

Great Plains Theatre’s 28th Season (Live Literature Series):

The Ugly Duckling (Rehearsals: February 23-March 4, Performances: March 5-12)

Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery (Rehearsals: August 29-September 8, Performances: September 9-25)

Questions? Contact Artistic Director, Mitchell Aiello, at mitchell@greatplainstheatre.com

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Great Plains Theatre Announces Season 28: Season of Possibilities

Abilene, KS–Great Plains Theatre has announced its 28th season. Dubbed Season of Possibilities, the season will consist of the following productions starting in the summer of 2022:

Footloose
June 3-12

Kick off your Sunday shoes with this classic movie turned musical about inspiring a town through the importance of love and dance while witnessing the powers of wisdom and forgiveness. Gotta cut loose!

Matilda: The Musical
June 24-July 3

Follow the classic Roald Dahl story of an astonishingly witty girl with special powers that teaches us to use our extraordinary imaginations to change our destiny. Sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty!

Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
July 15-31

Join us for the international musical phenomenon that takes you behind the story and music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Come be a part of the challenges, the rise, and the ultimate triumph a group’s music that became symbolic of a generation. Oh, what a night!

Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery
Sept 9-25

The classic literary character of Sherlock Holmes is teamed up once again with John Watson and over 40 other characters to solve a kooky and educational whodunnit. “Elementary, my dear Watson, Elementary.”

The Christmas Schooner
Dec 2-18

This Holiday treat will have you leaving the theatre with warm fuzzies about a story of the Great Lakes voyages of Christmas Tree ships and a family’s positive spirit to share the power of classic inspiration and Christmas miracles. The heartbeat of life is in our stories and our songs!

Season Tickets are on sale now! Early Bird Season Tickets are only $150. This is $10 off per ticket in savings! You can buy your season tickets online or by calling the office. Individual Main Stage tickets will go on sale Monday, January 31. Season Tickets and more information are available at www.greatplainstheatre.com or (785) 263 – 4574.

The Game Will be Afoot at BLT

BELLEVUE LITTLE THEATRE PRESENTS
“BASKERVILLE” AUDITIONS

Saturday, February 9, 2019 @ 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Sunday, February 10, 2019 @ 1:00 – 4:00 pm

Interested parties need only attend one day of auditions, so please feel free to select the date that is most convenient for you.

Actors should come prepared to move (not dance), demonstrate a variety of accents and dialects, and read from the script.

Please bring a resume and head shot if you have them and a list of conflicts between March 18 and May 19. Excessive conflicts and conflicts after April 19 may affect casting decisions.

Callbacks: Sunday, February 17
Rehearsals will begin February 18 (evenings and weekends)
Performance Dates: May 3 – 19, 2019
Performances are Fri., Sat. evenings at 7:30 and Sunday afternoons at 2 pm.

Questions? Contact Director, Suzanne Withem at suzannewithem@gmail.com

“Baskerville,” by Ken Ludwig, is a comedic retelling of “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” the classic Sherlock Holmes mystery written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In Ludwig’s version, three actors play nearly 40 supporting characters to the leads, Holmes and Dr. Watson.

Actors of all genders will be considered for all roles, and actors of any gender, race, or ethnicity who are 18 or older are encouraged to audition. All actors will utilize various dialects, but a strong standard British dialect is required.

Characters:
* Sherlock Holmes: (any age; any gender) The world’s greatest detective is sophisticated, quick-witted, and passionate. He is an English gentleman who is very precise in speech and manner. This actor plays only one role.
* Dr. John Watson: (any age; any gender) A kind amiable doctor and Sherlock Holmes’s faithful sidekick. A man of action, intellect and deep emotion. He is also very British.
* Actor 1: (any age; any gender) Plays more than a dozen characters – primarily the villains and baddies. Must be a versatile character actor adept a physical comedy and various accents and dialects.
* Actor 2: (any age; any gender – though likely male identifying) Plays nearly a dozen characters – primarily heroes and gentlemen. Must be a versatile character actor adept a physical comedy and various accents and dialects.
* Actor 3: (any age; any gender – though likely female identifying) Plays more than a dozen characters – primarily maids, nurses, and damsels in distress. Must be a versatile character actor adept a physical comedy and various accents and dialects and willing to challenge traditional gender roles.
* Roustabouts and Foley Artists: (any age; any gender) – These two or three nonspeaking roles will be cast and treated as members of the acting company. They will assist with scene changes, participate in comedy bits, and serve as Foley artists providing live sound effects for the production from onstage. They should be creative problems solvers adept at physical comedy and familiar with silent storytelling. They are vital to the success of keeping the “trunk show” design of the production moving forward and creating the world of the theatre in which the play is performed.

The Bellevue Little Theatre, an all volunteer organization, maintains an “equal opportunity” policy for volunteer recruitment of both board and production positions. Auditions are open to the general public, with the same “equal opportunity” policy. All roles are open for audition except an occasional role is precast and is so noted in the audition notice.

Location:  203 W Mission Ave, Bellevue, NE