This year’s play has been announced, and it’s audition time for the cast and crew.
TJ Theatre director Tambyr Reed has announced this year’s play, Arsenic and Old Lace, which will premiere in March. After drama teacher Michael Palmieri’s retirement from the theatre, Reed was appointed the role of director. She is eager for new faces to join theatre, and to make it the best it can be.
The play is a farcical black comedy centering around the homicidal Brewster family. The show features several characters, ranging from drama critic Mortimer to his spinster aunts Abby and Martha, who have taken to killing lonely old men with poisoned wine.
Auditions to take part in the show will take place throughout the month of October. Students hoping to be part of the cast will audition on October 22 and 23, and are expected to memorize a two- to four- minute monologue to perform in front of a panel of judges. Actors who show promise will be asked to return for callbacks on October 24, where dialogue from the play will be read and parts will be selected. Once rehearsals begin, the cast will begin reading the script and studying to become their characters.
Along with the cast, there were interviews for lighting and sound, hair and makeup, and stagecraft. Interviews for hair and makeup took place October 1-3, and October 6-8 was reserved for lighting, sound, and stagecraft interviews. Students interested in participating were interviewed about their experiences in technical theatre, and what they want to focus on during the show season. Upon selection, tech crew members will learn different parts of the behind-the-scenes aspect of theatre.
The lighting and sound technicians will learn to operate equipment and be the invisible character that sets the mood for the show. “The most seen and heard members of the crew are students that operate our lights and sound features,” said Reed. The stagecraft crew will be in charge of the construction of the show’s set, or physical setting. Students will learn skills in carpentry, drawing, prop building, and painting, among other things.
Lastly, the hair and makeup team crafts the literal face of the show, and will learn to create special effects with aged makeup, prosthetic appliances, and hairstyles of all sorts. During the audition process, students demonstrated talents in hair and makeup, and students who showed skill were called back for interviews.
This year’s play has many opportunities for students to develop skills and show off their talents in a wide range of theatrical activities. “There’s tons of talent in lighting, sound, stage crew, hair and makeup, and acting, and I’m excited to see all the new and old faces,” said Reed. Auditions are only the beginning of the process, and the theatre program hopes for many additions to help make this production the best it can be.
