Dark Night auditions on October 5

AUDITIONS! October 5th from 4-9 p.m. for BoarsHead Theater's 2009-10 Dark Night Series

BHT's Second Company is seeking male and female actors of all types and ages to audition for several productions to be performed over the course of this season.

Shows that will be auditioning include:

Sylvia by A.R. Gurney (December 7, 13, 14, 15, 2009)
Greg, a man at the brink of midlife, brings home a stray dog named Sylvia. But, as Greg's relationship with Sylvia grows, how will the rest of his life be affected?

• Greg; male, kindhearted man in a midlife crisis, really loves his dog, 30s-60s
• Kate; female, strong-willed English teacher, not a dog person, 30s-60s
• Tom/Phyllis/Leslie; gender/age unspecified
  

Still, Small Voices by Maren Rosenberg (December 18 and 19, 2009)*
An original piece based on stories heard and reflections upon a summer spent in Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem, Palestine.

• 1-5 men and women of any age

* This show is being produced as a late night and will be performed following another performance, most likely at 10 or 11 PM

Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Christopher Hampton (February 8, 9, 15, 16, 2010)
A classic but modern tale of sex, love and manipulation.

• Valmont; male, very attractive, confident and selfish, 20s-30s
• Cecile; female, highly naïve, teens-20s
• Mme Volanges; female, Cecile's Mother, 30s-60s A
• zolan; male, Valmont's man servant, teens-60s
• Mme Rosemonde; female, Valmont's aunt, 40s-60s
• Emile; female, a courtesan, 20s-30s (mature role, comfortable with partial nudity)
  

The Book Marker Circle by Andrew Lewis (March 29, 30, April 5, 6, 2010)
A play about... books?

• Randy; male, charismatic talk show host; 20s-40s
• Jennifer; female, intelligent but modest, small-town girl, 20s-30s
• Mr. Booker; male, calmly frightening... and proud of it, 50s-60s

Note: Some characters or shows may be cast against the ages specified

Please prepare a short monologue or performance piece of NO LONGER than 1 minute in length. Actors may also be asked to read from the scripts. Auditions will be in small groups in half hour time slots. Please contact Ashleigh Millet with the information provided below to schedule an audition.

Auditions will be held at the BoarsHead Theater: 425 S. Grand Avenue, Lansing, Mich., 48933. Please bring headshots and/or resumes, if you have them!

Rehearsals will take place in the evenings; some rehearsals may have to take place late at night or early in the morning. Because of this, flexibility of schedules will be considered in casting.
Please bring any information you have about your schedule with you to auditions.

For questions, concerns or to schedule an audition time, please contact: Ashleigh Millet
E-mail: bigred-direct@hotmail.com Phone: (828)702-1665

BHT offering free performances for schools

BoarsHead Theater is offering free performances of the C.S. Lewis classic “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” this October to schools. The one-act play runs 45 minutes, followed by a 15-minute question and answer session. Performances are at 10 a.m. on October 15, 16, 20, 21, 22 and 23. To reserve space for your students, contact Molly Keenan at 517-484-7800 ext. 102.

Bring your students on a wondrous journey through the wardrobe, into the magical land of Narnia—filled with mystical creatures, ancient prophecies, and glorious battles between good and evil. Join Aslan the Lion, the White Witch, Mr. Tumnus, and all your favorite Narnia characters, as they struggle for the future of the kingdom, with the help of four brave siblings: Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy.

Directed by Bruce Bennett, the play is performed by four talented actors from the BoarsHead Second Company, Emily Hawkes, Andrew Lewis, Ashleigh Millett and Maren Rosenberg, who portray nearly a dozen roles in this truly magical and memorable version of the timeless Lewis favorite.

BoarsHead Theater can accommodate up to 250 people per performance for this production that is appropriate for all age groups. Busing to and from the venue will be the sole responsibility of the attending school.

BoarsHead Theater is proud to offer these admission-free matinees as a way to expose area youth to the rewards of live theater and to thank the greater Lansing community for their ongoing support.

Public performances for the production will take place on October 17 and 24 at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Special engagement pricing for the show is $5 for children and $8 for adults. Tickets for these performances may be purchased through the Box Office by calling 517-484-7805.

BoarsHead Theater is located at 425 S. Grand Avenue, Lansing, Mich., 48933. For more information, please visit www.boarshead.org.

Romantic comedy 'Beau Jest' opens season

Sarah Goldman has parents that only wish her the best things in life, which includes marrying a fine Jewish man in James Sherman’s “Beau Jest.” This hilarious and heartwarming romantic comedy opens BoarsHead Theater’s 2009-2010 season on September 18 and runs Wednesday through Sunday until October 11. A preview performance takes place on September 17.

To keep her parents from endlessly trying to “fix her up,” Sarah invents the impossibly perfect boyfriend, Jewish doctor David Steinberg. When her family insists that she invite him over for Passover dinner, Sarah does what any good child would do…she hires an escort, Bob, to play the part. Things are looking good until moments before her parents arrive, Sarah discovers that Bob is a Gentile whose knowledge of Judaism has been garnered from plays like “Fiddler on the Roof.” Will they be able to play it off?

Directing the show is Charles Burr, who appeared on BoarsHead Theater’s stage in 1979 and 1980 as an actor and later directed “The Waltz of the Toreadors” during the 1980-1981 season, his first professional show in that role.

Burr said, “It is wonderful to be back at the BoarsHead after all these years. I credit John Peakes and Richard Thomsen for recognizing the director under the fledgling actor...”

Burr has been the artistic director of Tibbits Summer Theatre for 19 years. He has worked at Birmingham Children's Theatre, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, True Grist Dinner Theatre, Red Barn Theatre and Thunder Bay Theatre where he has directed some of his favorite shows including “Show Boat,” “Bus Stop,” “Picnic,” “john & jen,” “Eleemosynary” and “Gigi.”

The cast of “Beau Jest” includes Allie Long as Sarah, Nathan M. Hosner as Bob, Dorry Peltyn as Miriam, Tim Jacobs as Abe, Mark Boyd as Joel and JD De La Ossa as Chris.

This production features scenic design by Craig Mitchell Smith, lighting design by Michael Beyer, costume design by Holly Speers, sound design by Sergei Kvitko and property design by Patricia A. York. Michelle Raymond is technical director and production manager with Karen Doyle acting as stage manager.

Ticket prices for “Beau Jest” are $12-$30. Ticket reservations may be made by calling the BHT Box Office at 517-484-7805. Box Office hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Information may also be acquired by logging on to www.boarshead.org.

The theater is located at 425 S. Grand Avenue, Lansing, Mich., 48933.

Founded in 1966, BoarsHead Theater is mid-Michigan’s longest continually running professional theater. As an Equity house, BoarsHead Theater attracts artists from Chicago, New York, Detroit and around the nation.