We have auditions this weekend for Circle Mirror Transformation, an upcoming Reader's Theater Production at The Merc. During our Reader's Theater Productions, we present a script reading without staging, set, or costumes. It's just characters reading parts. The benefits of this style of theater are a much smaller time commitment on the part of the cast, no memorization necessary (scripts are onstage with the actors), and a down-sized budget, while still providing an evening of exciting entertainment. We often select scripts that we are considering for full-scale production at The Merc to gauge audience and cast interest. It is a fabulous way to get new people involved in acting onstage and it is terrific fun for our community to see their friends and loved ones onstage during these shows.
We couldn't produce these shows without willing actors, and it's easy to become part of one of our Reader's Theater Productions. All you have to do is audition (which pretty much means come to the Merc, read a little bit, and talk details with the director - it's not scary - I PROMISE). We are holding auditions this weekend. Meet with our Artistic Director, Ki Gottberg, in the Merc's office on Saturday, February 21st from 3:00 - 5:00. At auditions, she will give out the rehearsal schedule. Peformances of Circle Mirror Transformation are on Friday and Saturday, March 27th and 28th. Info on casting: Seeking 6 actors who can play the following: 3-4 women Lauren age 16 Theresa age 35 Marty age 50-60 Stage directions reader: needs to have good timing sense 2-3 men Shultz 35-50 James 55-65 Stage directions reader: needs to have good timing sense Read more info about Circle Mirror Transformation, the play that won the 2009 OBIE (best new play-off Broadway) here. As I explained last week, we're currently going deep into some classic theater at The Merc. Since the genre keeps coming up and some of the classic shows are outside of our regular season, we're offering a screaming deal:
Buy tickets to all three upcoming classic shows for $35.00. That's 20% off regular ticket prices! Shows included in The Classic Deal: Rod Molzahn presents A Visit with Will Friday, February 13th Seattle Shakespeare Company presents Macbeth Saturday, May 16th Seattle University Theatre Department presents Picnic Friday & Saturday, May 22nd & 23rd All shows start at 7:00. Doors open at 6:30. General seating only. How to redeem the Classic Deal: Email: info@mercplayhouse.org, Call: 997-7529, drop in The Merc during office hours, or purchase all three tickets when you come to the door on February 13th. We're sorry, this offer is not available via our website. Here at The Merc, our Artistic Director Ki spends a good deal of time thinking about our season and planning what shows we will produce. Many factors contribute to the decision: cast size, cost of production, set size, costumes, what we've produced in the past..the algorithm to figure it all out is staggering. That said, sometimes in the middle of all the planning, serendipity steps in and provides us with amazing opportunities. Such is the case with some of our upcoming events that center around a common theme we didn't necessarily intend, but that we plan to maximize: CLASSICS! You may have noticed that at the moment we are diving deep into Shakespeare. Don't be afraid! Shakespeare is awesome! I might be an English teacher that will never let go...but really, if you digest it the way we like to offer it - Shakespeare is fun, entertaining, totally understandable, and not to be missed at The Merc. Trust us...you'll love it. Our Shakespeare fever got started with the raucous cowboy-themed version of Twelfth Night that we offered last summer. It was a great production full of confused identity, bawdy jokes, and scheming tricksters. Classic, laugh-out-loud Shakespeare that audiences enjoyed. After Twelfth Night, we teamed up with a Shakespeare expert to direct our Children's Theater production this year. It seemed natural to present kids' Shakespeare in the season following our adult production. Rod Molzahn joined us to direct As You Like It and we are certain you'll love what he and the cast are doing with this production. We'll be blogging some details on the plot and characters closer to the production to help you prepare for what you'll see onstage and fully engage with the all-kid cast. They are hard at work in rehearsals now. As You Like It opens on March 6th and runs two weekends. Then, along came another Classic opportunity. Director Rod Molzahn is a stellar, award-winning performer himself. He brings Shakespeare to life onstage in a one man show he created called A Visit with Will. In the midst of directing our children's show, he agreed to a benefit performance for one night only at The Merc. Join us February 13th at 7:00 PM to see him in action as The Bard. The Classic fun doesn't stop there. Even after we planned all of this, The Seattle Shakespeare Company contacted us to bring a touring production to The Merc. We had to accept their offer when we learned the lead actress is Terry Weagant who performed The Amish Project here last year and has local family ties in the Methow. The Seattle Shakespeare company will bring Macbeth to our stage on May 16th at 7:00 PM and Terry will be playing Lady Macbeth. You do not want to miss this! Again, plot and character details forthcoming. What could possibly be next? Another Classic opportunity. This spring at Seattle University, where she is the Theatre Department Chair, Ki is directing a production of Picnic, the classic play by Inge (Bus Stop & Splendor in the Grass). Through a generous grant from Seattle University, Ki will bring the production on tour to The Merc's stage. We are very excited for yet another opportunity to present a theatre classic to our friends and audiences. Picnic will be onstage Friday and Saturday, May 22nd and 23rd to round out the Memorial Day Weekend festivities. There is something for everyone in all of these upcoming productions that we have scheduled. Stay tuned for further details on each production, plus discounted ticket deals!
See ya at The Merc! Missi |