Would you like to play a vital role in connecting our local community to live theater? The Merc Playhouse seeks an Executive Director for our popular community venue that offers theater productions, music and lectures. The Executive Director works with the Board of Directors to fulfill the mission of The Merc Playhouse Society “to create experiences which connect our community with the diverse aspects of live theater.” Part-time Approximately 20 hours per week with flexible schedule dependent on performance calendar. Salary: Starting $30,000 Application period ends April 1, 2022 Desirable qualifications of the ideal candidate include:
Interested candidates may apply by submitting a letter of interest, a resume of related experience, and email and phone details of two references to info@mercplayhouse.org. Questions? Call 509.997.7529 or email address above. Executive Director Job Description
The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors and works closely with the Board and staff to fulfill the mission of The Merc Playhouse Society, which is “to create experiences which connect our community with the diverse aspects of live theater.” The Executive Director is responsible for the overall success of The Merc Playhouse. The Executive Director works an average of 20 hours per week, throughout the 52 weeks of the year. The hours are largely dependent on the performance schedule throughout the year. Often, the ED will work more than 20 hours in a week, which balances out during vacation time and holidays. Duties Include:
The Merc Playhouse invites you to the Tom Zbyszewski Children's Theater production of
Fantastic Mr. Fox Roald Dahl's Fantasy Adventure for Children Dramatized by Sally Reid Directed by Jane Orme Presented by special arrangement with The Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Illinois March 18 - 20 & March 24 - 27 Thur-Sat @7:00pm • Sun @2:00pm Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime Thur March 24th is Admission by Donation Adult: $18 • Youth: $5 Ticket Sales Open March 1. Advance ticket sales only due to reduced capacity audience size. Please check back here when ticket sales open for covid guidelines. ABOUT THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX Boggis and Bunce and Bean One fat, one short, one lean These horrible crooks So different in looks Were nonetheless equally mean And so begins another enchanting Roald Dahl tale concerning the extraordinary adventures of three nasty farmers, two curious creatures, a family of foxes, and our hero—a most fantastic fellow! Come cheer on Mr. Fox and his friends, the Badgers, Moles, Rabbits and Weasels, as they refuse to be thwarted by Boggis, Bunce, and Bean. Mr. Fox will serve up a feast perfectly fitting for Mrs. Fox’s proclamation, “My husband is one fantastic fox!” We are bringing FOX back and we need cast members!The Tom Zbyszewski Children's Theater is excited to once again produce Fantastic Mr. Fox! We are holding auditions for approximately 6 parts. WHEN: Monday, December 13th OR Tuesday, December 14th @ 4:00 WHERE: The Merc Playhouse WHO: All children ages 8 and up who would like to participate! No experience necessary. WHAT TO KNOW: **You must fill out an audition form and sign up for an audition day. Download the form below, fill it out, and return it via email to info@mercplayhouse.org. **Sign up for either day and return your form by Wednesday, Dec 8th. **Parents will drop actors off to audition on their designated day at 4:00 PM. **Everyone coming into auditions must wear a mask! You will wear this mask throughout the audition. **This is a closed audition. Family members will be asked to wait outside or come back for pick up when the audition is over. When we know how many actors to expect each day, we can tell you approximately how long auditions will last. **You will be given pages to read at the audition. No previous experience or prepared readings necessary. Just come ready to get creative and have fun! **Actors who were cast in the show in 2020 are not re-auditioning. They will attend auditions for the director to see how the ensemble fits together, but they have parts. There are about 6 remaining parts open to fill. This is a very unusual circumstance and we regret that there are not an abundance of parts for new actors to our program. We hope to provide summer programming to include and encourage new participants, especially those who have been waiting so patiently to turn 8 years old! That said, we encourage EVERYONE who is interested to come out and audition and give it a try. **Performance dates are March 18th - 27th (Thurs - Sun). Questions? Call 509-997-7529 or email!
CORONANTHOLOGY: THE YEAR WE HELD OUR BREATH, DIGITAL EDITIONAvailable now! The Merc presents the digital edition of CoronAnthology for home viewing. Did you enjoy watching? Would you like to support live theater presentations in the future? We recommend a small donation. (only $10 bought a ticket to the live show) All original work. Authors own their content and it may not be reproduced from this video. Contact us at The Merc for permission to reproduce or reuse any of the content seen in this video. Find out more about contributors and the performers in the playbill from the live performance:
Give Methow is an online fundraising campaign that supports Methow Valley nonprofits, including us, The Merc Playhouse. Here's the info you need to participate this month:
We have had a long 18 months of our doors being closed due to the pandemic. BUT we are ready to come back strong and enrich the lives of the people of the Methow Valley with Live Theater! Your support during Give Methow will go toward bringing our programming back to life after an unprecedented hibernation. Listen to Executive Director Missi Smith speak with Lisa Johnson, Membership Chair, at Winthrop Kiwanis about all things going on for both organizations. Winthrop Kiwanis is a HUGE supporter of Children's Theater Programming at The Merc and in these interviews, the ladies find out just what is happening and how donations will support each organization.
When you're done with these interviews, click on over to the Give Methow Youtube Channel to see all the participating non-profit leaders chat with one another about their mission in The Methow. It's a Who's Who and What's What of all of the fantastic work that comes together to enrich and sustain life in the valley.
Then, don't forget to go make your donation!! Thanks, and see you at The Merc soon! The Merc is seeking submissions for We are planning our first post-pandemic production at The Merc and we want stories!
YOUR stories. What did 2020 mean to you? What made the greatest impact on your life? What did you learn? What would you like to share with an audience? We plan to bring audiences back together in the theater to hear what happened in different corners of our community during the pandemic. We hope your stories connect, inspire, entertain, and teach us. Submit your writing, video, or sound recording via email by August 30th OR, don't like email? In-person submissions: Wed, August 11th or Wed, August 25th 6:00 - 8:00 PM @Yourspace in Building N on Twispworks Campus Submissions must be less than 5 minutes. Submissions will be curated and directed and then presented in a multi-media Reader’s Theater performance the weekend of October 14th – 17th. Participants will work with the director to edit submissions and/or rehearse as necessary for final presentation. The director will use his artistic vision while collaborating with participants to create an engaging production for audiences to experience: LIVE theater with some bells and whistles thrown in. Accepting submissions from all ages, backgrounds, and corners of the community. We seek a wide range, so don’t be afraid to submit! Submission Deadline: August 30, 2021 or in-person on designated dates Submission Length: 5 minutes or less Format: Written words, sound recording, or video recording Performance Dates: October 14th – 17th Rehearsals and final editing will be one-on-one with the director during September, then full cast tech rehearsals October 9th and 10th. Performances the following week. Send email submissions here Call 509-997-7529 or email with questions. Announcing Summer Theater Camp: Reimagined Tales as Old as Time - Limited Space Available!4/21/2021
Summer Theater Camp Monday June 28th - Friday July 2nd Space still available: Entering Grades 8 - 12 9:00 AM - Noon FULL: Entering Grades 5 - 7 9:00 AM - Noon OR 1:00 - 4:00 FULL: Entering Grades 2 - 4 1:00 - 4:00 email us to be placed on a wait list Final performances for ALL groups on Saturday, July 3rd at Twispworks Pavilion 12:00 Noon Most camp activities will take place outdoors. Dress in comfortable clothing & shoes suitable for movement. Bring a water bottle and snack. Wear a mask. $150 tuition with $50 deposit due at registration. Space is limited, register early. Scholarships available.
Meet Your InstructorsWe are thrilled to have Megan Hicks return to Twisp to lead her 9th summer camp with us! She is a director, actor, and choreographer from the Puget Sound and teaches junior high drama and English. She looks forward to working with new and returning campers to build theatre skills and create well rounded characters!
Added to this powerhouse is Jane Orme, a veteran teacher at Liberty Bell Jr. Sr. High and a Merc board member. Jane has directed a number of shows at The Merc over the past several years, and before that she directed at Liberty Bell for over two decades! Jane was directing The Merc's production of Fantastic Mr. Fox which was due to open in five days when the pandemic struck. She looks forward to working with kids again this summer! Missi Smith, The Merc's Executive Director, has directed and choreographed a number of Merc productions. She has worn nearly every hat at The Merc from actor, to board member, to staff member and can't wait to get back to making magic happen! It feels like it's been ages since we've seen audiences and friends in our theater! We miss you and we know you have questions about what's going on: When will we be back? We don't know. What will we produce when we return? We don't know. Okay, is live theater in the Methow Valley doomed for all eternity?! …um, NO! We might be writing this message to a bunch of theater aficionados, but we still gotta say: There’s no need to get dramatic about it. ;) Here's a small update: we hope to receive guidelines from the Governor's office for reopening in the not-too-distant future. ArtsWA made the proposal for the theater sector to reopen, and now we are waiting. Once they arrive, these guidelines will help us make our business plan. BUT before all that happens, we want to hear from YOU. Please share your thoughts about coming together in our space (or outside of it) by completing a short survey. Your feedback will help us make plans. Click the button below to begin. It should take less than 5 minutes to complete. So, that’s where we are. We’re hopeful, we’re keeping creative, and we’ll be here for your entertainment as soon as possible. Remember:
All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts. Thank you for playing your part in keeping the Methow Valley safe, sane and healthy. You'll hear from us again soon with some results from the survey and with additional plans about our future. |