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Continuing auditions for our October production of SWEENEY TODD will be held August 7th and 18th at 7pm.
We are seeking:
Anthony (age 18 – 30) – bari/tenor
6 male singers for the Ensemble
6 female singers for the Ensemble
For more information about SWEENEY, and to schedule your audition, please call Deana Duncan at 360/221.8262.
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GENERAL AUDITIONS
W
hi
dbey Island
Center
for the Arts will be holding auditions for the
2008/09 Theatre Series August 20 – 21, 2008.
The Theatre Series includes:
SWEENEY TODD (October 2008)
INSPECTING CAROL (December 2008)
ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD (February 2009)
RABBIT HOLE (April 2009)
FRANKLIN AND FIGARO (June 2009)
For more information about audition requirements and to schedule an audition, please call 360/221.8262 or 800/638.7631.
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About THE PLAYS
SWEENEY TODD: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler.
Sweeping, tragic, epic and strange, Sweeney Todd is, without reservations, one of the greatest musicals written for the American stage.
The basic story is a revenger’s tragedy more Jacobean than Victorian, but Sondheim nonetheless wrings some grim, boisterous comedy out of both the impulse for vengeance and the bustling spirit of commerce. A barber, wronged by a powerful judge, returns to
London
and sets up shop, cutting throats as well as hair. The bodies of his victims are turned into savory meat pies by Mrs. Lovett, his energetic partner in business and crime. Cannibalism and mass murder as the basis for a hit show — what a perverse and delicious joke!“… a masterpiece, a work of extreme — I am tempted to say evil — genius.” The New York Times
WICA is producing Sweeney Todd in partnership with
South
Whidbey
High School
. SWHS students will have the opportunity to participate in instruction that will be demanding, individual, and designed to push the individuals toward an expression of voice, body, intellect, and imagination.
As part of the process of creating an amazing piece of theatre, students will engage designers, cast, and crew during rehearsals and production meetings. They will constantly be surrounded by talented, dedicated, supportive theatre artists who share a passion of great theatre.
Education opportunities to include:
MUSIC
This highly selective program will offer a rigorous 3 month course of training designed to educate and stimulate the most creative, promising young musicians. Master teacher and Musical Director, Chris Harshman, will introduce the students to the difficult and amazing work of Stephen Sondheim. Students will have the opportunity to sit side by side with professional adult musicians and be mentored in the workings of a true “pit band.” This formal instruction is ideal for students considering a profession in music.
PRODUCTION
The casting of Sweeney Todd will be intergenerational, allowing younger students the unique opportunity to work side-by-side with trained and dedicated adult performers. Director, Deana Duncan will be introducing the students to important fundamental disciplines of movement, character development, imagination, memorization technique, projection, and articulation, all with an emphasis on “telling the story.” Students will not only explore the works of Stephen Sondheim, but the genre and history of Musical Theatre, as well. This instruction is ideal for students considering majoring in theatre arts.
Directed by Deana A. Duncan.
INSPECTING CAROL by Daniel Sullivan and the Seattle Repertory Theatre
A Christmas Carol meets The Government Inspector meets Noises Off in this hilarious hit from Daniel Sullivan. A man who asks to audition at a small theatre is mistaken for an informer for the National Endowment for the Arts. Everyone caters to the bewildered wannabe actor and he is given a role in the current production, A Christmas Carol. Everything goes wrong and hilarity is piled upon hilarity.
"I laughed till I cried.... Sheer comic genius." Journal American.
"A razzle dazzle of funny characters and ingenious jokes."
Seattle
Post-Intelligencer
"A Dickens of a giggle."
Seattle
Times
"A rollicking farce."
Everett
Herald
Directed by Don N. Wilkins.
ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD by Tom Stoppard.
Stoppard's first and perhaps most famous full-length play, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead presents a fresh perspective on Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Guildenstern, observant, sharp-witted and gifted for word-puns, and his associate Rosencrantz, slower and often caught in words, make a long journey on horseback, contemplating fate, memory and language while their flipping of coins produces heads invariably for over a hundred times. They meet a traveling theater troop which transports them to the grand palace
Elsinore
, where the hospitable Danish royal couple kindly asks them to stay a while and help find out and hopefully cure the gloomy, confused state of prince Hamlet.
"This is a most remarkable and thrilling play. In one bound Mr. Stoppard is asking to be considered as among the finest English-speaking writers of our stage, for this is a work of fascinating distinction..." The New York Times
Directed by Katherine Woodzick.
RABBIT HOLE by David Lindsay-Abaire.
A story of loss, heartbreak, and forgiveness – told through daily moments and emotional hurdles -- as a family moves on after the accidental death of their four-year-old. Following the critically acclaimed Broadway premiere and the subsequent Pulitzer Prize (2007), Rabbit Hole has been hailed as an artistic breakthrough for the highly regarded David Lindsay-Abaire. A drama of what comes after tragedy, it captures ‘the awkwardness and pain of thinking people faced with an unthinkable situation - and eventually, their capacity for survival."
USA
Today
"An intensely emotional examination of grief, laced with wit, insightfulness, compassion and searing honesty… an uncommonly affecting and absorbing play." Variety
"The sad, sweet release of Rabbit Hole lies precisely in the access it allows to the pain of others... This anatomy of grief [taps] a reservoir of feelings common to anyone who has experienced the vacuum left by a death in the family." The New York Times
Directed by K. Sandy O’Brien.
FRANKLIN AND FIGARO by Kristina Sutherland.
Set in 1776, Franklin and Figaro begins with Benjamin Franklin's legendary arrival in
France
. Lauded for his exploits in physics, philosophy, and philandering,
Franklin
trigged a wave of whispers, shrieks, and sighs especially among the upper-crust society of Madame Du Deffand's salon. This action-packed (and mostly true) story follows the high stakes adventures of Pierre Beaumarchais, the Parisian playwright who penned The Marriage of Figaro and The Barber of Seville. As the aging Madame Du Deffand fights for control of her changing world, young upstart Pierre Beaumarchais runs guns for
Franklin
’s American Revolution in the pursuit of liberté, fraternité, and cold hard cash!
This new work premiered in October 2007 (
Seattle
) and is a fast-paced comedy featuring a cross-dressing cast of eight, live music, dance, and shadow puppetry!
Directed by the playwright, Kristina Sutherland.
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About THE DIRECTORS
Deana Duncan (Sweeney Todd) is pleased to return to the WICA stage as director. She serves as Whidbey Island Center for the Arts’ Production Director and has assisted Executive Director, Stacie Burgua, produce twenty-six main stage and five summer youth productions in the past six years. WICA directing credits include Little Women and Nevermore on the WICA mainstage, and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Shakespeare, Nosferatu - The Legend of Dracula, and A Tale of Two Cities with the WICA Youth Conservatory. Favorite local acting credits include Catherine in Island Theatre’s production of Proof and Andrea in K. Sandy O’Brien’s production of Andrea Has Two Boyfriends and Masha in WICA’s April 2007 production of Chekhov’s Three Sisters.
During her tenure at WICA Ms. Duncan has continued her education participating in directing and acting classes through Freehold Studio in Seattle, studying directly with Tony nominated Intiman Artistic Director Bartlett Sher, workshops with the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington D.C. and summer stock training with a small troupe in Idaho. She holds a BFA in theatre arts from the
University
of
Nevada Reno
, attended the
American
Academy
of Dramatic Arts, began her graduate work in theatre at the
University
of
California Long Beach
and is honored to be one of only 20 actors accepted to legendary theatre instructor, Stella Adler’s last master class in
Los Angeles
.
Chris Harshman (Sweeney Todd) began studying clarinet with William O. Smith at the age of 9. Further early studies included several years under the instruction of Dave Barduhn, before joining the jazz program at
Roosevelt
High School
. He went on to study Jazz at
Central
Washington
University
under the tutelage of John Moad, and the Direction of Chris Bruya. As a sax player, Mr. Harshman has performed with the Kennelly Keys All Star Big Band, several area "reading bands", as well as performed in the Pit for the Broadway production of The Producers (Seattle show). In addition to BA in Music Education, he earned a MM. degree in Bassoon performance from the
University
of
Arizona
. Currently, Harshman teaches at
South
Whidbey
High School
, where his bands consistently place first at National Level Jazz Festivals, and consistently earn Superior Ratings at all Concert Band Festivals.
Donald N. Wilkins (Inspecting Carol) was born into a theatrical family in
London
,
England
. His mother and aunt were dancers in traveling shows. His grandfather, James Gray, was a Music Hall Artiste whom, when he died, left a legacy of his interesting life. At age 17, Don was awarded a two year scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. He spent a year in drama school and, when Compulsory National Service called, he served four years in the Royal Navy. By 1960 Mr. Wilkins and his wife, Brenda, were settled in business in
Palo Alto
,
California
. Continuing his interest in theatre, he served as President for both the Palo Alto Players and the Menlo Players Guild. Wilkins also directed many Peninsula Community Theatre productions.
Katherine Woodzick (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead) graduated from
Luther
College
with a B.A. in Theatre/Dance. She plans to pursue an MFA in Directing.
"I find theatre for social change truly inspiring," says Woodzick. "I'm very glad that WICA and Deana Duncan obtained a gender blind casting license for this production. I hope to challenge the perceptions of the audience while collaborating with the amazing theatre artists the community has to offer."
Kathryn Sandy O'Brien (Rabbit Hole) most directed WICA’s Enchanted April. Her last stage appearance was as Fraulein Schneider in WICA’s Cabaret. Other WICA credits include: Mrs. Rhodes in Seven keys To Baldpate, Aunt Tina in Lillian In Limbo, Mrs. Candor in The School For Scandal, Mrs. Shields in Christmas Story and Sister Flash in David Ossman's Don't Squash That Dwarf, Hand Me The Pliers. Before moving to Whidbey Island she was active in Las Vegas where she directed and acted in numerous productions including: Lettuce in Lettuce and Lovage; the Mother Superior in Agnes of God; the Mother in Night, Mother; Joanne in Company; Rosemary in Picnic; and Mona in Dames At Sea. She was awarded a John McHugh award for Best Performance by an Actress for Joanne in Company as well as a Best Actress award for her role in Accomplice. In
New York
, she played a model in the Debbie Reynold's production of Irene while understudying for the role of Helen; eventually taking over the role for the Jane Powell production of Irene. Off-Broadway she played the wife in Office Murders at the Manhattan Theater Club; the Mother Superior in The Awakening at the Lamb's Club and was a dancer for the
New York
production of This Was Burlesque. She has also done numerous Industrials with General Electric, and the American Medical Assoc. In Summer Stock she played the role of Aunt Sue in No, No, Nanette, Mary in Mary, Mary, Childie in The Killing Of Sister George and Lulu in The Birthday Party. Some of her favorite roles are
Adelaide
in Guys and Dolls, Claudine in Can Can and Mary in Little Mary Sunshine. She studied Jazz with Luigi, Ron Forella and Alvin Ailey; Modern Dance with Paul Sanasardo; Ballet with Mireille Briane and Carnegie Hall. Her tap studies include Bernard Manners, Bob Audy and Henry LeTang. She also studied Musical Theater at HB Studio's with Joe Bussard who became her vocal coach.
Kristina Sutherland (Franklin and Figaro) is the Executive Co-Artistic Director and co-founder of Macha Monkey Productions, a Seattle-based nonprofit dedicated to producing fearless, funny, female theatre since 2001.
Ms. Sutherland is a producer, performer, teaching artist, playwright and director. Her directing credits include Fall Off Night by Allison Gregory, Dukthul by Red Eagle Soaring, The Cowgirl Play by Sutherland and Prewitt, GameGirl by Jennifer Pratt, and Melancholy Play by Sarah Ruhl. In addition to Franklin and Figaro, is also the author of The Cowgirl Play (co-writer), R: The Swashbuckling Tale of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, and Live Girls Do Elektra. Kristina currently works as a teaching artist for both ACT Theatre’s Young Playwright Program and Macha Monkey’s Monkey Works Program.
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