UST takes center stage
All the world’s a stage … and the tickets are going fast.
Jumping full spring into the new school year, Utah State Theatre is proud to announce their 2004-05 main stage season and open-auditions for the productions.
Starting Thursday auditions will open up for the four main stage productions running this year with auditions for the musical taking place on Friday. There will be a sign-up sheet for audition times starting Monday, Aug. 30.
Auditions are open to all majors and the general public, with specific ethnic roles sought for certain productions.
“There will be plenty of room for everybody,” director Kevin Doyle said.
Those participating in the auditions will be asked to either bring two contrasting monologues, or be prepared to read from cuttings from the plays. Doyle suggested that students familiarize themselves with the plays as much as possible.
“Last year, we had a lot of people that weren’t [drama] majors get into the show,” Doyle said. “I think their chances are very good.”
Chosen in a democratic process involving all the directors, this year’s plays will be a good mix of subject matter and content. Though as Jeremy Gordon, UST public relations specialist, explained, it’s sometimes hard to find a balance between cutting edge, straight theatre and family safe productions.
“A lot of the students and directors want to do modern theatre,” Gordon said, “but you have to balance how much of that you want to do compared to how much of an audience you want to have.”
Well-rounded, the 2004 season begins with the world premiere of an original collaborated work by the Saratoga International Theatre Institute (SITI), an experimental theatre group from New York, and Rachel’s, a modern musical sextet.
The production, entitled “Systems/Layers”, is a conceptual piece examining how an individual can live in harmony with the insanity of urban life.
In October, UST brings a divisive drama, “The Laramie Project”, which was inspired by a 2002 HBO movie that explores hate crimes in rural America. The production recounts the events of Matthew Shepard’s death in Laramie, Wyo., and analyzes the thoughts and motives of the people involved.
Though this production is admittedly controversial, Gordon believes that the public will still come to watch it.
“The Laramie project should be a little controversial, but that shouldn’t scare people away,” Gordon said. “The subject matter is sensitive, yes, but its something everyone should have some knowledge of.”
Two weeks following “The Laramie Project” which runs Oct. 5-9, UST will produce an onstage version of the popular movie “Holes”, by Louis Sachar.
“If you liked the film by Disney and the best selling book,” director Colin Johnson said, “you definitely have to see it live.”
Directed by Adrianne Moore, UST’s holiday production, “Hayfever”, by Noel Coward, is a farcical comedy of manners which has been hailed as one of Coward’s brightest comedies.
“Hayfever” will run Dec. 2-4 and 8-11.
On down the line is UST’s annual musical production, “Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris” which will play in the Morgan Theatre Feb. 24-26 and March 2-5. Filled with great music, the production is planned in a cabaret style to intimate the feelings of Paris.
Capping off classicaly, the bard of Avon comes to USU in the “Comedy of Errors” which will run April 21-23 and 27-30. Proving that brevity is the soul of wit, this play comes in as the shortest, by number of lines, that the playwright wrote.
In addition to these mainstage productions, UST will also be performing their perennial favorite student directed “One-Acts” in March as well as other independent productions that will take place throughout the year.
More information on auditions and the upcoming productions can be found on the Utah State Theatre Web site at ww.usu.edu/theatre.
Parents of young people interested in auditioning for roles in UST’s production “Holes” should contact the Theatre Arts Department (Chase FAC, room 232) and professor Johnson at (435) 797-3046 for an interview.
-mattgo@cc.usu.edu