Cheaper By The Dozen

Auditions will consist of readings from the script. No preparation and no experience necessary. Bruce Crews will direct this production.

About the Play

Suppose you're an attractive high-school girl and you're not only a member of a large and unique family but your father is, in fact, one of the great pioneers of industrial efficiency. Then suppose he decides, for no apparent reason, to apply his unorthodox methods to you and to the rest of your big family. The results are terribly embarrassing, funny and—it must be admitted—extremely effective! To Anne, however, the chief effect seems to be that of making them seem ridiculous to everyone else at school—especially to the boys! Dad pushes ahead with better organization for his large and delightful family. He puts up a chart for the young people to initial after completing each household task, uses a rung as an imaginary bathtub to demonstrate how to take a really efficient bath and appoints a utilities officer to levy fines on wasters of electricity. While the situations are often uproarious, there's a serious reason. Dad has a heart condition that he's keeping secret. The children don't understand them. Anne, the oldest, rebels. Both Dad and she are miserable at the lack of understanding between them. Then in a deft and moving scene, Dad becomes aware of how much Anne has grown up.

Available Roles

• Mr. Gilbreth, Dad
• Mrs. Gilbreth, Mother
• Ernestine, part of their dozen
• Frank, part of their dozen
• Jackie, part of their dozen
• Dan, part of their dozen
• Bill, part of their dozen
• Fred, part of their dozen
• Anne, part of their dozen
• Lillian, part of their dozen
• Martha, part of their dozen
• Mrs. Fitzgerald, the housekeeper
• Dr. Burton, the family doctor
• Joe Scales, a cheerleader
• Miss Brill, a teacher
• Larry, someone "special"

Sauk Shorts 2022

Auditions will consist of readings from the various scripts. There are roles for 8 men, 9 women, 5 male or female adults, two teen males, one teen girl and a 10-year-old boy.  

All the Answers

By Mark Cornell
Directed by Josh Hall

A man dies and goes to a place between heaven and hell where all of life's questions can be answered.

• ​Isabelle, 16
  
• Joe, 40s
  

Boyfriend Boot Camp

By Keith Whalen

Directed by Andy Anderson
Three young men — an insecure but decent guy who just wants to find a girlfriend, an obnoxious misogynist who’s in the doghouse with his girlfriend, and a dorky guy who’s never had a girlfriend — arrive at a class called “Boyfriend Boot Camp”, which advertises that they “Teach you to be a quality boyfriend, so you can attract a good woman.” When the strict young female teacher shows up, the three flustered men discover the class is more than they signed up for.

• Man 1 - 20s. A decent guy who just wants to get a girlfriend. 
  
• Man 2 - 20s. An A-hole guy who has a girlfriend but is in the doghouse. 
  
• Man 3 - 20s. A nerdy guy who has never had a girlfriend. Probably a virgin. 
  
• Woman - 20s. A stern young woman who has a job to do. 
  

Gown

By Robert Weibezahl

Directed by Angela Forant
Lynn and Annie embark on that treasured mother-daughter rite of passage: shopping for the perfect wedding gown. But saying yes to the dress proves not so straightforward as their afternoon in the bridal shop reveals an unforeseen agenda and unfolds in both heartbreaking and uplifting ways.

• ​Lynn - 50s
  
• Annie - late 20s to early 30s
  
• Courtney - late 20s to early 30s
  

In Mrs. Baker's Room

By Stephen Kaplan

Directed by Mari Nuñez
Jacob Ritter has modeled everything he does and teaches in his fifth grade classroom on his own fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Baker.  Everything. The only thing missing from his perfect classroom is Mrs. Baker herself.

• ​Jacob Ritter - 30s. A new fifth grade teacher. Earnest, lost, emotional. Very likeable. 
  
• Ellen Baker - late 60s, 70s. Jacob's former fifth grade teacher. Spunky, caring, strong. 
  
• Lyle - 10 or 11. One of Jacob's students. A typical prepubescent boy. Sweet, somewhat sky, eager to do well. 
  

Moments Like These

​By Don Goodrum

Directed by Bruce Crews
You know how it goes. A man and a woman (literally) run into each other in a crowded airport. Their hands touch, their eyes meet...do they ignore the spark between them and go their own way or do they connect and spin off in a completely different direction? Join John and Mary as they try to answer at least one of those questions in a story about, as the poet might call it, "the road not taken," or as the playwright might call it, "Moments Like These."

• ​Mary - an attractive, but harried young woman of 25-30 years of age. 
  
• ​John - a non-descript young man of pleasant appearance also between 25 and 30 years of age.
  

Nuts!

By T. James Belich

Directed by Sandi Miller
The squirrels of Chestnut Street are tired of living in fear of their mortal enemy: the backyard dog. They assemble their best operatives—Chip, Nutty, and Zippy—to trap the dog and ensure peace and security for all of squirrel-kind. However, their plan quickly goes awry.

• Chip - a squirrel in charge
  
• Nutty - a squirrel who follows
  
• Zippy - a squirrel who doesn't pay attention
  
• ​The Dog - chaser of all things furry
  

Sidekick

By Trinity Bird

Directed by Ron Boyle

When Eli returns from a summer away at camp, his best friend makes a decision that will change both their lives forever. A world premiere.

• ​Eli - Almost 16. Smart. Funny. Shy. A competitive swimmer.
  
• Harley - Older than Eli. Eli's closest friend. Confident. 

Single Malt Exchange

By Sarah Gray

Directed by Tim Ambrose
A man sits alone in a noisy bar. A woman sits down next to him. She attempts a conversation. Will she be pleasantly surprised? Will he be disappointed? You can say a lot without saying much at all. A world premiere.

• ​Man - Late twenties, early thirties. Well kept. 
  
• Woman - Late twenties, early thirties. Nicely dressed. 
  
• Bartender - Overworked and not super happy. Man or woman. 
  

The Room at the End of the Hall

By Trinity Bird

Directed by Sarah Gray

Long lost memories come to the surface when a young man gets interviewed about renting a room in a house where there are no rooms for rent. A world premiere.

• ​Susan - A nurse. Kind. Patient. Good at her job. 
  
• Leona - 70. A gentle soul. A widow. A mother and grandmother. 
  
• Sebastian - 20. A college student. 
  

World Premiere

By G.M. (Bud) Thompson

Directed by Trinity Bird

For the ninth consecutive year, Grand Rapids-based playwright G.M. (Bud) Thompson will write a brand new, world premiere play exclusively for the SAUK SHORTS. The title and available roles will be announced in early 2022. 

The Secret Garden

Audition requirements will be announced at a later date. Trinity Bird will direct this production with musical direction by Kristi Gautsche. 

About the Play

This enchanting classic of children's literature is reimagined in brilliant musical style by composer Lucy Simon and Marsha Norman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of 'Night Mother. Orphaned in India, 11-year-old Mary Lennox returns to Yorkshire to live with her embittered, reclusive uncle Archibald and his invalid son Colin. The estate's many wonders include a magic garden which beckons the children with haunting melodies and the "Dreamers," spirits from Mary's past who guide her through her new life, dramatizing The Secret Garden's compelling tale of forgiveness and renewal.

Available Roles

• Lily - Mary's aunt, Mr. Craven's wife, now dead. 
• Mary Lennox - a ten-year-old girl.
• Mrs. Medlock - Mr. Craven's housekeeper.
• Dr. Neville Craven - Mr. Craven's brother. 
• Martha - a housemaid. 
• Archibald Craven - Mary's uncle, and lord of Misselthwaite Manor. 
• Ben Weatherstaff - head gardener. 
• Dickon - Martha's brother. 
• Colin Craven - Archibald Craven's ten-year-old son. 
• Mrs. Winthrop - headmistress. 
• Rose Lennox - Mary's mother. 
• Captain Albert Lennox - Mary's father.
• Alice - Rose's friend.
• Lieutenant Wright - officer in Mary's father's unit. 
• Lieutenant Shaw - fellow officer. 
• Major Shelley - officer. 
• Mrs. Shelley - Major Shelley's wife. 
• Major Holmes - officer. 
• Claire Holmes - Major Holme's wife. 
• Fakir
• Ayah, Mary's Indian nanny. 

The 24-Hour Theatre Project

Audition requirements will be announced at a later date. Playwrights and directors will be announced at a later date. 

How to Eat Fried Worms

Audition requirements will be announced at a later date. Mari Nuñez will direct this production. 

About the Play

Alan challenges Billy to eat a worm a day for 15 days. The winner gets $50. Tom prepares the worms in a variety of ways to make them more appetizing, using condiments such as ketchup, mustard, horseradish, and maple syrup. When Billy’s parents eventually find out about the bet, will they allow the bet to continue?

Available Roles

• Tom, a young boy
• Billy, a young boy
  
• Alan, a young boy
• Joe, a young boy
  
• Mr. Forrester, Billy's dad
  
• Mrs. Forrester, Billy's mom
  
• Emily, Billy's younger sister
  
• Peter, Tom's younger brother

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella

Audition requirements will be announced at a later date. Trinity Bird will direct this production with musical direction by Kristi Gautsche.

About the Play

Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella is the new Broadway adaptation of the classic musical. This contemporary take on the classic tale features Rodgers & Hammerstein's most beloved songs, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It's Possible” and “Ten Minutes Ago,” alongside an up-to-date, hilarious and romantic libretto by Tony Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane.

Available Roles

• Ella - Though no one notices her beneath her rags and quiet demeanor, she is opinionated, charismatic, passionate, beautiful and funny. 
• Topher - A misguided and lost prince who longs to do something important with his life. 
  
• Madame - Ella's selfish stepmother.
  
• Sebastian - The kingdom's Lord Chancellor. 
  
• Marie - A friend to Ella and the town's resident crazy lady and beggar woman, Marie is actually a fairy godmother in disguise. 
  
• Gabrielle - Ella's stepsister and daughter of Madame. 
  
• Charlotte - Ella's stepsister and daughter of Madame. 
  
• Jean-Michel - A feisty, passionate peasant determined to make a change for the starving class. 
  
• Lord Pinkleton - The Lord Chancellor's right-hand man. 
  
• Giant
  
• Fox (puppet)
  
• Raccoon (puppet)
  
• Footman
  
• Coachman
  
• Knights, peasants, serfs, townspeople, ladies and gentlemen of the court, servants, etc. 
  

Plays-in-Development 2022

Auditions will consist of readings from the scripts. No experience necessary. No memorization required. Directors will be announced at a later date. 

Living

By G.M. (Bud) Thompson (of Grand Rapids, MI)

​A mother and son struggle to adapt to the new life they unexpectedly find themselves in. Try as they might to make the best of it, painful memories and frustration complicate their efforts to get on with living. 

• ​Dan Todde - late teens/early 20s, son of Jackie
  
• Jackie Todde - 40s, mother of Dan
• Ted Riddling - 30-40s, husband and father
• Michele Riddling - 12ish, daughter
• Maggie Riddling - 30-40s, wife and mother
• Rev. Valerie Simmons - 30-40s, mother of Michele's friend
• Nick Forskare - 40s or up, paranormal investigator
• Allison Moyen - 40s or up, psychic medium

The Challenge

By Meaghan Bryant (of North Adams, MI)

All families face challenges. But the Matthews family is facing their biggest challenge yet. Will they rise to the occasion and succeed? Will they fail? Will they kill each other before they reach the finish line? Mom, Amy, is eager to find out.

• Amy Matthews, mother
• Bill Matthews, father
  
• Tyler Matthews, teenage son
  
• Hailey Matthews, pre-teen or teenage daughter
  
• Shirley Matthews, grandmother
  

​A Shore of Abundance

By Pearl Moore (of Cana, Virginia)

​​A Shore of Abundance is about a young seventeen-year-old girl named Eleanor who creates a world in which she is the captain of her own pirate ship in order to escape from her life, in which she has no control or power. In the real world, she wants to search for her biological father after finding out that the father who raised Eleanor her whole life isn't her real father. On top of this, she is pressured to start figuring out what she should do for her future. With it all being too much for her mind she escapes into her pirate world where she goes on a journey to find her pirate father who has been taken by a sea witch. It is up to Eleanor to find items of three in order to trade the items for her pirate father's safe return. This is a play with an epic hero story with sword fights, a sea shanty, and a mermaid rap battle that will have audiences hoping that the adventure never ends.

• Eleanor Brooks/Captain Brooks- A young creative seventeen-year-old girl who is desperate to escape her real world. When she’s Captain Brooks she’s confident, determined, but is reckless in getting what she wants.
  
• Sarah- Eleanor’s best friend since childhood. Sarah loves her friend and would do anything for her. She is very real in both worlds.
  
• JJ/Princess Juniper- He is Eleanor’s older brother who thinks he knows what’s best for Eleanor. When he is Princess Juniper, he is a runaway princess who wants to play his music and keep things fun on the shore for Captain Brooks.
  
• Caroline/Sea Witch/Guard- Caroline is Eleanor’s mother who constantly gets into arguments with Eleanor, but she has a deep heart that cares for her daughter. Eleanor has specifically cast her mother as the villain of her other world.
  
• Alistair/Arctic/King Aldrich/Pirate Father- Alistair is not Eleanor’s biological father but is the one who raised her. Alistair has made many mistakes with his parenting skills, but he is trying his best.
  
  

Desert Song

Audition requirements will be announced at a later date. This production will have a non-traditional rehearsal period. Trinity Bird will direct this production. 

About the Play

​Desert Song is about a young, struggling musician who seeks out the reclusive muse for one of the most famous love songs ever written, an early seventies tune called “The Ballad of Eliza.” It’s a song that he has loved all his life. This muse, a woman now in her sixties, has long retreated from public view, and lives as a simple maid. Set in the sparse lodgings at Ghost Ranch, a remote retreat in Northern New Mexico, the play explores the elusive and magical nature of inspiration. This play was workshopped during The Sauk’s 2021 Plays-in-Development. A world premiere. This play contains strong language and a moment of self harm including blood. 

Available Roles

• ​The Musician, male, late 20s.
  
• The Maid, female, late 60s. 
  

​

Steel Magnolias

Audition requirements will be announced at a later date. There are roles for six women. Ron Boyle will direct this production. 

About the Play

​The action is set in Truvy’s beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana, where all the ladies who are “anybody” come to have their hair done. Helped by her eager new assistant, Annelle (who is not sure whether or not she is still married), the outspoken, wise-cracking Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to the town’s rich curmudgeon, Ouiser, ("I’m not crazy, I’ve just been in a bad mood for forty years"); an eccentric millionaire, Miss Clairee, who has a raging sweet tooth; and the local social leader, M’Lynn, whose daughter, Shelby (the prettiest girl in town), is about to marry a “good ole boy.” Filled with hilarious repartee and not a few acerbic but humorously revealing verbal collisions, the play moves toward tragedy when, in the second act, the spunky Shelby (who is a diabetic) risks pregnancy and forfeits her life. The sudden realization of their mortality affects the others, but also draws on the underlying strength—and love—which give the play, and its characters, the special quality to make them truly touching, funny and marvelously amiable company in good times and bad.

Available Roles

• Truvy Jones - 40ish. Owner of the beauty shop.
  
• Annelle Dupuy-Desoto - 19. Beauty shop assistant. 
• Clairee Belcher - 66ish. Widow of former mayor. Grande dame. 
• Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie - 25. Prettiest girl in town. 
• M'Lynn Eatenton - 50ish. Shelby's mother. Socially prominent career woman. 
• Ouiser Boudreaux - 66ish. Wealthy curmudgeon. Acerbic but loveable. 

The Nutcracker

Audition requirements will be announced at a later date. Mari Nuñez will direct this production. 

About the Play
The legend of the wonderful Nutcracker is now available in this captivating play. At a gala Christmas Eve party, Clara's godfather presents her with an amazing Nutcracker in the form of a wooden soldier. Too excited to sleep, she suddenly finds the Nutcracker brought to life. He tells her he is a prince under the wicked enchantment of the Mouse King, and she joins him in a series of adventures in strange lands as he seeks to regain his throne. When she wakes, she finds the Nutcracker gone. Was it a dream or not? Then her godfather returns with his nephew—who just happens to look exactly like the prince! This charming play is enhanced with dances to the music of Tchaikovsky.

Available Roles

• Clara
• Frank/Krakatuk
• Aunt Harriet/Snow Queen
  
• Mickey/Mouse King
  
• Father
  
• Mother/Sugar Plum Fairy
  
• Godfather Dross
• The Nutcracker
• Four Mice
• Two Snowflakes
• Irmagarde - a Candy Cane
• Hildegarde - a Candy Cane
• Coffee
• Tea
• Daisy
• Rose
• BonBon
• Prince/Ned
• Ensemble who play toy soldiers, mice, snowflakes and flowers. ​