Approaching Zanzibar

Those wishing to audition should record themselves performing a 1-minute dramatic monologue from a play. Completed videos should be e-mailed to thesauk.hct@gmail.com. An online audition form must also be completed. The link is above. There are roles for 2 men, 4 women, 2 boys and 1 girl. Trinity Bird will direct this production. Mandee Leigh Howard will stage manage.

About the Play 

When Charlotte Blossom’s beloved Aunt Olivia, a famous and eccentric artist, is dying of cancer, the whole family -- husband Wally, a composer with writer’s block; son Turner, a classical guitar prodigy; and daughter Pony, a girl with a fearful imagination -- take a road trip all the way from New York to Taos, New Mexico, to say goodbye. Along the way, they encounter an adorable newborn, a precocious psychic, mysterious nighttime noises, and the knowledge that we are born as fish, and to fish we do return. With emotion heightened by major changes and regular road trip anxiety, the members of the Blossom family must each come to terms with their place in the cycle of life. Tina Howe’s Approaching Zanzibar is both intimate and grand, a glorious and magically absurd romp through a vast American landscape and the inner workings of the human family, and the human heart.

Available Roles

• Wallace Blossom: A composer, 49.
  
• Charlotte Blossom: His wife, 45.
  
• Turner Blossom: Their son, a prodigy, 12-14.
  
• Pony Blossom: Their nearsighted daughter, 9-12.
  
• Randy Wands: A new father, 43. Also plays Scotty Childs: Charlotte's brother, a landscape architect, 48.
  
• Palace St. John: A hearty grandmothers, 63. Also plays Dr. Sybil Wren, Olivia's doctors, with a limp, 60s.
  
• Fletcher St. John: Her deaf grandson, 11-14. Also plays Amy Childs: Scotty's athletic daughter, 11-14. 
  
• Joy Childs: Scott's pregnant new wife, a tv newscaster, African American, 28. Also plays Dalia, Olivia's nurse, 28.
  
• Olivia Childs: Charlotte's aunt, an eminent site specific artist, 81.
  

Sauk Shorts 2021

Auditions will consist of readings from the various plays. There are roles for 7 men, 9 women, 1 girl and there are 7 roles that can be either gender.  

​Hands

By Sarah Gray

Directed by Mari Nunez

​Our hands are used for good. Our hands are used for evil. Our hands care for others. Our hands show hatred. From the mundane to the extraordinary our lives are expressed through our hands. What do your hands say about you?

• Performer 1: Woman, 30s or 40s
  
• Performer 2: Man or Woman, 50s
  
• Performer 3: Woman, any age
  
• Performer 4: Man, 20s or 30s
  

Honor Among Thieves

By Josh Lightner

Directed by Tim Ambrose

​​While carrying out a meticulously planned museum heist, a thief discovers they didn’t account for one crucial detail: someone else would be robbing the place at the same time. As the two would-be criminals argue over who, exactly, would get to do the criminalizing, the night continues to throw curveballs their way. As they lie, backstab, and cheat their way to the prize, it becomes clear that the only truth is that there is no honor among thieves.

• Thief: Intelligent, careful. A criminal with class.
  
• Burglar: Dim and dumb. A typical smash and grabber. 
  
• Officer: Con man posing as the police. 
  
• Curator: The "owner" of the museum.
  

I Can Fly

By Gary Sironen

Directed by Liz Pence

A young student recalls a moment of self-discovery as a child, and the complications that come with keeping a secret. In the process, they learn the power, the value, the danger - and the importance - of sharing the secret. Directed by Liz Pence.

• Terry: This role has been cast. 
  

Mr. Cuddles

By Rom Watson

Directed by Mari Nunez

Dave and Miriam go to her grandmother for money, and in the process meet Grandma’s new pet.​

• Dave: Male, 30s to 40s, Miriam's husband
  
• Miriam: Female, 30s to 40s
• Grandma: Female, 60s to 80th, Miriam's grandmother
• Mr. Cuddles: Male, age open (non-speaking role)

Ski Lift

By Scott Mullen

Directed by Josh Lightner

​​Pam isn't happy to find herself sharing a ski lift with a pair of bickering twins and the urn of their father's ashes.

• ​Pam: Female, 20s-30s
  
• Mickey: Male, 20s-30s. A bit full of himself. 
• Stacy: Female, 20s-30s. Mickey's twin sister.
  

Stockholm Syndrome

By James McLindon

​Directed by MJ Jacobs

​The fairy-tale wedding is over, real life has begun, and a beautiful princess is having doubts about her choices in a husband and in life. With her formerly beastly prince in tow (he manscapes for her now), she begins marriage counseling ... and makes a discovery. A comedy for everyone who doesn't trust a happy ending.

• Beast: Male, late 20s to mid-30s, any race or ethnicity
  
• Belle: Female, early to mid-20s, any race or ethnicity. Also plays the Receptionist. 
  
• Therapist: Mid 30s or older, any gender, race or ethnicity
  

We Interrupt This Program

By Arthur Keyser

Directed by Sandi Miller

Phoebe is knitting and Cyrus is reading the morning paper. A typical day in their 39 years of marriage, taking place in their living room listening to the 75-year old radio on their equally old sofa. The radio interrupts their usual program to blast an emergency announcement. Other people would freak out but not these two—they focus on old sofas, scratchy radios, and “neighbors having their way!”

• Cyrus Finney: a 59-year-old man
  
• Phoebe Finney: a 57-year-old woman
  
• Radio Announcer (off-stage)
  

Windows, Windows, Trees

By Matthew Weaver

Directed by Mandee Leigh Howard

​​Cowboy Sam and pitcher Elisa find comfort in their view out the window - and each other - during chemotherapy.

• Sam Hill: 60s-70s, male, a cattle rancher
  
• Elisa: 12-15, female, a softball pitcher
  
• Nurse: 20s-30s, female. A nurse with an appreciation for troublemakers. 
  

Living (A Prelude)

By G.M. (Bud) Thompson

​Directed by Trinity Bird

​Mr. Thompson will once again write a world premiere short play for 2021. 

• ​Jackie, 40s, mother of Dan. 
  
• Dan, late teens, son of Jackie
  
• Husand, 30-40s. 
  
• Daughter, 12
  
• ​Wife, 40-40s. 
  

Peter and the Starcatcher

Audition requirements will be announced at a later date. There are roles for 11 men and 1 woman. Trinity Bird will direct this production with musical direction by Kristi Gautsche. Allison Cleveland will stage manage.

About the Play

Tony-winning Peter and the Starcatcher upends the century-old story of how a miserable orphan comes to be The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up (a.k.a. Peter Pan). From marauding pirates and jungle tyrants to unwilling comrades and unlikely heroes, Peter and the Starcatcher playfully explores the depths of greed and despair... and the bonds of friendship, duty and love. A young orphan and his mates are shipped off from Victorian England to a distant island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They know nothing of the mysterious trunk in the captain’s cabin, which contains a precious, otherworldly cargo. At sea, the boys are discovered by a precocious young girl named Molly, a Starcatcher-in-training who realizes that the trunk’s precious cargo is starstuff, a celestial substance so powerful that it must never fall into the wrong hands. When the ship is taken over by pirates – led by the fearsome Black Stache, a villain determined to claim the trunk and its treasure for his own – the journey quickly becomes a thrilling adventure. Featuring a dozen actors portraying more than 100 unforgettable characters, Peter and the Starcatcher uses ingenious stagecraft and the limitless possibilities of imagination to bring the story to life.

Available Roles

• ​​Black Stache: A notorious pirate, terrorizing the seven seas in search of a worthy adversary. Heartless, hirsute, and suspiciously well read. Partial to the poetical and theatrical, which causes him to behave quite flamboyantly. (25-40)
  
• Molly Aster: A young girl and Starcatcher apprentice who is taken aboard the Neverland as precious cargo. Curious and intelligent, she is only beginning to understand the confusing romantic longings that come with her age. She will risk anything for the sake of what is right. (13 to 25)
  
• Boy/Peter: A lonely and hardened orphan who doesn't miss much. Nameless, homeless, and friendless at the beginning of the play and a hero by the end. He wants a home and a family more than anything, and dreams of a life of being free. (13 to 25). 
  
• Grempkin: The schoolmaster of St. Norbert's Orphanage for Lost Boys. Mean and malodorous, he revels in keeping his boys in the dark and malnourished. Doublings include: FIGHTING PRAWN; MACK; SÁNCHEZ. (40-60)
  
• Mrs. Bumbrake: Molly's nanny, a stereotypical British cad and outfitted with the duty of teaching Molly about womanhood. She still has enough charm in her age to attract a sailor or two. Doubling as TEACHER. (40-60)
  
• Bill Slank: The vicious orphaned captain of the Neverland. Does not possess the capacity to lead anyone but himself, which puts himself constantly in disaster. Greedy enough to send boys to their doom for the chance of gaining starstuff. Doubling as HAWKING CLAM. (35-55)
  
• Smee: Black Stache's first mate. He is single-mindedly dedicated to his captain's every whim. (25 to 55)
  
• Prentiss: An orphan, ambitious, hyper articulate, and logical. He yearns to be leader, even when he knows in his heart that he'll never be one. A bit of a blowhard with a touch of cowardice. (13 to 25)
  
• Alf: A seafarer, an old sea dog proud of his tenure. His kind heart gives him an appeal to the feminine sensibility. (50 to 65)
  
• Lord Leonard Aster: Molly's father, a loyal subject to the Queen. The very model of a Victorian English gentleman, he is a faithful friend and a secret Starcatcher. (40-60)
  
• Captain Robert Falcon Scott: Lord Aster's old school friend, the captain of the Wasp, Britain's fastest frigate. Lives with nautical bravura and heroic patriotism. (35 to 45)
  
• Ted: An orphan obsessed with food. A natural performer with easy wit and quite poetic language. (13-25)
  
  
  

Stuart Little

Audition requirements will be announced at a later date. This production includes performances at 10 a.m. on Friday mornings. Rehearsals will be at non-traditional rehearsal times. There are roles for 3 men and 2 women. Mari Nunez will direct this production. 

About the Play

This is the endearing classic about a mouse named Stuart who is born into an ordinary New York family. All the charm, wisdom and joy of the E.B. White original are captured in this adaptation by Joseph Robinette, who also dramatized the highly acclaimed stage version of Charlotte's Web (produced by The Sauk in 2020). The many adventures—both big and small—of Stuart Little are brought vividly to life in this story-theatre presentation. The acting ensemble plays many human and animal roles in a series of delightful scenes that make up the marvelous maneuverings of a mild-mannered mouse trying to survive in a "real people's world." 

Available Roles

• Stuart Little
  
• First Actor - Male (Mr. Little, Dr. Carey, Malty's Voice, Angie, Harry, Repairman) 
• Second Actor - Female (Mrs. Little, Woman, First Person, Second Dog, Tige's Voice, Pigeon, Mary)
• Third Actor - Male (George, Snowbell, First Dog, Leroy, Mr. Clydesdale, School Superintendent, Henry)
• Fourth Actor - Female (Doctor, Bureau Chief, Second Person, Margalo, Babette's Voice, Katherine)

Plays-in-Development

Auditions will consist of readings from the various scripts. While this is only a two-week commitment of time, the commitment consists of rehearsals, book work, meetings with the playwrights and more. No memorization is required as these are play readings. Titles and Directors TBA. 

Their Great Magic

By Terence Patrick Hughes (of Lake Hill, NY)
Directed by Tim Ambrose
A year ago, acclaimed American novelist, John Irwin, and his wife suffered a terrible car crash near their mountain-top home in Woodstock, NY. He survived, she did not. After months of mourning, insurance litigation, and tabloid harassment, Helen’s ghost has returned to constantly haunt John and keep him from writing, sleeping, and staying sober. His daughter, Violet, and her new boyfriend arrive to try and rescue John from his downward spiral, only to be caught up in a wild war of words and wit that reaches far beyond our material world. A comic romp of a ghost story wrapped around a drama about love, death, and family. 

• John - male, older
• Violet - female, younger
  
• Robert - male, younger
  
• Helen - female, older
  
• Samuels - male, older
  
• ​Father - male, any age
  

Desert Song

By Mark Cornell (of Chapel Hill, NC)

Directed by Trinity Bird

​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.

• Carlos, late 20s
  
• ​Elizabeth, 60s
  

Pre-Existing Condition

By Tiffany Thatcher (of Homer, MI)

Directed by MJ Dulmage

​Kate is doing her best to get over her fiancé Jonah, but he is not making it easy. He keeps popping in whenever her guard is down. As the couple tries to make sense of their separation, they quickly realize that their relationship is not at all what it seems.

• Kate, late twenties to mid-thirties
• Jonah, late twenties to mid-thirties
  

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The Cemetery Club

Audition requirements will be announced at a later date. There are roles for one man and four women. Angela Forant will direct this production. 

About the Play

​Three Jewish widows meet once a month for tea before going to visit their husbands’ graves. Ida is sweet tempered and ready to begin a new life; Lucille is a feisty embodiment of the girl who just wants to have fun; and Doris is priggish and judgmental, particularly when Sam the butcher enters the scene. He meets the widows while visiting his wife’s grave. Doris and Lucille squash the budding romance between Sam and Ida. They are guilt-stricken when this nearly breaks Ida’s heart.

Available Roles

All characters are in their late fifties to early sixties.

• Ida – is the gentlest and most charming of the three widowed friends and the one who faces life the most realistically. She is ready to move on past grief and to accept new challenges.
  
• Lucille – is the most brazen one, always looking for a good deal, good time and always looking to “get even” with her unfaithful husband.
  
• Doris – is the most conservative of the three and the one who refuses to change any element in her life. She adheres to her strict principles of love and respect and expects her friends to do the same.
  
• Sam – is the local butcher, whose dead wife he still mourns, but who realizes that life has much to offer. He is willing to take a chance on happiness again.
  
• Mildred – is a show-off and a flirt. (smaller role, though BIG in personality) 
  

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Clue: The Musical

Audition requirements will be announced at a later date. There are roles for 5 men and 3 women. Trinity Bird directs this production with musical direction by Kristi Gautsche. Michele Harmon will stage manage.

About the Play
The internationally popular game is now a fun-filled musical that brings the world’s best-known suspects to life and invites the audience to help solve the mystery: who killed Mr. Body, in what room, and with what weapon. The audience receives forms to help them deduce the solution from clues given throughout the fun-filled evening. Three audience members choose from cards representing the potential murderers, weapons, and rooms; there are 216 possible solutions! Only one hard-nosed female detective is qualified to unravel the merry mayhem. Comic antics, witty lyrics, and a beguiling score carry the investigation from room to room. Even after the culprit confesses, a surprise twist delights the audience.

Available Roles

• Mr. Boddy - Charismatic, handsome, playful host. 30s. Soaring baritone/tenor. 
• Mrs. Peacock - Acerbic. manipulative, sexy socialite. Plays 40s. Mezzo with belt. 
  
• Professor Plum -  Astute intellectual with a wry sense of humor. Plays 30s-40s. Baritone. 
  
• Miss Scarlet - Shrewd, very attractive vixen. 20s. Wide vocal range with belt. 
  
• Colonel Mustard - Pompous, randy military man. Plays 40s-50s. Baritone.
  
• Mrs. White - Fun-loving cockney maid, portrayed by a man. Plays 40s-50s. Wide vocal range. 
  
• Mr. Green - Slick, handsome wheeler-dealer. 20s. Baritone/tenor. 
  
• Detective - hard-nosed, snappy, humorous female. 30s. Interesting singing voice. 
  

Anne of Green Gables

Audition requirements will be announced at a later date. There are roles for 7 men and 9 females. Ron Boyle will direct this production. 

About the Play

A refreshing, contemporary telling of the classic story. Stern Marilla and her warm-hearted brother Matthew hoped to adopt a boy to work on their farm. But the orphanage sends young, befreckled Anne by mistake, and their lives will never be the same. Her warmth and wit affect everyone around her - even, eventually, the cold Marilla. We follow Anne through her rebellious years, her transformation into a young woman, and her romantic pairing with Gilbert. 

Available Roles

• Anne Shirley, a young orphan about 12 1/2 
  
• Marilla Cuthbert, a middle-aged spinster
  
• Mathew Cuthbert, her bachelor brother
  
• Rachel Lynde, a neighbor
  
• Station Master, at Bright River
  
• Mr. Spencer, from a nearby village
  
• Mrs. Blewitt, his neighbor
  
• Diana Berry, Anne's friend
  
• Mrs. Barry, Diana's mother
  
• Mr. Phillips, Avonlea teacher
  
• Miss Stacy, new teacher
  
• Ruby Gillis, schoolmate
  
• Josie Pye, schoolmate
  
• Moody MacPherson, schoolmate
  
• Charlie Sloane, schoolmate
  
• Gilbert Blythe, schoolmate
  

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.