Villagers Theatre is accepting submissions for the New Playwrights Series

The Villagers Theatre in Franklin Township is accepting submissions for the 2015 New Playwrights Series.

Selected plays will be presented as staged readings in the theater's black box at some point from Feb. to May 2015. The selected playwrights are required to attend the readings and to participate in discussions with the audience.

Submissions must be turned in by October 15. Scripts can have no more 20,000 words. All submissions must include the character breakdown and a detailed synopsis or they will not be considered. Please all include the genre of the play, a brief bio, and contact information. Scripts must be original, unpublished works. One act plays will be considered as well as full length ones. The theater is not accepting musicals. No hard copy paper manuscripts will be accepted. Plays with smaller casts and simple sets are preferable, but other plays will be considered as well.

To submit, please send a digital copy of your script to NewPlaywrightSeries@gmail.com.

The goal of the Villagers New Playwrights Series is to provide playwrights with an opportunity to glimpse the performance potential of their works in progress. Additional goals are to provide alternative performance opportunities for our local actors and directors and to expose our local

audiences to new works. All submissions will be considered for their potential to fulfill these goals.

Due to the fact that Villagers programs are supported, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council of the Arts/ Department of State (a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and administered by the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission through the State/County Partnership Local Arts Program), preference will be given to New Jersey resident playwrights.

'Coffee House' Variety Show at Edison Valley Playhouse

This Saturday, Edison Valley Playhouse will present the latest installment of their "Coffee House" variety show.

The show will feature the original sketch comedy "The Pavlovian Dog Show" with Mike Patierno, Claudio Venancio, and Ryan Correll, and Zachary McCullough; standup comedian Carolina Hidalgo; musical performances from the rock band Waking Rust, and Dawn Gaylardo, Ben Simons, Claudio Venancio, and Kara Wilson, accompanied on piano by Joe Sherbin; and special performances by one-man sideshow Thom Tracey.

The show will run from 8 to around 9:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. It is requested that tickets are purchased with cash. All proceeds will go to Edison Valley Playhouse.

To reserve tickets, call (908)755-4654. If there is a problem with your reservation, you will be notified. Edison Valley Playhouse is located at 2196 Oak Tree Road, Edison.

'To Kill a Mockingbird' at Fearless Productions

Fearless Productions will be presenting Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird."

The show will perform at the Union County Performing Arts Center's Hamilton Stage, 360 Hamilton St., Rahway. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays, Sept. 19-Oct. 5.

Tickets cost $25 and are available online, They also can be purchased by calling (732) 499-8226.

The show is directed by Steve Lemenille and produced by Jessica Forest.

Casting Call: 'A Man For All Seasons'

Pinnworth Productions of Kelsey Theater will hold auditions for "A Man for All Seasons" later this month.

King Henry VIII wishes to divorce his aging wife so that he can marry his mistress and produce a male heir to the throne, a proposition supported by everyone except the highly devout Sir Thomas More. When Cardinal Wolsey, chancellor of England, names More as his successor, it becomes crucial for Henry to get More's support, but More will not be swayed. Henry demands the clergy to renounce the Pope and to name him head of the Church of England. Based on a true story.

Parts in this show include Thomas More, aged 40-60; Alice More, aged 38-55; the common man, aged 30-60; Richard Rich, aged 35-60; the Duke of Norfolk, aged 40-60; Thomas Cromwell, aged 40-65;Cardinal Wolsey, aged 40-70; Chapuys, aged 35-60; King Henry VIII, aged 28-40; William Roper, aged 20-30; and Margaret Roper, aged 17-36.

Auditionees should prepare a monologue. Auditions will take place Sept. 22 and 23. If needed, callbacks will take place Sept. 24. The show will be directed by Lou Stalsworth.

To make an appointment, or for more information, contact stalsworth@usa.net or call (609)259-2683. Kelsey Theater is on the Mercer County Community College campus at 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor.

Casting Call: 'Speed-the-Plow'

Cranford Dramatic Club will hold auditions for "Speed-the-Plow," a satirical dissection of the Hollywood movie business.

The show focuses on two high-powered Hollywood executives, Bobby Gould and Charlie Fox, who have come up from the mail-room together. Charlie brings Bobby a surefire hit with a major star attached. Bobby has been reading an apocalyptic-ally spiritual novel that has deep “meaning,” but Charlie points out that this book would never make a great movie. Bobby seems certain to give the green light to Fox's project. Enter Karen, Gould's temporary office assistant. While Karen is out of the office, Charlie bets Bobby that he cannot get her to sleep with him. When she returns, Bobby asks her to read the novel and give him her thoughts later. That night, at Bobby’s home, she makes an impassioned case for filming the novel, saying that it’s Bobby’s chance to “do good.” They sleep together. The next day, Bobby tells Charlie he is green-lighting the novel instead of the movie Charlie suggested.

Auditions will take place at 7 p.m. November 2 and 4, with callbacks taking place November 5. Auditionees should arrive within the first hour of auditions.

Bobby Gould	A Hollywood movie producer. Jaded, devoid of idealism, ambitious, self-centered. He has earned his position by honoring the principle that a film is good only if it makes money. He has just been given the power to green-light any movie so long as its budget is under ten million dollars.
Karen	A young temporary secretary with a ravenous, but unspoken, desire to succeed by making a difference. A true idealist, full of youthful zeal and earnestness. She wants to transform Gould from just another sleazy film guy into a sleazy film guy with a purpose.

Performances will occur at at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays Feb. 6-21 and at 2 p.m. Feb. 15.

Audition sides can be found here, here, and here. Cranford Dramatic Club is located at 78 Winans Avenue, Cranford.

Casting Call: Teen A Capella Ensemble

Cranford Dramatic Club will hold auditions for its first "Teen A Capella Ensemble," a "Glee"-style vocal chorus for teenagers, at the end of this month.

With custom-made vocal arrangements of popular songs, the ensemble is open to up to 18 adolescents in grades 9-12. Some of the songs will have piano accompaniment, and others will be a capella. Auditions will take place at 11 a.m. Sept. 27 and at 4 p.m. Sept. 30. Once auditionees have been accepted, there will be a $225 participation fee.

The ensemble will meet on Tuesday afternoons from October to January. There will be a concert Jan. 16.

The chorus will be directed by Jack Bender, and choreographed by Megan Ferentinos. Cranford Dramatic Club is located at 78 Winans Avenue, Cranford.

"Sweeney Todd" at Cranford Dramatic Club

Have a bloody good time watching Steven Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd" next month.

A rare instance of a musical thriller, this chilling, suspenseful, heart-pounding masterpiece of murderous barberism and culinary crime tells the infamous tale of the unjustly exiled barber who returns to 19th century London seeking revenge against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. His thirst for blood soon expands to include his unfortunate customers, and the resourceful proprietress of the pie shop downstairs soon has the people of London lining up in droves with her mysterious new meat pie recipe.

The cast features Alex Oleksij as Sweeney Todd, Melissa Timpson as Mrs. Lovett, Frank Guerriero as Anthony, Walter Zimmerman as Judge Turpin, Zach Mazouat as Tobias, Jay Winston as Beadle, Laura DiSantis, Jeff Fiorello as Pirelli, Kate Pfuhler as Johanna; and Will Carey, Patrick Field, Edgar Rivera, Keith Slusser, Christopher Abbott, Judi Laganga, Lauren Hunter, Andrea Thibodeau, Megan McGrath and Raven Dunbar as members of the ensemble.

The show will run at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays Oct. 17-Nov. 1 and at 2 p.m. Oct. 26. Tickets cost $23 for minors and senior citizens and $25 for those not included in those categories.

To purchase tickets, visit brownpapertickets.com. Cranford Dramatic Club is located at 78 Winans Avenue, Cranford.