Seeking Directors at Cranford Dramatic Club

Cranford Dramatic Club is seeking directors for its 2016-17 season.

The theater's season will run September through June, and seasons typically consist of two musicals, a play and a children's show.

Those interested in directing at the theater should submit no more than three shows, each with a synopsis, along with their resumé, a statement of their interest in the shows, and why they wish to direct at the theater. The submission deadline is September 1.

Those whose suggestions the theater is interested in will hear from them around October 1. The submission form is available as both a PDF and a Word document.

To submit forms and other materials, or for more information, contact either joanneges@comcast.net or lizhoward20@yahoo.com. Cranford Dramatic Club is located at 78 Winans Avenue, Cranford.

Casting Call: 'Violet'

Kelsey Theater's Pennington Players will hold auditions for "Violet" later this month.

As a girl, Violet was struck by a wayward ax blade when her father was chopping wood, leaving her with a visible scar across her face. With enough money finally saved she's traveling across the 1964 Deep South towards a miracle, the healing touch of a TV evangelist that will make her beautiful. Though she may not succeed in having the scar on her face healed, Violet is able to repair those that are lying deeper than her skin; and on the way she meets a young African-American soldier whose love for her reaches far past her physical "imperfections".

Auditionees should prepare a complete song from musical theater with sheet music in the correct key. An accompanist will be provided. No dancing will be required at the initial audition. Generally actors 16 or older will be considered for the parts, although a younger actor will be needed to play Young Vi.

Preliminary auditions will be held from 7-10 p.m. August 19 and from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. August 22. Callbacks, if necessary, will be held tentatively August 26 and/or 29. Appointments are strongly recommended.

Violet (mezzo soprano with very strong high belt)	The protagonist. Carries a scar from a childhood injury; the degree of her deformity is uncertain to us but is certainly drastic to her. She is 25 years old, but a life of worry has left her looking older and wearier. Cynical but not yet bitter, reserved but not yet withdrawn, Violet is an observer and a chronicler. She hasn't yet given up the hope that she might get to participate in the world at some point, but her hope is flickering. An outstanding singer and actor with wide vocal range and considerable physical and vocal stamina is needed, as Violet does not leave the stage for the run time of the show. The actor playing this role needs a North Carolina Southern accent.
Grady "Flick" Fliggins (tenor)	An African-American U.S. Army Sergeant in his late 20s. He is black man traveling through the American South in the early 1960s, with all that implies about his life and experiences. Flick is stable, direct, easy-going, and perceptive. He has a "seize the day" philosophy that he only sometimes actually puts into practice. Dynamic singer needed.
Monty Harrill (baritone)	A white Army paratrooper in his early 20s, Monty is brash, arrogant, impulsive, immature, and loud, but an essentially good and decent person, which makes the overall package charming rather than repellent. A charismatic and energetic performer with a strong high baritone sound is needed for this role.
Young Vi (belter)	Violet as she was at age 13, forever frozen in time at the moment of her injury. She is inquisitive and aggressive, and utterly unintimidated by anything or anyone.
Father (baritone)	Violet's father, a widower in his late 30s. He is a plain man who achieved and then lost his plain dreams, leaving him constantly a little sad and a little anxious. He is uneducated but not ignorant, and strongly convinced of the value of education.
Female Ensemble Member 1 (mezzo-soprano)	Among others, plays the old lady and a hotel singer. As the old lady, plays a woman in her sixties who serves as a sort of guardian angel and Greek chorus for Violet as she travels, sharp-witted and quintessentially Southern. Also plays a much younger dissolute hotel singer of questionable virtue. A very versatile performer with a wide vocal range who can hold harmony is needed for this role.
Female Ensemble Member 2 (mezzo-soprano)	Among others, plays Mabel and a music hall singer. Needs a powerful voice for a lengthy Gospel solo, as well as a second jazz solo.
Male Ensemble Member 1 (bass-baritone)	Among others, plays the preacher, bus driver, and radio singer. As the preacher, he is slick and cynical but not without true faith, a man in his late 30s or beyond.
Male Ensemble Member 2 (tenor)	Among others, plays the radio soloist, Leroy Evans, a waiter, and Earl. As the radio soloist, is a country singer with a gentle sound.
Male Ensemble Member 3 (male, baritone)	Among others, plays Virgil, a radio singer, and a bus driver. Virgil is the Preacher's neurotic and overwhelmed stage manager, in his mid-to-late 20s or early 30s.
Female Ensemble Member 3 (soprano)	Among other roles, plays the landlady, an African-American woman in her 30s or 40s, jaded and sharp; and a gospel soloist.

Rehearsals are projected to commence in early September and occur three to four times per week until the show opens. The show will run at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays Nov. 6-15.

To make an audition appointment, click here or call (609)737-7529. Auditions will take place in the Communications building next to Kelsey Theater. Both are located on the Mercer County Community College campus at 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor.

Casting Call: 'Rumors'

Yardley Players will hold auditions by appointment only at Kelsey Theater for "Rumors" by Neil Simon in about a month.

At a large, tastefully appointed Sneden's Landing townhouse, the Deputy Mayor of New York has just shot himself. Though only a flesh wound, four couples are about to experience a severe attack of Farce. Gathering for their tenth wedding anniversary, the host lies bleeding in the other room and his wife is nowhere in sight. His lawyer, Ken and wife Chris must get "the story" straight before the other guests arrive. As the confusions and miscommunications mount, the evening spins off into classic farcical hilarity.

Auditionees should prepare a one-minute comedic monologue. Those auditioning for Lenny will read his monologue. There will be cold readings from the script. Appointments are required.

Ken Gorman (mid-30s-60)	A well-to-do lawyer. Wealthy, but by no means pretentious. Takes charge of the situation. Married to Chris. Halfway through the show, a gunshot causes his temporary deafness.
Chris Gorman (mid-30s-60)	Another lawyer, married to Ken. Beautiful, easily flustered. Frantically tries to maintain normalcy at the party. Has recently quit smoking, which drives her to drink a bit more.
Lenny Ganz (Late 30s-60)	A wealthy accountant, distraught over the recent destruction over his new car. Starts the show with an extreme case of whiplash. Intolerant of the gossipy-lifestyle that he is often involved in.
Claire Ganz (Late 30s-60)	Lenny's wife. Very concerned with appearances (hers and others'). Starts the play with a swollen lip. Likes to gossip.
Ernie Cusack (30-60+)	a psychiatrist. Affable, smokes a pipe. Loves his wife very much. Tries to be as helpful as possible cooking the evening's dinner.
Cookie Cusack (30-60)	Has her own cooking show. Suffers from extreme back spasms. Loves her husband very much. A bit absent-minded at times.
Glenn Cooper (30-60+)	A handsome man running for State Senate. Worried about his own reputation. Struggles with placating his wife, who is convinced he is having an affair, which may or may not be true.
Cassie Cooper (30-50)	Glenn's beautiful wife. Obsesses over her husband's relationships with other women. Quick to anger. Must rub her quartz crystal to calm herself down.
Officer Welch (male, 30-60+)	A city police officer having a rough night. Does not tolerate lying. Sees through the "classy" façade that these high-society types put up.
Officer Pudney (female, 30-60+)	Welch's partner. A strong but silent type.

Auditions will occur from 1-4 p.m. August 22 and 23 at the CM building adjacent to Kelsey Theater. Rehearsals are planned to be at 7 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays and at 1 p.m. Sundays. The show will run at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays October 23-November 1.

To make an appointment, call (215)945-4114. Kelsey Theater is located on the Mercer County Community College campus at 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor.

Summer Program Registration at Cranford Dramatic Club

Looking for something for the kids to do as summer comes to an end? Apply for "Future Stars" at the Cranford Dramatic Club.

The program will run 1-4 p.m. August 10-14. The program is targeted at children aged 7-12.

The program costs $250 for one child and $200 for each additional child. This price includes two tickets to the Friday Showcase. To view the registration form, click here. The deadline for reservations is July 31. To make a reservation, return the form and payment to PO Box 511, Cranford, NJ. 07016.
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For more information, contact info@cdctheatre.org. The theater is located at 78 Winans Avenue, Cranford.

'Glengarry Glen Ross' All Female Reading at Circle Players

Circle Players will hold an all female reading of "Glengarry Glen Ross."


No reservations are required. Admission is $5 at the door. The reading will take place at 8 p.m. on June 28. Latecomers will not be seated.

Winner of the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, "Glengarry Glen Ross" is perhaps the most commonly done play of David Mamet's, with two runs on Broadway and a film adaptation. The show follows small-time, cutthroat real estate salesmen trying to grind out a living by pushing plots on reluctant buyers jn a never-ending scramble for their fair share of the American dream.

The reading will feature Cody Dalton as Levene, Alicia Harabin as Williamson, Faith Dowgin as Moss, Lisa Sudfield as Aaronow, Jessica Sherman as Roma, Kristen Umansky as Lingk, and Heidi Hart as Baylen.

'The Who's Tommy' at Villagers Theatre

A production of the rock musical "The Who's Tommy" will open this weekend at Villagers Theatre.

The show will be performed at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays, running from July 24 to August 9. Tickets are $16 and can be purchased here. Group rates are available.

After witnessing the accidental murder of his mother's lover by his father, Tommy is traumatized into catatonia, and as the boy grows, he suffers abuse at the hands of his sadistic relatives and neighbors. As an adolescent, he's discovered to have an uncanny knack for playing pinball, and when his mother finally breaks through his catatonia, he becomes an international pinball superstar.

This production is produced by Donna Kimberlin, directed by Corey Rubel, musically directed by David Neil and Francois Suhr, choreographed by Jillian Kimberlin, and stage managed by Jack Tomy, with assistant directors Emma Howard and Eddie Nograd, assistant music director Daniel Gittler, and assistant stage manager Shannon Olsen.

It stars Christian Confalone as Tommy Walker, Alana Rae Sackman as Mrs. Walker, Carlos Alcala as Captain Walker, Eric Bermudez as Cousin Kevin, Connor McKenna as Uncle Ernie and Specialist, Ben Michaele as Lover, Peter Toto as Hawker, Christina Buz as Harmonica Player, Sandy Buz as Gypsy, Ricky Francese, Christiana Alicante, and Kate Wolfel as Pinball Lads, Katherine Alcala as Sally Simpson, and Francesca Marina, Alex Mandalakis, Will Howitt, Lia Marin, Tyler Deleo, Catherine Circonciso, and Krystle Danza as the ensemble.

'Jesus Christ Superstar' at Plays-in-the-Park

Plays-in-the-Park presents Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Jesus Chris Superstar."

The show runs from July 29 to August 8, with no performance on August 2. Every performance will start at 8:30 p.m. The July 31 performance will feature an audio description, the August 3 performance will feature open captioning, and there will be sign language interpretation available August 5. The rain dates for each of these special performances is the day after the original date.

Tickets must be purchased the day of the performance at the theater. They are $7 for adults, $5 for seniors, and free for children 12 and under. Please bring your own seating, as it is an outdoor production.

It is directed by John Menter, choreographed by Samantha Hahn, musically directed by Mark Baron, and stage managed by Alan Van Antwerp and Myra Rivera, with a set by Mike D'Arcy, costumes by Carolyn McCaffrey, lighting by Roman Klima, sound design by Matt Boyle, and wigs and hair design by Nance Coffaro.

"Jesus Christ Superstar" stars Matt DeMarco as Jesus Christ, Timothy Walton as Judas Iscariot, Dana Simone as Mary Magdalene, Matt Burns as Pontius Pilate, Richard Colona as King Herod, Gregory Newton as Caiaphas, Frank Andrews as Annas, Israel Roman as Simon, and Greg Archer as Peter, with an ensemble featuring Richard Colona, Leo DaSilva, Travis Head, Julian Baro, Aaron Cafaro, Dylan Coker, Frank Guerriero, Evan Krug, Willy Mena, Matt Petrucelli, Samantha Cantaffa, Deanna Flanagan, Melissa Hunt, Beth Koperwhats, Jackie Neill, Susie Paplow, Taylor Patullo, Rebecca Phillips, Danielle Rudnick and Jessica Zimmerma,Tyler Barnick, and CJ Carter.]