Theater auditions Saturday at OC

The Oberlin Summer Theater Festival will hold auditions for the 2010 summer season: Thornton Wilder's "Our Town"; Madeleine L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time," adapted and directed by Alexis Macnab; and, Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing," directed by OSTF's producing artistic director Paul Moser.

OSTF has an ongoing core acting ensemble. The directors are now looking for additional experienced actors, both equity and non-equity, to fill out the company.

Depending upon casting, individual actors will appear in one or two of the productions. Of special interest are African-American actors to play roles in the interracial production of "Our Town," potentially including the stage manager, the Gibbs family and Simon Stimson (must play the piano). Also, mature men are needed for various roles in "Much Ado."

The directors are not auditioning actors younger than 21 at this time.

This is an eight-week commitment. Rehearsals begin June 1 and performances run in rotating repertory from July 2 through July 31 at Hall Auditorium.

With three shows in production simultaneously, rehearsals will follow a varied schedule including both afternoon and evening times, Tuesdays through Sundays. All OSTF actors are paid for their work. Last summer, AEA members performed (non-rep) under Special Appearance Agreement, level 2.

Auditions will be held Saturday, Feb. 27, 1-5 p.m. at Warner Center - Studio 2, Professor Street. Call Janice Sanborn at 775- 8152 to make an appointment.

Actors are asked to present up to two audition pieces not to exceed five minutes total - one realistic contemporary, and - optional - one Shakespeare (verse, not prose). Actors may also be asked to read from one of the scripts. They should be ready to provide a current picture and acting resume which includes training and special skills such as musical ability, or stage combat.

OSTF is a not-for-profit summer theater company operating under the auspices of Oberlin College. Its mission is to present free professional productions of meaningful theater classics that are accessible to the entire community. The festival acting ensemble consists of a combination of equity actors, local non-equity players, and interns (mostly recent graduates of Oberlin College's theater program).