Announcing: ambitious and amazing season!

 

The Grand Marais Playhouse announces its 2012 season—six productions and some very special events.

The Playhouse will present a classic drama, murder mystery dinner theater, a restoration comedy, two musicals and a hilarious modern comedy.

In an effort to attract more participants, the Playhouse will cast plays in the winter months and rehearse over a longer, more relaxed period of time with less time required in the theater during the warm, sunny summer evenings. Summer performers will also receive a small stipend to assist in covering the costs of participation. More information will be available at play auditions or by contacting the Playhouse office.

The season’s first auditions are right around the corner!

Auditions will be Tuesday, December 20, beginning at 5 p.m. at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts. This is not a typo, not a mistake! The 2012 Grand Marais Playhouse season will begin in 2011 with auditions for the summer comedy. The rationale behind the early auditions is to include local returning college actors as well as community actors and to get a good head start on costumes.

 

The play will be The Beaux’ Stratagem adapted by Thornton Wilder and Ken Ludwig from the play by George Farquhar. The play tells the story of two young men, Aimwell and Archer, who, having spent all of their money by living too well, leave London in search of love and fortune. Trying to find a wealthy heiress for at least one of them, the men pose as master and servant—exchanging roles from one town to the next. Their antics introduce them to the lovely and wealthy Dorinda; her equally desirable sister-in-law, Mrs. Kate Sullen; Kate’s drunken husband; a saucy innkeeper’s daughter; Dorinda’s mother, Lady Bountiful, and a band of brigands to really mix things up.

This is a play in the great tradition of Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer and Sheridan’s The Rivals and The School for Scandal. It is classic, formal, robust and hilarious.

The cast requires eight men and five women with some doubling of roles possible. Parts will be determined and measurements taken and then the rehearsals will not begin until June. Actors will have lines memorized by the first rehearsal in June and costumes will be found or built throughout the winter and spring. This production will perform in repertory July 19 – Aug. 12, 2012.

Murder, a musical and more

This coming June, the Grand Marais Playhouse would like to host a murder mystery dinner theater. Auditions will be January 17 at 7 p.m. and a play will be determined following. The cast will determine rehearsals and performances will be at the Harbor Light Supper Club, Thurs. – Sun. June 28 – July 8.

On January 19 at 7 p.m. the Playhouse will hold auditions for community vocalists and musicians interested in performing in a summer musical. The musical will be determined following. Rehearsals will begin in the winter and performance will be July 19 – Aug. 12 in repertory with The Beaux’ Stratagem.

The high school/community play will be Little Women, adapted by Kristin Laurence from the book by Louisa May Alcott. This production will be studentdirected by Maria Nickolay. The cast requires nine women and is open to high schoolers and adults.

Little Women follows the beloved Meg, Jo, Amy and Beth as they go through the many trials and tribulations that have made this story a classic.

Auditions will be Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. Rehearsal will be Sunday – Thursday 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Performances are Thurs. – Sun. April 19 – 29.

The play for late summer will be The Kitchen Witches by Caroline Smith. The cast is two women and two men (one is a stagehand/slash cameraman who has no lines.)

In this play, Isobel Lomax and Dolly Biddle are two “mature” cable-access cooking show hostesses who have hated each other for 30 years, ever since Larry Biddle dated one and married the other. When circumstances put them together on a TV show called The Kitchen Witches, the insults are flung harder than the food! Dolly’s long-suffering TV-producer son Stephen tries to keep them on track, but it’s a losing battle, and the show becomes a rating smash as Dolly and Isobel top both Martha Stewart and Jerry Springer!

The Kitchen Witches was the winner of the 2005 Samuel French Canadian Play Contest.

Auditions will be May 10 at 7 p.m. Performances will be Thurs. – Sun. August 23 – Sept. 2.

The 2012 season closes with another entertaining youth/community musical Doo-Wop Wed Widing Hood by Charlie Lovett with music and lyrics by Bill Francoeur.

The play is set in the 1950s – hula-hoops are in high demand, and so is Little Red Riding Hood! There are princes, a fairy godmother, an evil queen, of course the big bad wolf, and lots more, complete with a sockhopping 50s score. The play is guaranteed to end in happily ever after laughter for audience and performers.

More special events are in the works so keep checking www.grandmaraisplayhouse.com or “friend” us on facebook to have the latest information. Playhouse members will receive updates by e-mail.

Season passes for the entire season or four summer shows available through the Playhouse office: (218)387-1284 or playhouse@boreal.org.

Grand Marais Playhouse Artistic Director Sue Hennessy provides this behind-the-scenes look at Grand Marais Playhouse activities.

2012 Special Events

The Grand Marais Playhouse will be presenting the following events in collaboration with Cook County Community Education and the North Shore Music Association:

Photo courtesy of Grand Marais Playhouse

Rogues wanted! The Grand Marais Playhouse needs several men for its next production The Beaux’ Stratagem. The two leading characters—Aimwell and Archer—appear to be up to no good on the cover of the script for the play. Auditions for this classic, but hilarious play, are Tuesday, December 29.