Archive for the ‘Shows’ Category

Merry Mad Mid-Mod Cast Announced

Tuesday, August 6th, 2019

Wheaton Drama is thrilled to announce the cast for its December holiday show, “Merry Mad Mid-Mod”. Thanks to all who auditioned!

Garrett Ard
Erin Creighton
Lisa Dawn Curran
Andy Dameron
Ben Dooley
Don Gingold
Mackenzie Grattan
Craig Gustafson
Mary Hefferman
Rod Kelly
Steven Krage
Jim Martin
Heather Miller
Julie Rodgers-Baker
Katy Smith
SarahAnn Sutter
Pam Turlow
Claire Yearman

The production will run December 13th through 15th. Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 PM, Sunday matinee at 3:00 PM. Tickets are available on the Wheaton Drama website: www.wheatondrama.org

Adult Theatre Workshop Weekend @ Wheaton Drama

Tuesday, August 6th, 2019

Love theatre but don’t have time to do a full show? Never been on stage and want to give it a try for the first time? Always wanted to try your hand at the technical side of theatre but were too nervous you wouldn’t know what you were doing? New to the area and have no idea what Wheaton Drama is all about? Well we have the perfect answer to all these questions and more! 

Join us for our second annual Adult Theatre Workshop Weekend. Participants can choose between:

  • Acting – including instruction in a bit of acting, singing and dancing, or
  • Technical Theatre – including stage managing, lights, sound, props and costumes.

We have fantastic instructors in each discipline here to help guide you on your journey throughout the weekend.

Our workshop weekend is:

Saturday, October 19, from 9AM – 4PM (with a break from 12 – 1 for lunch),

Sunday, October 20, from 1PM – 4:30PM

Monday, October 21, Dress Rehearsal at 7:30pm, and we would showcase our mini performance on

Tuesday, October 22, at 7PM at the monthly membership meeting. 

The cost of this workshop is $20, which covers the cost of a special workshop shirt and a small stipend to our teachers. 

Registration is open online at www.wheatondrama.org from August 5 – October 13. There are only 15 spots available for acting and 10 spots available for tech, so make sure to sign up TODAY. You do not want to miss out on this amazing new experience at WDI this fall. 

Cast of Addams Family Announced

Wednesday, July 24th, 2019

Wheaton Drama is proud to announce the cast for their upcoming production of Addams Family – A New Musical. The cast of this funny, explosive, and upbeat musical includes:

Gomez – Mike Placzek

Morticia – Tracy Kay

Wednesday – Julia Roskopf

Pugsley  – Ali Martin

Fester – Glenn Leslie

Grandmama – Katy Smith

Lurch – Stuart Vance

Mal Bienke – Jim Martin

Alice Bienke – Kate Loeffler

Lucas Bienke – Mitch Karmis

Addams Ancestors

Salem Elizabeth

Jackson Gabel

Gretchen Gannon

Ed Garzaro

Taylor Gottsman

Drew Hartzell

Yvette Herczeg

Andy Kanturek

Renee Kosiarek

Elise Lech

Jessica Pouranfar

Geoffery Rommel

Riley Tomes

Lauren Werkmeister

Lauren Wood

The Addams Family is directed by Dan Hitzemann, assistant directed by Leah Rae Witt, musical direction by Amy Brockman, Choreography by Kate McIlvain, with production management by Pat Daly. Performances are Sept 13th – Oct 16th, and more information and tickets can be found at
http://www.wheatondrama.org/show/the-addams-family/

Auditions for “Merry Mad Mid-Mod” Set for August 4th

Monday, July 8th, 2019

Wheaton Drama proudly announces auditions for their original holiday revue, “Merry Mad Mid-Mod”,  a retro holiday spectacular in the vein of the old Dean Martin and Andy Williams holiday specials from the 60s. Auditions are being held in August so the creative team will have plenty of time to tailor the content to the performers cast. The show will be comprised of vintage holiday songs, wacky comedy skits, and assorted surprises.
Auditions will take place on Sunday, August 4th from 7 to 10 PM at Wheaton Drama, 111 Hale Street, Wheaton, IL. Performances run December 13 through December 15th, 2019, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 PM, Sunday at 3 PM. Production week will run Sunday, December 8th through Thursday, December 12th. Rehearsals will be on a flexible, intermittent schedule from August through December, with the majority being held late November through production week.
Director Pam Turlow is looking to cast between 12 – 16 adult performers, ages 21+, for the production. Actors of all ethnicities are encouraged to audition. Those auditioning are asked to prepare a 16-32 bar retro holiday song. Please bring sheet music in your key. An accompanist will be provided.
To secure an audition slot, please email pamagogogo@aol.com. An audition time will en assigned and an audition form and further materials will be sent to you.

Auditions for “Addams Family, the Musical” set for July 21-22

Tuesday, June 25th, 2019

Wheaton Drama proudly announces auditions for “Addams Family, the Musical” on Sunday July 21 and Monday July 22.  Callbacks will be scheduled for Tuesday July 23 if needed. The show is directed by Dan Hitzemann, Musical director is Amy Brockman and Choreographer is Kate McIlvain. The show will run Friday-Sunday, September 13 – October 6, with TWO shows on Saturdays (2p and 7:30p). There are no Thursday performances.

Auditions on Sunday July 21 will begin at 2PM.  Auditions on Monday July 22 will begin at 7PM.

We ask you that you sign up for auditions at  WDIAddams@gmail.com.  You can request which day you would prefer, but we will assign the times on a first come, first serve basis.  Each day will have three one-hour blocks to which you will be assigned. These blocks will rotate between singing, dancing and some cold readings.

Please complete the audition form found here and return to WDIAddams@gmail.com with your preferred audition date.  Something will get back to you with a confirmation of your time and any further information.

Audition Requirements

Please prepare 32 bars of a song, not from this musical but in the style of the show.  You must provide your own sheet music. An accompanist will be provided. You will also be asked to learn a simple dance combination, so please dress to move.  Cold readings will be provided, and you will have an opportunity to read for any desired role as well as at the director’s discretion. All roles are available. 

This is a non-Equity production; there is no pay.

DANCE WORKSHOP

A dance workshop will be provided for those who would like to shake off the rust or just get a sense of the steps that will be used for the audition.  This is NOT MANDATORY but provided for those who want to learn a step or two.

This will be held Sunday July 14th at 2PM at WDI.  Please come in comfortable clothing and shoes.  

Show Description

This is the Addams family, based on the Addams cartoons with nods to the 60’s TV show and the 90’s movies. The Addams children have grown, and Wednesday has fallen in love with a very normal boy.  Chaos ensures as the Addams roll out the red carpet for the boy’s family and secrets, potions and love help to win the day.

We are presenting this in a 30’s style “spotlight” show, with plenty of surprises and involvement for our ancestor chorus.

Character Breakdown

Please note, age ranges are ages of the characters, not necessarily the actors portraying them with the exception of Wednesday who must be 18 or older.

Gomez Addams –  Aged 35-55

Husband to Morticia, if indeed they are married at all… a crafty schemer, but also a jolly man in his own way… though sometimes misguided… sentimental and often puckish – optimistic, he is in full enthusiasm for his dreadful plots… is sometimes seen in a rather formal dressing gown… the only one who smokes.

Morticia Addams – Aged 30-55

The real head of the family… low-voiced, incisive and subtle, smiles are rare… ruined beauty… contemptuous and original and with fierce family loyalty… even in disposition, muted, witty, sometimes deadly… given to low-keyed rhapsodies about her garden of deadly nightshade, henbane and dwarf’s hair…” 


Wednesday Addams – Aged 19-25

Child of woe is wan and delicate…sensitive and on the quiet side, she loves the picnics and outings to the underground caverns…loves the color black…a solemn child, prim in dress and, on the whole, pretty lost…secretive and imaginative, poetic, seems underprivileged and given to occasional tantrums…has six toes on one foot…” 

Pugsley Addams – Aged 13-17

An energetic monster of a boy… blond red hair, popped blue eyes and a dedicated troublemaker, in other words the kid next door… genius in his own way, he makes toy guillotines, full-size racks, threatens to poison his sister, can turn himself into a Mr. Hyde with an ordinary chemical set… his voice is hoarse… is sometimes allowed an occasional cigar” 

Uncle Fester  – Aged ?

Uncle Fester is incorrigible and, except for the good nature of the family and the ignorance of the police, would ordinarily be under lock and key… the eyes are pig-like and deeply embedded… he likes to fish, but usually employs dynamite… he keeps falcons on the roof which he uses for hunting… his one costume, summer and winter, is a black great coat with an enormous collar… he is fat with pudgy little hands and feet.” 

Lurch – Aged ?

” This towering mute has been shambling around the house forever… He is not a very good butler but a faithful one… One eye is opaque, the scanty hair is damply clinging to his narrow flat head… generally the family regards him as something of a joke.” 

Grandmama – Aged ?

This disrespectful old hag is the mother of Gomez… she willingly helps with the dishes, cheats at solitaire and is roughly dishonest… the complexion is dark, the hair is white and frizzy and uncombed… she has a light beard and a large mole… foolishly good-natured… fumbling, weak character… is easily fooled.” 

Mel Bienkie – Aged 35-65

A midwestern conservative businessman.  Has done well for himself, but has spent too much time at the office to understand his wife or his son.  Would rather be anywhere else.

Alice Bienkie – Aged 35-65 

Mid-western housewife and Mom.  She has been waiting for something to come along to shake up her humdrum existence.  

Lukas Bienkie – Aged 19-25

College student who desperately doesn’t want to be his Dad.  Very in love with Wednesday as she represents all the adventure he is missing and is unsure of in his life.

Addams Ancestors – Chorus

15 Chorus members

Some of the chorus will be youth from 12-18 and the rest will be adults 18+.  Numbers may vary.

The Chorus will be made up of various characters from throughout Addams history.  The actors will also be used as scenery, puppeteers and extra dancers for various scenes.  We are looking for creative singers, dancers and actors who are willing to create these various characters (cavemen, soldiers, flappers, nurses, farmers, lords and ladies, etc…) and also play a variety of roles on the stage from statue to lamp.

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