Wheaton Drama

The production team of Production Manager Elyse Willis and Director Randall W. Knott is pleased to announce the cast of “Sense and Sensibility,” opening Nov. 17. We had many, many outstanding candidates audition, making decisions very difficult, and we thank each and every one of you for your time honoring us with your audition.

We further wish to thank “hired readers” Annie Walker-Bright, Ken Kaden, and Rob Reinalda for doing such excellent work with all our candidates. Thanks also to Kate McIlvain, Steve Schroeder, and Mike Boyna for serving as audition hosts in our lobby, and being ambassadors for Wheaton Drama.

Whew. Without further ado, we are pleased to announce the following cast:

Elinor Dashwood = Elizabeth Thompson;
Marianne Dashwood = Mary McCormack;
Mrs. Jennings = Annie Walker-Bright;
Colonel Brandon = Aaron Hoge;
Edward Ferrars = Alex Small;
Mrs. Henry Dashwood = Meg McGarry;
Willoughby = Eric Traphagen;
Lucy Steele = Lynda Wellhausen;
Mr. John Dashwood = Jake Seelye;
Mrs. John (Fanny) Dashwood = Sarah Atkinson;
Sir John Middleton (and others) = Stan Austin;
Lady Middleton (and others) = Jean Austin;
Robert Ferrars (and others) = Jake Murphy;

Director Mike Boyna will hold early auditions for Wheaton Drama’s production of A Piece of My Heart on Nov. 8-11, 2017. Location and time(s) TBD. These early auditions are for the part of Mary Jo only.

A Piece of My Heart is a powerful true drama about three nurses, a Red Cross volunteer, a USO entertainer, and an Army intelligence officer who bare their souls and share their experiences before, during and after their service in Vietnam. Mary Jo (stage age: 20s-40s) is the USO entertainer, who plays guitar and sings sections of a group of songs featured in the production.

Because the music must be memorized for performance, casting Mary Jo early will allow additional time for the actor to learn the music and vocals before rehearsals begin in January. Those auditioning for Mary Jo should demonstrate their guitar and vocal abilities by preparing one verse and chorus from two different early ’70s songs of any genre.

Actors will also be provided one of Mary Jo’s monologues to present; memorization is not mandatory, but it would be helpful to both the actor and the director.

Regular auditions: Sun., Jan. 7, 2018; callbacks: Tuesday, Jan. 9. Mary Jo will be asked to attend callbacks to read her part with other actors. Readthrough will be Thursday, Jan. 11.

Rehearsals: 3-4x per week, except for weeks of Feb. 11 and Feb. 18 (no rehearsals; actors time to get off script and do background reading). Tech Week (mandatory attendance): Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, March 18, 19 & 21 (off day Tuesday, March 20)
Preview performance Thursday March 22.
Performances: March 23 – April 15. Thursday-Saturday performances at 8 p.m.; Sunday performances at 3 p.m. (No show on Easter Sunday, April 1.)

If you would like to make a November appointment to audition for Mary Jo, please contact Director Mike Boyna at: Wdiheart2017@gmail.com. There is some flexibility in these early audition dates; please advise if you would like to audition but cannot make Nov 8-11. Copies of the script are available upon request.

NOTE: A separate audition announcement will be sent out for the January auditions.

STUDENTS “ACTING IT UP” AT WHEATON DRAMA

Classes for Grades 1-8;

Our late-fall session runs Oct. 24 through Dec 12.

(No classes Oct. 31 and Nov. 21; makeup date, if needed, will be Dec. 19)

NOTE: These dates differ from what appears on our printed brochures.

This six-week workshop is designed to strengthen acting “muscles.” Through acting games and exercises, students will work each week on a different aspect of acting technique including: movement, voice, characterization and pantomime. Teamwork, focus and listening are added benefits that youngsters can derive from this workshop.

To apply the skills they’ve learned, students will also rehearse a short 15-minute skit to be performed at the end of the final class.

New sessions will be posted throughout the year as registration opens (roughly a month before the class starts).

All sessions will be on Tuesday afternoons at these times:

Grades 1–4: 4 p.m. to 4:55 p.m.
Grades 5–8: 5 p.m. to 5:55 p.m.

Tuition: $100 per session per child

Note: Classes are subject to change based on enrollment. Registration for each class will be open one month before the class begins. If there are not enough students enrolled in any given session, the class may be canceled. Notification of a canceled class will be sent out one week prior to the start of class; all money will be refunded.

Staff: Cindy Bolds is excited to join us again this year as our after-school instructor. Cindy is a longtime WDI member who taught most of the after-school classes last year. She is a certified teacher’s aide.

All instructors undergo an extensive background check.

For more information, please contact Elyse Willis at wdieducation@wheatondrama.org, or call 630.260.1820 and leave a message about registration.

Coming off a triumphant opening weekend, “Fiddler on the Roof” is selling out its Sunday matinees and filling up houses for its evening performances. (HINT: Get your tickets now.)

Don’t miss this compelling classic musical about societal change and generational differences set in 190s rural Russia — but supremely relevant in 2017 America.

(Video by Ben Dooley)

Director Randall W. Knott is adding a third evening of auditions, Tuesday, Sept. 19, for “Sense and Sensibility,” running Nov. 17 through Dec. 10.

Knott says: “We are expanding auditions to accommodate additional younger men for several outstanding dramatic/romantic roles. Women who have not yet signed up and who wish to reserve a slot will be put on a waiting list and will be added as space opens. All waiting list participants will be given all audition materials to familiarize themselves with audition scenes.”

Please email sensewdi2017@gmail.com by Sept. 15 to request an audition appointment.

Character descriptions and other information can be found at http://www.wheatondrama.org/news-auditions/.