Wheaton Drama

Director Mike Boyna has added a second night of auditions for Wheaton Drama’s production of A Piece of My Heart, a drama about the role of women in the Vietnam War.

Auditions will run from 7–10 p.m. on Sunday and Monday, Jan. 7-8, 2018. Callbacks are scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 9. Read-through will be Thursday, Jan. 11.

The director seeks exceptional actors: five women of diverse ethnicity, and one man who will play dozens of roles. Please see character breakdowns below. (Auditions for MaryJo have been held, and that role has been cast.) The director is especially looking for African-American and Amer-Asian actresses, for the roles of Steele and LeeAnn, respectively.

All auditions, rehearsals (unless otherwise specified) and performances will take place at Playhouse 111, located at 111 N. Hale St., Wheaton, IL.

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. In addition to telling their own stories, all actors also appear as characters in the other women’s stories.

Audition details: Auditions will begin at 7 p.m.; 15-minute auditions slots are by appointment only. The women will deliver selected monologues; the man will perform scene readings, both of which will be provided once audition appointments are set. Monologues and scenes do not have to be memorized, but it would be helpful to both the actors and the director.

Note: Don’t get hung up on the stage ages shown; Martha, Sissy, Whitney and LeeAnn are all about the same age; Steele has to play a bit older, and MaryJo a bit younger.

To schedule an audition appointment for Jan. 7, please contact director Mike Boyna at Wdiheart2017@gmail.com. Copies of the script are available upon request.

AVAILABLE ROLES:
Martha (22–42): Navy Nurse. Born in central Georgia. Strong, self-composed, aura of self-discipline, military bearing. Strong face, American, almost pioneer in feeling.
Sissy (20–40): Army Nurse. Born in Erie, Pennsylvania. Sweet, feminine, outgoing. Sense of fun. Also, a sense of harmony and warmth to her personality.
Whitney (21–41): Red Cross volunteer. Born in New England. Tall, slender, withdrawn, contained. Very aristocratic in bearing and quality. A Vassar graduate.
LeeAnn (20–40). Army Nurse. Born in New York. Great role for an Asian or Amerasian actress; she describes herself as half Italian and half Chinese. Attractive. Strong, tough, determined in nature. An urban, hip quality to her personality.
Steele (35–55). Intelligence Officer. Born in Jackson, Mississippi. Great role for an African-American actress. Extremely strong, military bearing. Very intelligent, outgoing, great sense of humor. A pragmatist.
All the American Men (18–60). ONE versatile actor plays a total of 28 parts: various military ranks; Gold Star father; talent agent; family member; TV announcer and much more. Physical and vocal flexibility are a plus.
NOTE: The actor playing Mary Jo (cast via November auditions) will attend callbacks to read with other actors.

SCHEDULING:
Rehearsals: 3-4x per week, except for weeks of Feb. 11 and Feb. 18 (no rehearsals; actors will have time to get off script and do background reading). All actors will not need to be at all rehearsals—until 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.)

Wheaton Drama is excited to announce next season’s shows and directors.

The season will open with the classic musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” a
story of maintaining traditions and transitions in an ever-changing
sociopolitical climate—a message as important today as when the show was
written. “Fiddler” will be directed by Carrie Dabelow, who has directed
productions for Steel Beam Theater, Riverside Theatre, and Woodstock
Musical Theatre Company, as well as in public schools in Illinois and
Minnesota.

Next on the schedule is an adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic romance
“Sense and Sensibility,” in which we follow the Dashwood sisters, Elinor
and Marianne, as they seek love and happiness in 1790s England. This
promises to be a show for families and Jane Austen aficionados alike and
will be directed by WDI veteran Randall W. Knott, who last directed “Play
It Again, Sam” and “Amadeus” for Wheaton Drama and “One Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest” at Woodstock Opera House.

Wheaton Drama will continue its tradition of holiday radio plays by
presenting that childhood classic “The Cinnamon Bear.” This old-time radio
show was first produced in 1937 and became popular nationwide, particularly
in Chicago when it was broadcast on WGN radio. It will be directed by Ben
Dooley, who has done numerous radio show reproductions with his own
company, Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear, and who directed the Christmas
classic “Miracle on 34^th Street” for Wheaton Drama.

Kicking off the new year, WDI will present a modern farce, “Sex in the
Title” by local playwright George Zahora. It concerns two playwrights whose
shows always have the word “sex” in the title, though their shows have
nothing to do with sex. This farce involves doors and windows—and lots of
people coming and going through them. It will be directed by Jay
Fontanetta, a newcomer to WDI who has directed extensively at North
Riverside Community Theatre, at Circle Theatre and in numerous area high
schools.

Following up in stark contrast, WDI will present a searing drama, “A Piece
of My Heart,” which tells of the role women played during the Vietnam War.
Like many of their male counterparts, their service went largely
unappreciated and unrecognized. This show will be directed by WDI veteran
Mike Boyna, who last directed the hilarious and successful “Shrek: The
Musical.”

The season will conclude with the perennial Stephen Sondheim favorite
“Company.” Though it debuted on Broadway in 1970, its theme of coping with
cultural changes and social upheavals remains relevant today. “Company”
will be directed by Pam Turlow, who has directed “A Christmas Carol” and
“Mad Mid-Mod Musicals” for Wheaton Drama.