Auditions Held at Civic Theatre For Northeast Indiana Playwright Festival

Featured Play - The Timekeepers by Dan Clancy (June 9-18, 2011) Rated R - An inspirational tale of transcendence in the midst of a world gone mad. This award winning drama has played in London, Israel, Ireland, Canada, Poland, Germany and New York, and has garnered rave reviews. Set at Sachsenhausen concentration camp in World War II Germany, it is a beautiful, intense piece of theater that manages to combine humor and poignancy with remarkable skill. This award-winning drama has toured Israel and the world to great acclaim. Dan Clancy will be attending the Festival and conducting a workshop, participating in panel and post show/readings and discussions along with John Tolley. Guest Director: John Tolley

1st Place - Discom-BOOB-ulated by Denise Buhr (Full Production) - Maggie, a young woman who grew up following her father's diplomatic posts, returns to the only hometown she ever really had to clear out and sell her grandparents' house. While there, she is diagnosed with breast cancer. Discom-BOOB-ulaTed Follows her through a year of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. But rather than focusing on the medical treatments, the play looks at how this abrupt change in her life affects her relationships with the people around her. Guest Director: Gregory Stieber

2nd Place - Knitters Row by Ruth (Tyndall) Baker (Stage Reading-2 rehearsals only) - Once her husband ships out in 1943, Josie finds herself raising her son alone and working in the Knitting Mills. The factory girls are harassed by their supervisor, and without a supportive Union, the girls vow to be "all for one!" With her industrious study of machine manuals, Josie proves herself a survivor. Josie's pre-war life with her husband and their romance is braided throughout her story. Josie, through her friendships from the mill, her son, and an old Greek woman she takes in, develops a community that becomes family.

Guest Director: Brian Schilb

3rd Place - Struggling For My Sanity by Rachael Kooi (Stage Reading-2 rehearsals only) - The characters in the mind of Grace (known as The Boss), are affected by, and affect, everything in her life. The Boss juggles their conflicts, resentments, grudges, jealousies and perceived injustices until they band together against her. In an attempt to calm her characters and regain control of her head, The Boss allows them to run amok and try to solve the situation themselves. When she's had her fill of chaos, Grace makes decisions that will restore order to her life. Guest Director: Diane Shaw

Auditions: Sun., April 17, 5-9 p.m.-West and East Rehearsal Halls @ Arts United Center - No Call Backs

Please arrive early to check in and fill out the audition forms for The Timekeepers, Discom-BOOB-ulated and the two readings for the 2nd & 3rd place winning plays. Please call Phillip Colglazier to sign up to audition (260-422-8641 ext. 225).

Rehearsals: Mon.-Fri., May 2nd - June 3rd @ Plymouth Church, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Tech: Tuesday, May 31, ACPL Stage 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Dress Rehearsals: Tues. - Thurs., May 31-June 2nd, ACPL Stage 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Performances: Fri., June 3rd thru June 18th (3 weekends: No Sunday Matinees on June 12th or 19th)

Performance Times: The Timekeepers & Discom-BOOB-ulated will be performed in alternation using the same stage at ACPL.

Tues. Wed. & Thurs @ 7:30 p.m. (6:30 call time), Fridays & Saturdays @ 8 p.m., (7pm call), Saturday matinee @ 2 p.m. on June 4th, 11th & 18th, and Sunday, June 5 @ 2 p.m. (1:00 call time), and possible Brush Up Rehearsal, t.b.a.

The Directors for the 2nd & 3rd place Play Readings will be present at the April 17th audition to observe. If you are interested in only doing the 2nd or 3rd place play readings you may indicate it on your audition form and meet the director. A quick audition will take place and the directors will select whom they like. The 2nd & 3rd Place Plays will be presented as stage readings on the Festival weekend of June 3-5, 2011 only. Each of these plays will be presented once during the Festival. Each actor will receive a free pass into the entire Festival which will feature Dan Clancy, an International Playwright from New York City, and John Tolley, former First Presbyterian Artistic Directors, as our guest moderators, workshop instructor and guest panelists.

CHARACTERS for The Timekeepers: 3 Men

1793 - A Jewish, watch repairman who loves and sings opera (Verdi's Rigoletto).

9355 - A thinner Gay man who must befriend 1793.

Capo - An overweight man serving as the guard; somewhat unattractive.

CHARACTERS for Discom-BOOB-ulated: 3 Women, 2 Men

Maggie Ducaine (30's) an only child who lived all over the world as her father moved from one diplomatic post to another; she has come back to the Iowa town her mother grew up in to clear out her grandparents' home.

Aunt Aggie, Maggie's grandmother's cousin, now in her early seventies.

Kris McCaley (30's) a nurse, Maggie's best friend since childhood when Maggie would spend the summers with her grandparents.

Johnny Greene (30's) he too was a close friend of Maggie's childhood; he took a degree in agribusiness but came home to run the local co-op and take over the family farm.

Mick Reddecki, also thirty-something; Maggie's co-worker from Chicago whom she occasionally dated

If you would like to serve on the backstage crew, please contact Brad DeYoung or Screech Owens at 422-8641 ext. 227.

Thank you to 80/20, Inc. Foundation for their sponsorship of the 2nd Annual Northeast Indiana Playwright Festival, and to NIPR our media sponsor.

Civic Season Sponsors: Lincoln Financial Group, Punch Films, Indiana's NewsCenter, with support from Arts United, Indiana Arts Commission and National Endowment for the Arts, Foellinger Foundation, English Bonter Mitchell Foundation and the Fort Wayne Community Foundation.