Ensemble Theatre Announces Auditions for Its 35th Anniversary Season 6/24

Artistic Director, Eileen J. Morris, announces general auditions for The Ensemble Theatre's 35th Anniversary Season. Auditions will be held Friday, June 24, 2011, 6:30pm-9:30pm and Saturday, June 25, 2011, 1:00pm-6:00pm at the theatre's location on 3535 Main St. Houston, TX 77002. The season will run September 24, 2011 through July 29, 2012.

Actors, dancers, and singers interested in auditioning should contact Kedrick Brown, Interim Artistic Assistant at 713-807-4320 or kedrickbrown@gmail.com. Artists must make an audition appointment and submit resumes and head shots to be considered for any of the plays next season. All production directors will be present for the auditions.

The season line up will present six plays: Lotto, a comedy by Cliff Roquemore, is about a man who wins the lottery and discovers it brings out the eccentricity of all his family and friends; Cinderella, by The African American Shakespeare Festival, gives a fresh interpretation of
the classical tale filled with memorable music and choreography; The Ballad of Emmett Till, by Ifa Bayeza, a jazz infused contemporary work in collaboration with the Houston Museum of African American Culture; Cuttin' Up, by Charles Randolph Wright, gives insight to barbershops as
one of America's great community institutions filled with humorous anecdotes and life lessons; King Hedley II, by August Wilson, is an epic tragedy of The Common man who bears both physical and emotional scars, yet he still dreams; Sanctified, a musical comedy by Javon
Johnson, tells the story of a church on its last legs planning a revival as a last ditch effort to keep its doors open. The Theatre's 35th Anniversary Season lineup includes roles for artists of diverse
ages ranging from teens to 50s.

The Ensemble is also in need of part-time artistic and production staff positions. Production staff positions include: sound technicians, light technicians, carpenters, stage hands, stage managers and assistants, set designers, sound designers, costume designers, and lighting
designers.

Volunteers are also an integral part of The Ensemble Theatre's daily operations and are needed to provide clerical assistance, street team/community outreach, and production support.

The Ensemble Theatre was founded in 1976 by the late George Hawkins to preserve African American artistic expression and enlighten, entertain and enrich a diverse community. This theatre is known as the only professional theatre in its region dedicated to the production of works
portraying the African-American experience. In addition to being the oldest and largest professional African-American theatre in the Southwest, it also holds the distinction of being one of the nation's largest African-American theatres that owns and operates its facility
with an in-house production team. Board President Emeritus Audrey Lawson led the capital campaign for The Ensemble's $4.5 million building renovations that concluded in 1997.

The Ensemble Theatre produces a main stage season of six contemporary and classic works devoted to the portrayal of the African American experience by local and national playwrights and artists. The theatre's Performing Arts Education program provides educational workshops,
Artist-in-Residence experiences and live performances for students both off-site and at the theatre; and the Young Performers Program offers intensive summer training for youth ages six to 17 encompassing instruction in all disciplines of the theatre arts. Through its varied
programs, The Ensemble Theatre benefits an audience and artistic constituency of approximately 65,000 people annually.