GREENEVILLE – Explore your interest in performing theater or expand your acting résumé by auditioning for a role in two upcoming productions at Tusculum University.
Theatre-at-Tusculum will hold auditions for the “Edgar Allan Poe and Other Haunted Stories in the Woods” Sunday, Sept. 7, and Monday, Sept. 8, at 6:30 p.m. in Behan Arena Theatre. Then, Theatre-at-Tusculum will have auditions for Anton Checkov’s “The Sneeze” Sunday, Sept. 14, and Monday, Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m. in Behan.
“We are excited as we gear up for these two entertaining productions,” said Steve Schultz, director of Tusculum Arts Outreach. “We seek actors who will bring enthusiasm and quality to the shows and continue the tradition of excellent theater at Tusculum. A lot of fun awaits for those who are selected, so we encourage people to demonstrate their talent at the auditions.”
“Edgar Allan Poe and Other Haunted Stories in the Woods” has become a Halloween season favorite for guests since it originated in 2022. The event will feature six plays lasting about 10 minutes apiece and will be held outdoors and in two buildings on the Doak House Museum grounds. This year’s performances will be held Friday, Oct. 24, and Saturday, Oct. 25, at 6:30 p.m. Three of the plays will be from Poe, and the other three are ghost stories.
Those who want to audition do not need prior acting experience. Everyone who auditions will read from the script of their choosing with another actor in front of the directors. Those who are leading the production also might ask them to read from another script. The total number of actors need for “Edgar Allan Poe and Other Haunted Stories in the Woods” is 19.
Each play will have two to four actors. Those who audition need to be at least 14 years old.
“it’s a cool community event and is outdoor theater at the Doak House grounds,” Schultz said. “It will be a very fun mix of newcomers and people who have performed in productions a lot. Participating in this show is a nice way for newer performers to dip their toe into the acting waters because the plays are shorter, and the rehearsals are not as involved.”
“The Sneeze” consists of a collection of short plays by Checkov that was translated by Michael Frayn, another playwright. The segments in “The Sneeze” are mostly comedies with a satirical element and another that is insightful. Each piece within “The Sneeze” is five to 15 minutes long.
Schultz said “The Sneeze” can be performed with as few as six actors and as many as 20, so that will give Erin Hensley Schultz, the director, flexibility based on the skill sets she encounters during auditions. Those who audition should be at least 16 years old. The reasoning is the characters are adults.
Auditions will consist of actors reading from the script along with others who are vying for parts.
Steve Schultz said “The Sneeze” is one of his favorite theater productions, but Erin Shultz, who also serves as the university’s costume director, has a connection as well. She performed in “The Sneeze” when state Rep. David Hawk, R-Greeneville, served as the director.
“Everyone knows Checkov, and ‘The Sneeze’ is a classic piece of literature,” Steve Schultz said. “The audience will enjoy the humor and the caliber of the writing. This will be a great production to showcase our students, faculty and staff as actors. This show is going to have Tusculum’s handprints all over it.”
Performances of “The Sneeze” will take place Friday, Nov. 14, and Saturday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 16, at 2 p.m.
More information about “Edgar Allan Poe and Other Haunted Stories in the Woods” and “The Sneeze” is available from Steve Schultz by emailing him at [email protected].
Theatre-at-Tusculum is part of Arts Outreach and Tusculum’s Center for the Arts and is supported in part by a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission and many generous donors. To learn more about the Center for the Arts and Arts Outreach, please visit https://site.tusculum.edu/center-for-the-arts/.
