Auditions for the 2014 Vanguard Theatre’s production of Book of Days by Lanford Wilson are underway.
Auditions will be held today, Wed. Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. in Room 147 (the Little Theatre) of the Fine Arts Building. Students who audition will use cold readings that are provided.
Wilson recently passed away, so the Vanguard Theatre is honoring his memory by performing the play this semester.
“Because he recently died, it would be great to perform one of his plays,” said Doug Cook, Chair of the Department of Visual and Theatre Arts and manager of set and stage design for the play.
Cook went on to say that the new Little Theatre has excellent technology and lighting and the play will show this off.
Director Ken Zimmerman is also enthusiastic about the play being performed in the Little Theatre.
“This is only the second play in the new space so it’ll be nice. I do want people to know we are really excited about this play,” Zimmerman said.
Book of Days is set in a small town in Missouri and focuses on a cheese plant, a church and a theater. The owner of the cheese plant mysteriously dies in a hunting accident. His bookkeeper, Ruth Hunt, thinks his death is no accident and begins to investigate the jealousy, greed, lies and religion surrounding it.
“On the surface, it’s a murder mystery but as it evolves, it becomes more and more involved than just the murder. It has a more serious theme than what were [accustomed] to doing and will be a benefit to the audience and the actors,” Zimmerman said.
The performance requires seven men and five women for the cast. Rehearsals for the play will begin on Jan. 27, with early evening rehearsals Monday through Thursday and afternoon rehearsals on Friday and Saturday. The production will be performed every night from March 15-22.
