The theater department will be holding auditions for their first play of the school year. Auditions for “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” begin Sept. 24 and many have already signed up for the opportunity. Those interested should contact Tammi Doyle in the drama department, located in the E Building.
“Dead Man’s Cell Phone” was written by Sarah Ruhl, a famous playwright from Illinois who has received numerous rewards for her work. She wrote “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” in 2007, a play which explores the influence of technology on our lives.
Theater Arts Chair Tammi Doyle stated: “I love Sarah Ruhl and the way she deals with characters and dialogue. It’s smart and fast, funny and not. I love that juxtaposition.” In describing the production, she said: “We go from scene to scene very fast. There’s big sound design. There’ll be a lot of music and a lot of talking and sound coming at you from different places. It needs to have that feeling that things are in the airwaves all the time going through our heads.”
Following auditions, students selected for the play will be required to enroll in a five-credit class for the duration of the quarter. The play is set to run between Nov. 13 and 22 and will be hosted in the Stop Gap Studio.
The drama department will also be holding its annual “Directions” festival on Dec. 6, which will feature a series of 10-minute plays written, produced and directed fully by students. The directors will audition in October, where they will give a reading of their selected play. The chosen directors will host their own auditions for their actors. Doyle explained students will be given “two to three weeks for rehearsals.” She also stated of “Directions”: “There’s always a mix of seasoned and brand-new actors; all of the new people get embraced here.”
Auditions for the winter quarter play will be held early this year in October. According to Doyle, students selected will receive special “circus training” and travel in preparation. The play “Carnival” will be held in March. The theater department’s website promises a display of “magic and circus skills under the big top in Carlson Theater.”
The Stone Tablet improv group will also be making a return this year, with performances after the department’s major productions such as “Dead Man’s Cell Phone”. Stone Tablet is a group of students open to everyone. Doyle explained: “Sometimes they have open sessions at 1-2 where anybody can come, and then the small group improvs after that. Once you’ve been to the open group for a quarter, you can be invited to the closed group, and once you’re in that for a while, you may be invited to join the troupe.”
Stone Tablet has performed outside of the college several times along with some other improv groups in the area. They recently participated in a “long-form” improv show at The Pocket Theater in Seattle.
Anyone interested in drama at BC can make their way to Carlson Theater and get their foot in the door.