Montana Actors' Theatre holds company auditions Saturday

Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. Montana Actors' Theatre will be looking for new actors and volunteers for all of their regular shows for the coming year at Montana State University-Northern.

MAT Creative Director Grant Olson said they are trying a new model for auditions this year, trying to cast as much as possible in one event before the season starts instead of doing individual auditions for each individual show.

Olson said they almost certainly won't cast every role in this one event so there will be other auditions as the season goes on, but he's hoping to get as many people as possible to come to this event, which he says will be low-pressure and open to all adults regardless of experience.

Auditions for the troupe's youth shows will not be held Saturday, although MAT is welcoming youth to attend the event to learn more about auditioning and volunteer opportunities.

MAT will be holding "youth intensive auditions" at Havre High School' auditorium starting at 4 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday next week, Aug. 29-30, and auditions for the musical "Newsies," for youth grades eight through 12, Thursday, Aug. 31, also starting at 4 p.m. in the auditorium.

For Saturday's event, MAT's website at https://www.mtactors.com says, people are asked to fill out an audition and volunteer form in advance, available on a link under "Shows and Events" on the section about the company auditions or at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfmFPJV1Fu5rm

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Auditioning is one of the most stressful parts of theater, Olson said, and, having auditioned under this model himself in the past, he believes this will be a lot easier for potential actors, especially newcomers.

"I'm really hoping that we can give people a lower-pressure audition," he said.

He said a lot of reasons exist that a person may not get the part they were shooting for and much of the time it's not for lack of skill, but because they aren't quite what a director is looking for, or because they don't have the right chemistry with another lead or any number of other logistical reasons, so it's just an inherently stressful part of theater that they want to improve.

"Life is unfair, theater is more unfair than life, and auditions are the most unfair part of theater," he said jokingly.

Olson said acting is incredibly fun and rewarding, but it is time-intensive and he thinks this shift will help actors a lot, and not just with auditioning.

He said, from his experience auditioning under a similar model it gives companies an opportunity for much more flexibility in casting, allowing directors to view as much local talent as possible and approach potential actors with roles that they may not have been considering.

He said people at an event like this can show off a variety of potential skills, from drama, to comedy to singing, which also gives directors a much better idea of what they have to work with between all of their various shows.

Olson said having plans made for shows earlier will also give actors an opportunity to plan vacations and free time.

Olson said no experience is necessary for this audition and everyone will get some coaching before their auditions so they know the basics of what directors are looking for, so he's hoping it will be inviting for as many people as possible.

He said MAT has more than 40 roles to fill this year, and while some actors play more than one role a season, they want to see as many people as possible.

Despite this, he said, he knows they won't be able to cast everything in one go, so there will inevitably be follow up auditions, but they are hoping to see as much as possible Saturday so anyone who's even a little curious about potentially doing theater should come.

Olson said people who attend are not required to audition for everything, and if they aren't interested or comfortable auditioning for certain things they are under no pressure at all.

He said this is also an opportunity for new people to talk with more-experienced actors and get a feel for things over food and drinks.

He said this new model should also be good for directors who will have more time to make decisions and work out scheduling for their shows with a better idea of who they potentially have and who they need.

He said it will also make things easier in cases where actors have to potentially pull out of a role, giving directors more time to find replacements.

From a logistical standpoint, he said, this change will also provide an opportunity to lengthen rehearsal periods, spreading out the work a little bit to reduce pressure on actors and directors.

Beyond actors and directors, Olson said, they are also looking for plenty of help behind the scenes with everything from ushering to light and sound board operation, stage management, set design and costume building, and they will also be looking for people interested in filling those roles Saturday as well.

He said a production requires a tremendous amount of work behind the scenes and they want to see as many people as possible for these roles as well.

He said everyone interested in any of these roles, on or off the stage, should go to MAT's website to fill out a form in advance.

The event will be at the theater in Cowan Hall at Northern with auditions beginning at 2 p.m.

If people arrive before 2 p.m., he said, they should park by the Armory Gymnasium.

While the youth shows will not be cast at the company audition, the show scheduled for production in Beaver Creek Park will be.

MAT has its full season lined out, listed on its website under "Events" at https://mtactors.com:

• "Lend Me a Tenor"

by Ken Ludwig

Performs: Oct. 6-7, 12-14 and 19-21

Roles for up to one man and three women, ages 20s-60s. 4 roles have been cast.

"Lend Me A Tenor" is set in September 1934. Saunders, the general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, is primed to welcome world-famous singer Tito Merelli, known as Il Stupendo, the greatest tenor of his generation, to appear for one night only as the star of the opera. Tito arrives late, and through a hilarious series of mishaps, he is given a double dose of tranquilizers and passes out. His pulse is so low that Saunders and his assistant Max believe he's dead - and in a frantic attempt to salvage the evening, Saunders persuades Max to get into Merelli's costume and fool the audience into thinking he's Il Stupendo. Max succeeds and lives up to his idol, but Merelli regains consciousness and gets into the identical costume, ready to perform. Now two opera singers are running around in the same costume and two women are running around in lingerie, each thinking she is with Il Stupendo.

• "Newsies"

Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Jack Feldman, Book by Harvey Fierstein

Based on the Disney film written by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White.

Performs: Nov. 16-18 and 23-25 on the Havre High Stage

Roles for 24 youth eighth through 12th grades. Characters are mostly male but cross-gender casting is likely.

There are also several roles for adults which will be cast by invitation only.

Based on the real-life Newsboy Strike of 1899, this Disney musical tells the story of Jack Kelly, a rebellious newsboy who dreams of a life as an artist away from the big city. After publishing giant Joseph Pulitzer raises newspaper prices at the newsboys' expense, Kelly and his fellow newsies take action.

• "Puss in Boots Christmas Panto"

by Caroline Tuss

Performs: Dec. 8-10, 14-17 and 21-24. This show may travel one of these weekends.

Roles for 11 adult actors. Some roles have been cast. More details will be available at the audition. Cross-gender casting is expected.

The classic tale of a cat who gains the trust and admiration of a rich and powerful leader to help his owner improve his life. Audience participation, silly puns, and slapstick comedy make this show fun for the whole family!

• "Hill Country Revue"

Performs: January 19-20, 25-27, and February 1-3

Roles for 8-10 adult comic performers of any gender

A variety show in the vein of "Hee-Haw," "Saturday Night Live" and "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In." This production will feature a weekly local musician playing original music with comic interludes commenting on life in Havre and on the Hi-Line.

• "The Queen of Hill County (A Murder Mystery with Cows)"

by Jay Pyette

Traveling Dinner Theatre running in March and April. Specific dates and locations to be determined.

Roles for a minimum of two actors of any age and gender. two roles have been cast. More actors may be cast to allow flexibility in travel dates.

The Annual Hill County Pie Bake-Off kicks off and the winner will be named Queen of Hill County, complete with bragging rights and a wonderful prize basket donated by Tuckerson's Hardware, Guns and Embroidery Supply Store. This year is different, however, as outside forces infiltrate the contest. Californians, hippies, soccer moms and even a branch of the mafia (or a very, very, very distant cousin of the mafia) give the local ranch wives, farm ladies, church choir singers, 4-H leaders and others a run for their money. Devious plans and ruthless behaviors dominate the contest to become the Queen of Hill County. A zany, fast-paced farce with four actors and about a zillion characters.

• "Outside Mullingar"

by John Patrick Shanley

Performs: April 5-6, 11-13, 18-20

Roles for two men and two women ages 35-70

Anthony and Rosemary are two introverted misfits straddling 40. Anthony has spent his entire life on a cattle farm in rural Ireland, a state of affairs that - due to his painful shyness - suits him well. Rosemary lives right next door, determined to have him, watching the years slip away. With Anthony's father threatening to disinherit him and a land feud simmering between their families, Rosemary has every reason to fear romantic catastrophe. But then, in this very Irish story with a surprising depth of poetic passion, these yearning, eccentric souls fight their way towards solid ground and some kind of happiness. Their journey is heartbreaking, funny as hell, and ultimately deeply moving.

• "The Imaginary Invalid"

A new adaptation by Martin Holt based on the play by Moliere

Performs: June 7-9 as part of Ren Faire

Roles for eight men and four women (subject to change)

Argan, a hypochondriac, wants his daughter, Angelique, to marry a young doctor so he can get all of his medical treatment for free. Angelique is in love with someone else, Cleante, and refuses to marry the doctor. Argan tells her she can marry the doctor or become a nun. Cleante, Toinette the maid, and Argan's brother Beralde all try to convince Argan to let Angelique marry Cleante with hilarious results.