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Meetinghouse Players Looking for a Cast to 'Play On!'

Ever wanted your own chance to tread the boards? Chester’s own Meetinghouse Players are holding open auditions for its production of Play On!, a classic comedy by Rick Abbot. Auditions will take place Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 29 and 30, at 7 p.m. at the Meeting House, 4 Liberty Street.

The company is a small non-profit with about 10 core members, who are all volunteer.

“We operate on a shoestring budget, but we get a good audience response,” said Director Debbie Alldredge. “We have fun, and it is a way to build the arts presence in the community.”

Play On! is about a play within the play, where anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. The small ensemble needed for the production is typical of the productions selected by the Meetinghouse Players. The members choose shows that they know they can find casts for, and avoid musicals popular with other companies in the area. They also tend not to cast children as the rehearsal hours can be difficult.

When thinking of whom to cast, Alldredge said that it depends on the play, but overall, they look for people who enjoy theater and have a lot of passion for it and do it because they love it—regardless of experience.

“It’s a lot of work and time,” said Alldredge. “We rehearse for several weeks, sometimes three times a week. Then the week before the show there are technical rehearsals each day, and then the shows themselves. We’re open to all experience levels, but we look for a love for it and enthusiasm.”

For this show, they are looking for three men and seven women ranging from their 20s to their 60s; the cast is quite flexible and those who wish to audition don’t need to prepare anything in advance. The 10-member ensemble will depict Henry Benish, Polly Benish, Marla “Smitty” Smith, Saul Watson, Billy Carewe, Violet Imbrey, Aggie/Algie Manville, Gerry/Jerry Dunbar, Louse/Louie Peary, and Phyllis Montague as the members of a community theater troupe who try their best to put on a play despite everything going wrong.

“All you need to do is show up at 7 p.m.,” said Alldredge. “We’ll pair people up to have them read scene sides from the script. It’s not stressful; it is as easy as possible.”

The hard part starts when those selected for the cast report for rehearsals, but Alldredge said the effort is worth it.

“It’s very funny, audiences love it. There is a lot of physical comedy and it is fun to watch,” said Alldredge. “We try to pick shows that play to our audience. There is a lot of competition for people’s entertainment dollar around here. It’s just a fun time.”

Auditions for the Meetinghouse Players production of Play On! will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 29 and 30, at 7 p.m. at the Chester Meeting House, 4 Liberty Street. Performances will be on Oct. 27 and 28 and Nov. 3 and 4. For more information about auditioning, contact Debbie Alldredge at 860-526-3684 or themeetinghouseplayers@gmail.com.