The Shows > Next Season

Dear Friends of the Theatre:

As we prepare to begin our 88^th season, I take great pleasure in extending an invitation to you to be part of this continuing tradition.  We will shortly begin assembling production staffs for the 2010-2011 season and hope you will consider applying.  Below you will find a brief synopsis of each show along with audition and performance dates.  There is also a form you may download and complete to indicate your choices for staff positions connected with a show.

Community Players, a not-for-profit organization, gives anyone in the area a chance to participate in all aspects of the theatrical process.  Our auditions are open and we invite people of all skill levels to participate.  In filling staff positions we do look at previous experience to help us decide who would be best qualified for each production.  Please include a brief resume of your experience as a director, assistant director, producer, stage manager, choreographer, or musical director.  We would also be very interested in any backstage experience you have had in props, scenic design and construction, lighting, costumes, and so forth.  We are constantly in need of designers and crew members so please consider these positions as well.

Over the years many of our staff positions have received a small honorarium for their services based on what the organization could afford.  This season, as for the last several seasons, this honorarium will be modest. We hope that this does not detract from your willingness to participate in our productions.  Please note that we now have a harassment policy in effect and that anyone involved with the production must sign a waiver in order to participate.

We have put together an exciting slate of shows and hope that you will join us in some capacity.  If you are interested, please fill out the form below and send it to me no later than Monday, February 15, 2010 at the address listed or leave it in my mailbox at the theater.  If you are offered a position, we will contact you personally for a response. Orientation meetings will follow in the summer after the current season closes.

We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Click here to download the 2010-2011 Staff Application Form!

Please send applications by Monday, February 15, 2010 to:

Tom Smith
909 W Apple St
Normal, IL 61761

Our 88th Season of Shows (2010-2011)

State Fair (Musical) Book by Tom Briggs & Louis Mattioli; Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Auditions:  May 23-25, 2010
Preview:  July 8; Performances:  July 9-11, 15-18, 22-25, 2009 (11 performances)

Adapted from the Phil Strong novel for a 1945 movie musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein, this stage production provides a glimpse into the life of the farming Frake family and their three-day adventure at the Iowa State Fair in 1946. While parents Abel and Melissa are hoping to win a few blue ribbons, siblings Margy and Wayne are more interested in finding romance on the midway.  From the same creative team that developed Oklahoma!, South Pacific, The Sound of Music, and The Kind and I, this classic features the songs, It Might as Well be Spring and Our State Fair!

Smokey Joe’s Café (Musical Revue) Music and Lyrics by Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
Auditions:  July 11-13, 2010
Preview:  September 9; Performances: September 10-12, 16-19, 23-26, 2010 (11 performances)

Nominated for seven Tony Awards in 1995, Smokey Joe's Café is the longest-running musical revue in Broadway history.  Showcasing 39 rock & roll, pop, and rhythm & blues standards written by the influential songwriters Leiber and Stoller, this audience favorite features classic tracks such as There Goes My Baby, Hound Dog, Kansas City, Yakety Yak, Stand By Me, Jailhouse Rock, and On Broadway!

Dracula (Drama) by Hamilton Deane and John Balderston
Auditions: September 13 & 14, 2010
Preview:  October 28; Performances:  October 29-31, November 4-7, 11-13, 2010 (10 performances)

Adapted from the novel by Bram Stoker, this stage adaptation served as the basis for the 1931 Universal horror film classic starring Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula.  Written in 1923 with the blessing of Stoker’s widow, this critically acclaimed version presents the classic Dracula we know so well today.  The 1977 Broadway production, which won Tony Awards for Best Revival and best Costume Design, featured Academy Award nominee and three-time Tony Award winner, Frank Langella, as the nefarious Count Dracula.

‘Art’ (Dramatic Comedy) by Yasmina Reza; Translated by Christopher Hampton
Auditions:  October 4 & 5, 2010
Performances:  November 18-21, 2010 (4 performances)

Concerning three long-time friends, Serge, Marc, and Yvan, this dramatic comedy raises questions about art and friendship.  Serge, indulging his penchant for modern art, buys a large, expensive, completely white painting. Marc is horrified, and their relationship suffers considerable strain as a result of their differing opinions about what constitutes "art".  Yvan, caught in the middle of the conflict, tries to please and mollify both of them.  ‘Art’ is the winner of the 1998 Tony and New York Drama Critic’s Circle Awards for Best Play, as well as the Laurence Olivier, Molière, and Evening Standard Awards for Best Comedy.

John Loves Mary (Comedy) by Norman Krasna
Auditions:  November 29 & 30, 2010
Preview:  January 13; Performances: January 14-16, 20-23, 27-29, 2011 (10 performances)

In this farce, John returns home from the war with an English bride.  The trouble though, is that she is not his sweetheart.  Rather, she is the fiancée of a buddy who saved John’s life in battle.  Since the girl is English, marrying her was the only way to get her into the country promptly.  John's real love is Mary, but they can’t get married until he divorces his English bride.  Rather than simply tell the true story though, John piles lie upon lie, each one further complicating matters.  The play was made into a 1949 movie starring Ronald Reagan, Jack Carson, and Patricia Neal. 

The Solid Gold Cadillac (Comedy) by Howard Teichmann and George S. Kaufman
Auditions:  January 17 & 18, 2011
Preview: February 24; Performances: February 25-27, March 3-6, 10-12, 2011 (10 performances)

A hilarious satire from the golden age of American comedy, The Solid Gold Cadillac is the story of how one little, old lady took on the corporate machine. Made into a 1956 film featuring Judy Holliday and co-written by Pulitzer-Prize winner George S. Kaufman (You Can’t Take It With You and The Man Who Came to Dinner) The Solid Gold Cadillac remains as timely as when it premiered on Broadway in 1953.

Titanic:  The Musical (Musical) Book by Peter Stone; Music & Lyrics by Maury Yeston
Auditions:  March 13-15, 2011
Preview:  May 5; Performances: May 6-8, 12-15, 19-22, 2011 (11 performances)

Set on the ocean liner RMS Titanic, which sank on its maiden voyage on April 14, 1912, Titanic tells the fictional account of the actual passengers and crew of the fated ship.  The winner of five Tony Awards in 1997, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score, Titanic comes from the same creative minds that produced Grand Hotel, The Will Rogers Follies, and 1776.  This mega-hit is sure to be an audience favorite!

Click here to download the 2010-2011 Staff Application Form!