Cortland Rep Featured in Southern Theatre Magazine

A photo from Cortland Repertory Theatre's 2009 summer production of "I Hate Hamlet" is now appearing on the cover of the spring edition of Southern Theatre Magazine. The photo, taken by Cortland photographer and CRT Board Member David Blatchley, was the winner of the magazine's annual Cover Photo Contest. It features actor Robert Boardman as John Barrymore and CRT regular Dustin Charles as Andrew Rally in a scene from the Paul Rudnick comedy. The contest was open to members of the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC), which is the largest regional theatre organization in the country. Now in its 61st year, the SETC holds regional auditions for actors twice a year in various cities in the south eastern United States. CRT attends the spring auditions, which will be held this year in Lexington, Kentucky on March 4 - 6.

CRT was eligible for the contest because of their membership and attendance to the conference.  Actors have a minute to a minute and a half to audition for all the attending theatres at once in a large ballroom in a hotel conference center.  Most attendees are college age students; they are given the opportunity to prepare a monologue or sing a song. If a theatre is interested in the actor, they are then "called-back" to speak to the casting director in a separate room, to read particular scenes from a play or sing more of a song. Musical Theatre actors may be asked to learn a dance combination which they perform in front of all the theatres as well.

CRT also attends a similar conference, the North East Theater Conference (NETC), in Natick, Massachusetts the following week, from March 13 - 15, where Thompson and other show directors will see approximately 600 people. Following that, CRT has five days of auditions in New York City from March 16 - 19 and one day in Cortland County on March 27 at Homer High School.

CRT invites all local talent to the Cortland auditions. Interested people may call CRT at 607-753-6161 for an audition time slot on March 27, and should visit http://www.cortlandrep.org for more information on what to prepare.