Auditions Coming Up at Hackmatack

Serious or funny, tall or short, young or old, actors are being invited to audition next month for any of the four productions planned for the 2018 summer season at Hackmatack Playhouse in Berwick.
Auditions for the two musicals - "All Shook Up" and "The Bridges of Madison County" - will take place Saturday, March 3, in Boston and Saturday, March 24, at the South Berwick Community Center.

Auditions are also being held for the two plays - "Lend Me a Tenor" and "Dial M for Murder" - 10 am to 1 pm Sunday, March 25 at the South Berwick Community Center.
The productions each call for something a little different in their actors, and details are available on Hackmatack's website.

"All Shook Up" has a large number of significant roles in it, which is a challenge," said Artistic Director Crystal Lisbon. Hackmatack will be actively seeking a diverse cast, and of varying ages.

"The Bridges of Madison County" has a smaller ensemble, and calls for actors who are "closer to middle age, who are incredibly strong singers and compelling actors," Lisbon said. She believes this show will be the toughest one to cast because of the importance of the one-on-one relationship.

"It's a romance, and there has to be plenty of chemistry and believability in the relationship," she said.

Both plays this season have small casts, and are wildly different, "which should keep things interesting," according to Lisbon.

Among the roles being filled for "Bridges of Madison County" are Francesca, a 35- to 45-year-old beautiful and funny Italian woman and her husband, an Iowa farmer who is a good guy, diligent and dependable, but always exhausted and irritated, as well as Robert Kincaid, a ruggedly handsome, visionary photographer.

For "All Shook Up," Hackmatack is seeking actors for such roles as Natalie, a woman in her early 20s to early 30s who is a mechanic and small town tomboy girl who dreams of more, and Jim, Natalie's widowed, down-to-earth father who is in his late 40s to early 60s.

The Boston auditions for the musicals will be 10:30 am to 1:30 pm in Studio 204 in the Boston Center for the Arts at 539 Tremont St. The Maine auditions for the musicals shows will be 9 am to 2 pm at The South Berwick Community Center at 71 Norton St. The theater is looking for actors 18 and older, but will consider actors 16 and up on a case by case basis. Some actors may be asked to attend callbacks immediately after auditions.

Auditions for the two plays, "Lend Me a Tenor" and "Dial M for Murder" will be held 10 am to 1 pm Sunday, March 25 at the South Berwick Community Center.
Hackmatack Playhouse is also looking for people interested in its 2018 Technical Internship program, which includes four interns each with a different focus area. Interns should be at least 18 and ready to work a 10- to 12-week summer. The focus areas include stage management and props; wardrobes and costumes; scenic design and carpentry, and lighting with sounds effects and technology. All interns work daily with the technical director. Although each intern will have a specific focus, they will also do general theatre work.

This internship is an opportunity for those interested in backstage roles to develop the technical skills they already have, according to Michael Guptill, Hackmatack's owner.
"Interns should be working towards a career in professional theatre," Guptill said. "They should be interested in working in a highly collaborative environment and ready to take on whatever comes their way."

Applications for the internships are due March 1 and more information is available on the web site. For more information about auditions and internships, or to make appointments, the details are available at www.hackmatack.org.

Photo: An actor sings for the panel at an audition for Hackmatack Playhouse in Berwick, Maine. Auditions this year will be March 3 in Boston and March 24 and 25 in South Berwick.

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