Feature: TTIP AUDITIONS at Theatre In The Park

Community Theater is alive and well in Johnson County Kansas for all Kansas City metropolitan audiences and actors. I find myself annually amazed at the number of people who show up and audition to participate in the Shawnee Mission Park TTIP outdoor shows and the quality of the performances offered at the 4500 capacity outdoor amphitheater. For 2019, five-hundred-sixty-one hopefuls attended the tryouts either in person or by video conference.

"We had a wonderful weekend of auditions, with and extraordinary level of talent, and a very broad age demographic," said TTIP Producing Artistic Director Tim Bair.

Out of the participating total, a few actors were cast on the spot. Two-hundred-sixty-three additional community actors were called back for second auditions.

The response each year bares witness to be the quality of live theatre alive in Kansas City and its popularity. Overall, about sixty production companies offer more than one- hundred-seventy live, full, productions annually as either community or professional level presentations. This does not include countless academic and collegiate productions from at least twenty-five collegiate programs.

This year Theatre In The Park (TTIP Outdoors) celebrates its fiftieth year of performances for Kansas City audiences, Theatre In The Park announces it gala outdoor season the results of it March 3 auditions. This year, the outdoor season will include "Annie" June7 through 15, "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" June 21 through 29, "Music Man" July 5 through 13, "Matilda" July 19 through 27, and "The Wizard Of Oz" August 2 through 10.

About auditioners, the average age is about 20 years of age. More than one hundred sixty are age 12 and under.

A summer learners academy is offered by Johnson County Park district staff. They produce several summer Junior shows including "Madagascar," "Once on this Island," "Thoroughly Modern Millie," and "Hairspray.

Indoor shows at the Johnson County Heritage Center and Black Box Theater will include "Forever Plaid" on April 19 through May 5, "Sweet Charity" October 11 through 29, and "Frozen" on December on December 6 through 15.

Tickets and detail about TTIP shows are available online at www.theatreinthepark.org.

Audition Photos courtesy of Theatre In The Park.

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