Auditions for the Mercyhurst Theater department’s production of David Ives’ award-winning play “All in the Timing” will take place Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. in Taylor Little Theater.
This piece is comprised of six sketches, all of which will be directed by student directors. The one-act plays and directors are:
•“Sure Thing,” directed by Owen Hitt, junior Information Technology major
• “Words, Words, Words,” directed by Ashley Poletto, senior Theatre Design major.
• “The Universal Language,” directed by Rosie Pregler, junior Archaeology major
• “Philip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread,” directed by Sarah Krempasky senior Music major.
• “The Philadelphia,” directed by Abigail Larimore, junior Theatre for Education‑‑ major.
• “Variations on the Death of Trotsky,” directed by Kathryn Schmitt, senior Archaeology major.
Brett Johnson, Ph.D., who directs the Theater program and selected the play, writes that “‘All in the Timing’ is an anthology of sketches that established David Ives as a playwright with a singular gift for turning writerly self-consciousness into short-form intellectual slapstick.
The student directors are all junior and senior theater minors; they submitted proposals to be considered for this festival, including their preferences for which sketch they would like to direct.
While few of them have had any directing experience, they have been prepared for this role by attending seminars throughout the fall on a variety of topics.
Johnson writes that “‘All in the Timing’ is a great way for students to become involved with the theatre program” due to the relatively short nature of each sketch and the resultant relaxed time commitment expected of each actor.
Johnson says that this production will only require several two-hour rehearsals a week as opposed to the more stringent schedule required for the Theater department’s full-length shows.
The audition process will involve cold readings from the plays.
In Johnson’s words, “students will have a few minutes to prepare a scene that’s provided on the evening of auditions.”
A student can only be cast in one play, and the audition is for consideration for all of the plays, not a specific one. Any Mercyhurst student can audition regardless of experience level.
Rehearsals will begin Jan.15 and the performances will take place Feb. 8 to11.