Auditions for Neil Simon’s “Rumors” announced
Posted August 10th, 2010
The Jacksonville Theatre Guild will hold auditions for the community theatre’s opening production of the 2010-2011 season, Neil Simon’s “Rumors.” The auditions will be held on Saturday, August 21, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Sophie Leschin Theatre in Community Park.
The madcap farce, written by the celebrated playwright in 1988, focuses on four New York City couples who meet for a dinner party only to find out the host may have attempted suicide (unsuccessfully) and their hostess is missing. The evening gets more hilarious and completely out of control when the guests attempt to conceal the evening’s events from the police and local media.
The primary characters in the play are four couples ranging in age from early 30s to early 50s. Other characters include a male and female police officer. For more specific casting information, visit http://www.intensemultimedia.com/RUMORS/RUMORS-CastingCall-INFO.pdf.
“Rumors” is being directed by Jacksonville resident Allen Stare, and will run Thursday, October 14, through Sunday, October 17, at the Sophie Leschin Theatre. For more information regarding perusal scripts or performances, call the Jacksonville Theatre Guild at 245-1402 or visit www.jaxtg.com.
JTG’s “high-octane” summer musical opens this month
Posted July 2, 2010
The Jacksonville Theatre Guild’s annual summer musical is currently in production at the Sophie Leschin Theatre. Performances of “Altar Boyz,” a new musical comedy, will begin Thursday, July 22.
A foot-stomping, roof-raising, musical comedy about a fictitious Christian boy band on the last night of their “Raise the Praise” tour, “Altar Boyz” features five singing and dancing heartthrobs from Ohio: Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham. While performing their signature hits including “Rhythm in Me,” “The Calling” and “I Believe,” the Boyz question their loyalty to each other and whether their faith is holding them together. The group comes together to perform a final message of unity, “there is not a star as bright as its constellation, no harmony in a single voice.”
Hailed as “high-octane” entertainment by Talkin’ Broadway, “Altar Boyz” was the winner of the 2005 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical and the recipient of the Broadway.com Audience Favorite Award in 2006 and 2007. After 2,032 performances spanning five years, the Off-Broadway production closed earlier this year.
John Honnen of Jacksonville will play the role of Matthew, the leader of the boy band. Grant Estes, also of Jacksonville, will appear on stage as Mark, the innocent “bowl of sunshine” who looks up to Matthew. Luke, the “bad boy” who is street-wise but dim-witted, will be portrayed by Jacksonville’s Zach Pickens. Kyle Cummings of Arenzville will be Juan, the “ethnic one” who was dropped on the steps of a church in Tijuana and raised by nuns as Hispanic. Finally, Joel Austin of Springfield will portray Abraham, the Jewish altar boy.
Jacksonville native Kristin Jamison is directing the production with music and vocal direction by Roger Wainwright of Chatham. Jacksonville’s Jessica Manker is serving as the show’s choreographer.
“Altar Boyz” is sponsored by Farmers State Bank and Trust Company and will run July 22-25 and July 29-August 1 at the Sophie Leschin Theatre in Community Park. Tickets are $13 for adults and $8 for youth 12 and younger. Call 245-1402 for tickets or visit www.jaxtg.com/altarboyz for more information.
Classic tale of Hansel and Gretel opens May 13
Posted April 26, 2010 
The Jacksonville Theatre Guild is pleased to announce the cast of its second youth production of the 2009-2010 Season, “Hansel and Gretel.”
A Vera Morris adaptation of the famous Brothers Grimm fairy tale, this entertaining version of the fairy tale is guaranteed to delight audiences as they follow Hansel and Gretel into the woods where they encounter an arrogant troll, a talking owl and two hobgoblins in the service of the nasty and hilarious witch. All of the moments from the classic story are included in this stage adaptation from the night spent in the woods to the discovery of the candy-coated cottage where the lost children have been turned into cookies.
Jacksonville residents cast in the show include Emma Bible in the role of Gretel, as well as Lillie Ann Brown, Laura Cannon, Julian Evans, Evan Harder, Molly Hardwick, Kiley Hutton, Victoria Karr, J. D. Lindley, Hannah Loeffelholtz, Jacy Newingham, Grace Smith and Josh Wilcox. Bryan and Hannah Cook, and Alexis and Paul Schrieber are also Jacksonville residents cast in the play. Actors from neighboring communities cast in the production include Kendi Klein of Murrayville, Franklin residents Cameron and Logan Shinall, as well as Brooke Batterson and Cayden Sharp of Waverly. Winchester’s Isaiah Littig will portray Hansel, and will be joined onstage by his sister, Krysta.
“Hansel and Gretel” is sponsored by Bound to Stay Bound Inc. and opens Thursday, May 13 at 7:30 p.m. with additional shows on Friday, May 14, and Saturday, May 15, also at 7:30 p.m., at the Sophie Leschin Theatre in Community Park. The Sunday, May 16, performance will begin at 2 p.m. Tickets are $13 for adults and $8 for children 12 and under. Jacksonville’s Brad Karr is directing the youth production.
For more information, please call the Jacksonville Theatre Guild ticket office at 245-1402 or visit our website at www.jaxtg.com.
The Jacksonville Theatre Guild provides an outlet for community members to display their talents and energies in live theatre with an array of quality productions. The non-profit organization governed by an annually-elected Board of Directors is a major theatrical resource for west central Illinois.
Auditions for “high-octane” summer musical slated for May 1
Posted April 9, 2010
The Jacksonville Theatre Guild will hold auditions for the community theatre’s annual summer musical. Auditions for the new musical “Altar Boyz” will be held at the Sophie Leschin Theatre in Jacksonville’s Community Park on Saturday, May 1, beginning at 1 p.m.
A foot-stomping, roof-raising, musical comedy about a fictitious Christian boy band on the last night of their tour, “Altar Boyz” features five singing and dancing heartthrobs from Ohio: Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham. While performing their signature hits including “Rhythm in Me,” “The Calling” and “I Believe,” the Boyz question their loyalty to each other and whether their faith is holding them together. The group comes together to perform a final message of unity, “there is not star as bright as its constellation, no harmony in a single voice.”
Hailed as “high-octane” entertainment by Talkin’ Broadway, “Altar Boyz” was the winner of the 2005 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical and the recipient of the Broadway.com Audience Favorite Award in 2006 and 2007. After 2,032 performances spanning five years, the Off-Broadway production closed earlier this year.
The musical calls for five male performers who possess strong vocal talent, including the ability to sing in tight harmony. Strong hip-hop and pop dance ability, as well as comedic instincts are also necessary. The roles include: Matthew, the leader of the boy band, pop tenor; Luke, the “bad boy” who is street-wise but dim-witted, pop baritone; Mark, the innocent “bowl of sunshine” who looks up to Matthew, high pop tenor; Juan, the “ethnic one” who was dropped on the steps of a church in Tijuana and raised by nuns as Hispanic and must be able to speak with a Spanish accent, pop baritone/tenor; Abraham, the Jewish altar boy, pop baritone/tenor.
Music director Roger Wainwright of Chatham will lead the vocal auditions. Men auditioning should bring a prepared piece of music, preferably from the musical, to perform with a provided accompanist. In addition to vocal auditions, a dance audition will be conducted by Jacksonville choreographer Jessica Manker. Director Kristin Jamison of Jacksonville asks that men auditioning bring a list of rehearsal conflicts to the auditions.
To obtain more information or music from the show in preparation for auditions, email Jamison at kristin.jamison@ic.edu. The production will run July 22-25 and July 29-August 1, 2010, at the Sophie Leschin Theatre in Community Park.
Guild’s call for directors deadline extended to May 7
Posted April 26, 2010
The Jacksonville Theatre Guild is extending the deadline for applicants interested in directing a production next season. The 2010-2011 season will offer a series of light-hearted productions that will feature music, comedy and dance.
Kicking off the season, the local theatre group will offer Neil Simon’s “Rumors.” The hilarious farce focuses on four New York City couples who meet for a dinner party only to find out the host is dead and the hostess is missing. Comedy ensues when the guests decide to do everything in their power to conceal the evening’s events from the police and local media. The play will run this October 14-17.
Irving Berlin’s holiday classic, “White Christmas,” will take place this December 9-12. Based on the 1954 Paramount Pictures film of the same name, the musical includes “Sisters,” “Counting My Blessings” and other numbers from the movie. However, an expanded score for the musical adds the Berlin hits “Let Yourself Go” and “Blue Skies.”
An adaptation of the Hans Christian Anderson tale, “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” will be the first youth production of the season running February 17-20, 2011. The play tells the story of the ruler of the kingdom of Glump who is fooled by two con men into wearing clothing made with magical cloth that can only be seen by people worthy of high position.
In “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” six young overachievers in the throes of puberty vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. This new musical comedy will incorporate audience participants to join the spelling bee, guaranteeing a new set of unexpected and humorous consequences during each performance. The production will run April 28-May 1, 2011.
The second youth production of the season will be “Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum.” The story of Jack and the Beanstalk and the Giant will come to life on stage with the musical adaptation of the classic fairy tale. The show runs June 9-12, 2011.
Upcoming Guild production will thrill audiences
Posted March 15, 2010
Jacksonville Theatre Guild’s upcoming suspense-filled drama is currently in production at the Sophie Leschin Theatre. A Broadway hit in 1966 and subsequent film starring Audrey Hepburn, this masterfully constructed thriller was written by Frederick Knott.
Susy Hendrix, a blind Greenwich Village housewife, is the story’s heroine. Susy, played by Murrayville’s Rachel Pennell, is targeted by three ex-convicts searching for drugs hidden in a doll that her husband unwittingly transported home from Canada. The play is filled with one moment of suspense after another building toward a breath-stopping final scene.
Paul R. Cary of Springfield is directing a cast that includes James Mullis, Dave Shaffer, Robert Brammeier and Eric Green of Jacksonville; Steve Cantrell of Murrayville; Ted Keylon of Springfield; and Jewel McEvers of Meredosia.
“Wait Until Dark” will be presented at the Sophie Leschin Theatre in Community Park Friday, March 26; Saturday, March 27; Friday, April 2; and Saturday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. The show times on Sunday, March 28, and Sunday, April 4, are at 2 p.m. Tickets are $13 for adults and $8 for children 12 and younger. For more information, please call the Jacksonville Theatre Guild at 245-1402 or visit www.jaxtg.com.
The Jacksonville Theatre Guild provides an outlet for community members to display their talents and energies in live theatre with an array of quality productions. The non-profit organization governed by an annually-elected Board of Directors is a major theatrical resource for west central Illinois.
JTG announces auditions for upcoming youth play
Posted March 2, 2010
The Jacksonville Theatre Guild will hold auditions for its next youth production, “Hansel and Gretel,” at the Jacksonville Theatre Guild’s downtown office located at 210 West College Avenue at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 13.
This Vera Morris adaptation of the famous children’s story will be directed by Brad Karr of Jacksonville. His cast will include children from the age of 7 to 17 who will portray approximately 20 characters in this production.
Boys and girls auditioning are asked to bring a recent photograph of them to the auditions and a listing of performance experience, as well as a list of rehearsal conflicts beginning March 14 through the run of the play.
“Hansel and Gretel” will be presented May 13-15 at 7:30 p.m. and May 16 at 2 p.m. at the Sophie Leschin Theatre in Community Park. Tickets are $13 for adults and $8 for children 12 and under.
For more information please call the JTG office at 245-1402 or visit our website at jaxtg.com.
JTG announces cast of upcoming Disney production
Posted February 5, 2010 
The Jacksonville Theatre Guild is pleased to announce the cast of its first youth production of the 2009-2010Season, Disney’s “High School Musical 2.”
“High School Musical 2” continues where the first popular Disney musical, “High School Musical,” left off with our favorite East High students leaving school for summer break. The Wildcats get summer jobs working together at the exclusive Lava Springs Country Club, only to find out the parents of scheming Sharpay Evans own the resort. She wields her remarkable power in an attempt to win Troy away from Gabriella. The rivals unite in a show-stopping musical finale.
The show’s cast is comprised of actors from several local communities including Travis Deaver (Troy) of Chapin and Jacksonville natives Erin Kruzan (Gabriella), Madeline Walker (Sharpay) and Evan Rumler (Ryan). Additional Jacksonville residents in the production include Kate Scott, Cathy Colburn, Brandon Cook, Ashley Hutton, Emily Graham, Daniel Gregory, Cody Springer, Brian Leach, Dominic Scott, Matt Hall, Kari Ann Spencer, Sydney Holloway, Rachel Williams, Katie Robinson, Jordin Wyatt and Holly Fair. The cast also includes Kendi Klein of Murrayville, Winchester residents Krysta and Jerry Littig, Triopia student Brittany Davis and Beardstown residents Lexi DeSollar and Abby Brake.
Co-directors Lynda Locke and Shawn Smith will present this popular Disney show Thursday, February 18, through Saturday, February 20, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, February 20 and 21, at 2 p.m. at the Sophie Leschin Theatre located in Community Park. (Please note the matinee performance on Saturday, February 20, in addition to that evening’s performance.)
Tickets are available for purchase at the Jacksonville Theatre Guild office, 210 West College Avenue, and can be purchased by calling 245-1402. Tickets prices for adults are $13 and $8 for those who are 12 and younger.
Passavant Area Hospital’s Kids Connection is sponsoring “High School Musical 2.”
Auditions for critically acclaimed drama announced
Posted January 14, 2010
The Jacksonville Theatre Guild will hold auditions for the community theatre’s upcoming production of “Wait Until Dark” on Saturday, January 30, and Sunday January 31, at the Theatre Guild’s downtown office at 210 West College Avenue.
The Saturday audition will begin at 9 a.m. and run until 12 noon, while the Sunday audition will run from 1-4 p.m.
A Broadway hit, this masterfully constructed thriller by Frederick Knott moves from one moment of suspense to another as it builds toward an electrifying, breath-stopping final scene. The cast calls for one girl who is 10-12 years old, one woman 25-40 years old, four men 25-45 years old and two persons, male or female, who portray police officers.
“Wait Until Dark” will be directed by Springfield resident Paul Cary, and will open March 26-28 and run through April 2-4 at the Sophie Leschin Theatre in Community Park. For more information, call the Jacksonville Theatre Guild at 245-1402 or visit www.jaxtg.com.
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