Thursday, June 5, 2008

Denton local talent gears up for new play

By Carli Baylor of North Texas Daily

Their hearts pound, their toes tap and voices echo.

"Thank you all for coming," the director said. "I will post our cast list by the end of the week."

They exit the stage in silence, sweat dripping from their faces as they wonder if they have what it takes.

The Denton Community Theatre held open auditions at 7 p.m. June 1 and 2 for its upcoming musical Li'l Abner.

Director Sean Frith said he wants actors who are ready to have a good time.

"What I'm principally looking for are people who want to have fun with me," he said. "I'm all about having fun."

The play is based on a satirical comic strip created by Al Capp in the 1930s, according to the "Li'l Abner" Web site. Li'l Abner lives in the fictional town of Dogpatch with his mother and father, Mammy and Pappy Yokum.

"It was extremely popular," Frith said. "Everyone knew who Li'l Abner was."

Frith said the plot of the play focuses on Dogpatch's satiric relationship with the United States government, but also has a love story thrown in.

Daisy Mae, a young girl in town, falls in love with Abner, but he is too preoccupied with himself to notice, Frith said.

"Li'l Abner is stupid," Frith said. "Who wouldn't want to be with Daisy Mae? I've been in love with her since before I had a memory."

Frith said his goal for this production is to pay tribute to the comic that he loves so much.

"It's my hope that I can transform his satires," he said. "No subject was off limits to Capp. I just want to be in Dogpatch for the next few months."

The audition was divided up into three different sections: singing, acting and dancing. Each actor had to memorize a few bars from a song.

Some actors decided to audition at the last minute and sang a quick version of "Happy Birthday" to a young man in the audience who had a sweet 16 coming up. Others sang songs from popular musicals like Oklahoma!

Eleven-year-old Megan Marsh sang "Zippity Do Da" and said she was auditioning for any part she could get.

She said she preps herself for an audition by singing in the car on the way to the theatre, but it unfortunately doesn't calm her nerves.

"My heart is thumping right now," she said.

Once the actors performed their songs, they were told to choose two monologues to read on the spot and then had to learn and perform parts of a song from the musical.

Actress Whitney West recently graduated with a certificate in musical theatre from a professional conservatory in New York and said she is home for the summer to gain some acting experience.

West said there are some bad aspects to any audition. She said sometimes people forget notes to a song or their lines, but it is important to be prepared at all times.

"Make sure your music is in a binder," she said.

She also said it is always nice to bring a friend to an audition.

"I came with my sister," she said. "It's nice to have an audition buddy. The more you do it, the better it gets."

Li'l Abner opens at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 8 at the Denton Community Theatre. For more information and ticket options, call 940-382-1915.

Pegasus News content partner - North Texas Daily

See more stories in:

• Arts > Fine Arts > Theater