SEQUIM — Open auditions are set for 7 p.m. Wednesday for Olympic Theatre Arts’ next Main Stage musical production, “Quilters.”
The auditions will be in the main auditorium at 414 N. Sequim Ave. Time and day for another audition over the weekend of Dec. 14-15 will be announced.
Performances of the show will run from Feb. 21 through March 8.
The musical is about the lives of American pioneer women based on the book “The Quilters: Women and Domestic Art” by Patricia Cooper and Norma Bradley Allen.
In the American West, a pioneer woman named Sarah faces frontier life together with six women who are called her daughters. Rather than a straightforward story line, the musical is presented as a series of short tales and tableaux, like patches on a quilt, matched with musical numbers, said Pete Griffin, OTA marketing and image manager.
Each “patch” presents an aspect of frontier life or womanhood, such as girlhood, marriage, childbirth, spinsterhood, twisters, fire, illness and death, he said.
The cast is made of seven women and the age range is open from late teen to mature adult.
The show is a musical but not a demanding one, Griffin said.
“It is a show about real women, not about pretty voices. There is a small amount of dancing but it is not overly complicated, much more akin to contra dancing or square dancing.
“Our intent is to showcase the strength and tenacity of pioneer women who helped settle the west and honor the women who came and settled the Sequim prairie.”
Auditioners will be asked to sing something with expression which ideally shows off their range and singing voice. It can be a church hymn, a chorus from a pop song, a musical theater song or anything else they choose.
Auditioners may bring sheet music if they like. OTA is planning to have a pianist there, or auditioners can just sing acapella.
Auditioners will then be asked to do a cold reading from the show. This will be either a monologue or a scene with another acting partner.
This is primarily to help the director Richard Stephens to get a feel for voice and dramatic expression. He may also ask for some simple improv to see how comfortable auditioners are moving around the stage.
Perusal copies of the script are available in the office of Olympic Theatre Arts.
For more information, email the director at dramarex@gmail.com.
OTA also will have a small acoustic band play the music for the show.
A pianist/keyboardist is sought as well as musicians who can play bass, strings, violin, harp, piccolo freaka, flute, concertina, hammered dulcimer, guitar, mandolin, tenor banjo, spoons, harmonica in D, penny whistle (Flute), twanger, octave mandolin and Irish tenor drum.
Those interested can contact the OTA office at 360-683-7326.
