Auditions for Nicolet Players' "The Understudy" Feb. 13 and 15

Three dynamic roles that explore life behind the scenes at a fast-paced Broadway show are available for local actors when the Nicolet Players returns to hold auditions Feb. 13 and 15 for The Understudy. 

     “Theresa Rebeck has always been one of my favorite playwrights,” said director K. Woodzick, “Her plays have been produced on Broadway and on regional stages across the country. I saw The Understudy at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts and fell in love with the script. It’s one of the most magical nights I have spent at the theatre, and I honestly can’t remember the last time I laughed that hard.” 

      Auditions for The Understudy will take place Sunday, Feb. 13, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.mm and Tuesday, Feb. 15, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Nicolet College Theatre located in the Lakeside Center on the Rhinelander campus. 

     The Understudy premiered in 2008 at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. The original cast included Wisconsin native and Emmy Award-winning actress Kristen Johnston and film star Bradley Cooper. Theresa Rebeck is a popular playwright who has also written and produced for such television shows as SMASH, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and NYPD Blue.  

     As always, everyone is welcome to audition. Those interested do not need any acting experience and they do not need to be Nicolet students. No preparation is required, but actors are typically better prepared if they have read the script beforehand. Interested individuals need to audition only one night but may elect to attend both nights. The auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. 

     Scripts are available for a three-day checkout from the service desk on the third floor of the Richard J. Brown Library, located in the Lakeside Center.  

     Roles will be available for three actors. The age range is flexible (20s-50s), but all three characters will need to be believably within roughly ten years of each other.  

          “The play is about a stage manager (Roxanne) wrangling two actors (Harry and Jake) at an understudy rehearsal for a hit Broadway show described as an undiscovered masterpiece by Kafka,” Woodzick explained. “It gives the audience a peek behind the curtain to show that sometimes more drama happens offstage than onstage. It provides the cast the opportunity to work with profoundly human moments of drama and also fast-paced comedy, often switching between the two at rapid speed.” 

     The selection of this play is a timely one, as theatres across the country, including Broadway, are relying on the skill of understudies more than ever, Woodzick explained. 

     Cast members can expect rehearsals to start on Feb. 22. The rehearsal schedule will be comprised of weekday evening rehearsals, held from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. There will be an average of three rehearsals a week, until tech week begins on April 2. 

     Public performances are scheduled for April 8 to 10 and 14 to 17, with Sunday performances at 2 p.m. and all others at 7:30 p.m. 

     More details about the play, including a detailed list of characters, are available at nicoletlive.com. Anyone with questions can also contact K. Woodzick at (360) 969-2565 or kwoodzick@gmail.com. 

     More information about all upcoming Nicolet Live! Performances, including how to purchase tickets, can be found at nicoletlive.com.