AUDITIONS! Speed-the-Plow! August 2!!

The Oakland Center for the Arts, 220 W. Boardman St., Youngstown, will hold auditions for "Speed-the-Plow", written by David Mamet and directed by Milan Paurich.

Auditions will be held in the Star Gallery on Monday, August 2 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.

Three roles are available including 2 men aged 35 and up and 1 woman in her 20s.

Those interested in auditioning should have some familiarity with the works of Mamet and should bring along a favorite passage from one of Mamet's works or also be prepared to read from the script.

For more information, email oaklandcenter@gmail.com.

For those unfamiliar with the play, here's a good cheat sheet. The original Broadway cast featured Madonna, Joe Montegna, and Ron Silver. Madonna! Hellz yeah!

And for those unfamiliar with Milan Paurich, he is best known in the Valley for his role as theater critic at the Vindy as well as film critic on Channel 27 News. It's no secret that Milan's opinions are strong and informed and don't always endear him to the people and theaters he reviews. In fact, he was banned from reviewing shows at the Oakland for a stretch of time some years back! But we worked through it and eventually he came back to review shows. When he expressed interest in tackling the challenge of directing a community theater production, our play selection committee jumped at the chance to offer him his directorial debut!

Speed-the-Plow is an interesting choice for someone's first time out directing, even if it's "just community theater." I would argue that community theater is hardest of all: shoestring budget, volunteer set builders and technicians, non-professionally trained actors, low turn outs for auditions, a limited rehearsal period....there are major challenges that unexpectedly pop up around every corner. And while S-T-P requires little in terms of set, lighting, costumes....it requires a helluva lot in terms of guiding actors in the ways of Mamet. And with his passion, education, and energy, we think Milan is the right man for the job!

So, if you're interested in auditioning, come out this Monday and show us what you got. If you wanna help design or build the set, costume the show, run the light board, or do anything else behind-the-scenesy or techy, email oaklandcenter@gmail.com. And if you're happy to just sit in the audience and soak in the show, performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 October 22 through November 6 with the possibility of a midnight show or Sunday evening show on Halloween!