Auditions for ‘Calendar Girls’ play set to go

Staff

Based on the 2003 British comedy film, Fort Frances Little Theatre is holding auditions next Wednesday (Nov. 23) for its upcoming stage production of “Calendar Girls.”
Hailing from a true story, the play focuses on a group from the local Women’s Institute who produce a nude calendar to raise money for leukemia research.
“I’ve been wanting to do this play for a while now,” said director Cathy Richards, noting she saw it performed once in Dryden.
“If they can do it, if their town is open, then we’re open to doing it,” she reasoned.
“We’re progressive enough.”
Richards vowed the scenes that go through the taking of the pictures all will be tastefully handled.
In fact, as an author’s note in the script, Tim Firth explains “the art of the play’s nudity lies in what is withheld.”
“The choreography of this sequence is best described as ‘fabulous concealment,’” he stressed.
“Should we see anything we oughtn’t, the whole scene will deflate like a soufflé on which the oven door has been opened too quickly.”
Richards said the play is a more mature one, featuring mainly actors over the age of 50.
“It calls for nine females and four males,” she noted, adding there is one role for a younger woman (in her 20s) and two younger men.
Two older men are required as husbands of two of the women.
“I think we have a lot of people who are going to be interested in taking part in this show,” Richards remarked.
She added she’d love for everybody to do British accents to keep with the integrity of the script.
“And it takes place in a church basement, so that’s two plays now taking place in a church,” she said referring to the production of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” which will take to the stage at Knox United Church’s McMillan Hall on Dec. 1-4.
The “Calendar Girls” production also will feature a charitable aspect by actually producing calendars that will be sold as a fundraiser, although the charity is yet to be determined.
“It’s a heart-warming story about love, friendship, and a giving community,” Richards said.
The full-length play will be staged at McMillan Hall in the spring.
Anyone interested in being involved is asked to attend auditions next Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. at Knox.
For more information, call Richards at 271-0389.