Kirk Players sets auditions for 'A Night of One Acts'

Kirk Players has announced open auditions for the final main stage show of its 53rd season, "A Night of One Acts." The one acts - "Black Comedy" by Peter Shaffer and "The Actor's Nightmare" by Christopher Durang, a pair of brilliantly written comedies enriched with farcical humor and technical wizardry - will open on the Mundelein High Theatre stage at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 7.

Open auditions for the one acts will take place at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 8, and Wednesday, April 10, at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, 10 S. Lake St., Mundelein. Callbacks, if necessary, are scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, April 11, at the church.

"A Night of One Acts" will offer roles for seven men and six women. The open auditions will consist of cold readings from the scripts. No advance preparation is required.

Rehearsals for the one acts will begin at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 15, at St. Andrew's Church. Specific rehearsal plans for each one-act will be provided at auditions.

"Black Comedy," by Peter Shaffer, is a farce set in South Kensington, London, in the mid-60s. A struggling sculptor and his fiance are planning a party to impress their guests. Without permission, they "borrow" furniture from their fussy neighbor, to add much needed décor to their flat. Just before the guests arrive, the main fuse blows, plunging the flat into total darkness. What ensues is a hilarious romp with unexpected visitors, mistaken identities and surprises lurking in every corner.

"The Actor's Nightmare," by Chris Durang, is inspired by the well-known dream that professional and amateur actors often have: they must perform in a play for which they have never rehearsed and they do not know the lines. George, an accountant thrust into the role of actor, has to deal with abruptly hilarious changes from Shakespeare to Beckett.

Additional information about Kirk Players, a nonprofit community service theater company in its 53rd season, is available at www.kirkplayers.org.