Auditions in Round Rock for The Boys Next Door, Sam Bass Community Theatre, December 9-10, 2013

AUDITIONS for Tom Griffin’s “The Boys Next Door “ directed by Eric Nelson
Cast: 7 men, 2 women

Open auditions for Tom Griffin's The Boys Next Door, a play about four men with developmental disabilities who live together in a small apartment and Jack, the caring social worker who is on the verge of career burn-out. The action takes place over the course of two months, during which we see the men dealing with various situations which would seem natural to others but which are complicated for them. These situations provide the audience with a mix of heartwarming comedy and stunning drama. Throughout the play, there are moments when some of the characters step out of themselves and address the audience with their inner thoughts as if they were emotionally stabilized.

Auditions will be held Monday Dec 9, 2013 (7:00-9:00 PM) and Tuesday Dec 10, 2013 (7:00-9:00 PM) at Sam Bass Community Theatre 600 N Lee ST Round Rock (click for map). Those auditioning should prepare a contemporary monologue of their choice (1-3 minutes in length, comedy or drama) and should be prepared for possible cold readings from the script.

The production will run Feb 14-Mar 8 2014. Click to go to CentralTexasLiveTheatre for character list with descriptions.

THE RED VELVET CAKE WAR by Jones, Hope and Wooten, Sam Bass Community Theatre, Round Rock, September 27 - October 19, 2013

presents

The Red Velvet Cake War

by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten

directed by Lynn S. Beaver

September 27, 2013 - October 19, 2013

Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays 8 p.m., Sundays 2: p.m.

Sam Bass Community Theatre, 600 N. Lee St., Round Rock (in Memorial Park)-- CLICK FOR MAP

Tickets $18; $15 seniors, students, educators, military; $15 all Thursday performances 

Reservations: www.sambasstheatre.org

The Red Velvet Cake War opens the Sam Bass Community Theatre 2013-2014 season on September 27th at Sam Bass Community Theatre. In this riotously funny Southern-fried comedy, the three Verdeen cousins—Gaynelle, Peaches and Jimmie Wyvette—could not have picked a worse time to throw their family reunion.

Their outrageous antics have delighted local gossips in the small town of Sweetgum (just down the road from Fayro) and the eyes of Texas are upon them, as their self-righteous Aunt LaMerle is quick to point out. Having “accidentally” crashed her minivan through the bedroom wall of her husband’s girlfriend’s doublewide, Gaynelle is one frazzled nerve away from a spectacular meltdown. Peaches, a saucy firebrand and the number one mortuarial cosmetologist in the tri-county area, is struggling to decide if it’s time to have her long-absent trucker husband declared dead. And Jimmie Wyvette, the rough-around-the-edges store manager of Whatley’s Western Wear, is resorting to extreme measures to outmaneuver a priss-pot neighbor for the affections of Sweetgum’s newest widower.

Raynelle Shelley, Linda Myers and Rhonda Roe as the Verdeen Cousins (photo: Sam Bass Theatre)

But the cousins can’t back out of the reunion now. It’s on and Gaynelle’s hosting it; Peaches and Jimmie Wyvette have decided its success is the perfect way to prove Gaynelle’s sanity to a skeptical court-appointed psychologist. Unfortunately, they face an uphill battle as a parade of wildly eccentric Verdeens gathers on the hottest day of July, smack-dab in the middle of Texas tornado season. Things spin hilariously out of control when a neighbor’s pet devours everything edible, a one-eyed suitor shows up to declare his love and a jaw-dropping high-stakes wager is made on who bakes the best red velvet cake.

As this fast-paced romp barrels toward its uproarious climax, you’ll wish your own family reunions were this much fun!

Cast includes: Anita Tecce, Linda Myers, BJ Machalicek, Frank Benge, Rhonda Roe, Raynelle Shelley, Veronica Prior, Gene Storie, Jeff Sughrue, Lori Iacoletti, Janie Williams and John Iacoletti.

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

Video Profile (2): Sam Bass Community Theatre, Round Rock and 'The Red Velvet Cake War,' September 27 - October 19, 2013, by John Speasmaker at YourLocalColor.com

John Speasmaker hears from Lynn Beaver about the membership drive and the history of the Sam Bass Theatre in Round Rock and provides glimpses of the ongoing rehearsals for the production of The Red Velvet Cake War by Jones, Hope and Wooten. (7 min., 33 sec.)

 

What's Going on at Sam Bass Community Theatre

by John Speasmaker, August 27, 2013

Sam Bass Community Theater has a lot going on for the next few weeks. For starters, they are getting close to the opening of their next production which will be The Red Velvet Cake War, directed by Lynn Beaver, and created by the famous comedy writing trio of Jones, Hope, and Wooten. This laugh fest of a show will be starting its run on Friday September 27th and it will run through Saturday October 19th. Please watch the attached video for hilarious clips from Sam Bass’s most recent reading. You will really enjoy yourself.

Jones, Hope and Wooten are well known for their ability to capture the unique flavor of small town southern life. and The Red Velvet Cake War is that and so much more. The play is situated in the fictional town of Sweetgum, Texas, and is centered on the antics of the Verdeen family, their family reunion, and a hotly contested bake-off. I attended a reading rehearsal, and I laughed the whole way through. Watch the video.

Also on the Sam Bass Community Theatre agenda is their membership drive, a season ticket drive and fundraising for a new annex. Membership opportunities with SBCT are available at many levels, and depending on the level you choose, memberships come with very attractive perks that really sweeten the deal. Memberships start at a modest $15 and go as high as you want. Some of the perks include complementary tickets, complementary season tickets, invitations to gala events, and of course, you get to support a local, Round Rock organization that is working hard to enrich our lives through superb entertainment.

Read more at YourLocalColor.com . . .

THE RED VELVET CAKE WAR by Jones, Hope and Wooten, Sam Bass Community Theatre, Round Rock,

(Sam Bass Community Theatre, 610 Lee Street, Round Rock - CLICK FOR MAP)

 presents

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

Video Profile: Sam Bass Community Theatre, Round Rock, by John Speasmaker at YourLocalColor.com

John Speasmaker hears from Frank Benge about the history and youth program of the Sam Bass Theatre in Round Rock and provides glimpses of the ongoing rehearsals for the production of Bugsy Malone (July 26 - August 17, 2013) (10 min. video)











by John Speasmaker

[. . .] at the Sam Bass Community Theatre here in Round Rock[ . . .] I saw motivated, relaxed and happy children who treated each other with kindness and respect, and they treated the adults who supervised and instructed them with the same level of care. It was wonderful. After my experience substituting in Austin, this really was one of the most uplifting experiences I have ever had. I left with a new appreciation for the adults who take time to work with children. On top of that, all of the adults who were there were not getting paid a penny for their time. This really was a labor of love. [. . .]

I started with Frank Benge who has been giving his time to the Sam Bass Community Theatre since 1994. Frank is now the Publicity Director for SBCT and is also on the board, and he allowed me to drop by rehearsals for their upcoming kid’s production of Bugsy Malone, Jr. He brought me up to date on the group’s history and also talked a lot about Sam Bass’s Youth Guild (moms you really should watch this). It is the membership of the Youth Guild that you will see rehearsing Bugsy Malone, Jr. on the attached video. Please take some time to watch so that you can really appreciate the great work being done.

Read more at YourLocalColor.com . . .

2013-2014 Theatre Season at the Sam Bass Community Theatre, Round Rock

[Sam Bass Community Theatre, 600 Lee Street, Round Rock - click for map]

announces its 2013 - 2014 theatre season:

The Red Velvet Cake Wars
by Jones, Hope & Wooten - directed by Lynn Beaver

In this riotously funny Southern-fried comedy, the three Verdeen cousins—Gaynelle, Peaches and Jimmie Wyvette—could not have picked a worse time to throw their family reunion. Their outrageous antics have delighted local gossips in the small town of Sweetgum (just down the road from Fayro) and the eyes of Texas are upon them, as their self-righteous Aunt LaMerle is quick to point out. Having “accidentally” crashed her minivan through the bedroom wall of her husband’s girlfriend’s doublewide, Gaynelle is one frazzled nerve away from a spectacular meltdown. Peaches, a saucy firebrand and the number one mortuarial cosmetologist in the tri-county area, is struggling to decide if it’s time to have her long-absent trucker husband declared dead. And Jimmie Wyvette, the rough-around-the-edges store manager of Whatley’s Western Wear, is resorting to extreme measures to outmaneuver a priss-pot neighbor for the affections of Sweetgum’s newest widower. But the cousins can’t back out of the reunion now. It’s on and Gaynelle’s hosting it; Peaches and Jimmie Wyvette have decided its success is the perfect way to prove Gaynelle’s sanity to a skeptical court-appointed psychologist. Unfortunately, they face an uphill battle as a parade of wildly eccentric Verdeens gathers on the hottest day of July, smack-dab in the middle of Texas tornado season. Things spin hilariously out of control when a neighbor’s pet devours everything edible, a one-eyed suitor shows up to declare his love and a jaw-dropping high-stakes wager is made on who bakes the best red velvet cake. As this fast-paced romp barrels toward its uproarious climax, you’ll wish your own family reunions were this much fun!

A Christmas Story
by Philip Grecian. Based on the motion picture "A Christmas Story." Directed by Laura Vohs.

Humorist Jean Shepherd's memoir of growing up in the midwest in the 1940s follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Ralphie pleads his case before his mother, his teacher and even Santa Claus himself, at Goldblatt's Department Store. The consistent response: "You'll shoot your eye out." All the elements from the beloved motion picture are here, including the family's temperamental exploding furnace; Scut Farkas, the school bully; the boys' experiment with a wet tongue on a cold lamppost; the Little Orphan Annie decoder pin; Ralphie's father winning a lamp shaped like a woman's leg in a net stocking; Ralphie's fantasy scenarios and more.

The Boys Next Door
by Tom Griffin, directed by Eric Nelson

The place is a communal residence in a New England city, where four mentally handicapped men live under the supervision of an earnest, but increasingly "burned out" young social worker named Jack. Norman, who works in a doughnut shop and is unable to resist the lure of the sweet pastries, takes great pride in the huge bundle of keys that dangles from his waist; Lucien P. Smith has the mind of a five-year-old but imagines that he is able to read and comprehend the weighty books he lugs about; Arnold, the ringleader of the group, is a hyperactive, compulsive chatterer, who suffers from deep-seated insecurities and a persecution complex; while Barry, a brilliant schizophrenic who is devastated by the unfeeling rejection of his brutal father, fantasizes that he is a golf pro. Mingled with scenes from the daily lives of these four, where "little things" sometimes become momentous (and often very funny), are moments of great poignancy when, with touching effectiveness, we are reminded that the handicapped, like the rest of us, want only to love and laugh and find some meaning and purpose in the brief time that they, like their more fortunate brothers, are allotted on this earth.


The Chalk Garden
by Enid Bagnold, directed by Frank Benge

A story about the need to bring love - real love - to children. Miss Madrigal is a newly hired nanny/companion at the home of Mrs. St. Maugham, a wealthy and slightly eccentric old woman who has been at war with her daughter Olivia for some time. Olivia has a daughter Laurel who has emotional problems, and whom Mrs. St. Maugham has legally taken away from Olivia. The old lady pretends that only she can give the love and care to the girl that her own daughter fails to give, but in reality she allows Laurel to have full freedom. As Laurel is an arsonist and liar this is not the best policy. The household is completed by the wryly humorous butler Maitland. He sees the blundering by his employer, and he would like to tell a few things to Laurel, but he restrains himself because of his status as an employee. Madrigal, of course, having just arrived is more willing to openly confront Laurel. She does so in an effort to understand her. Laurel appreciates having a new person to toy with, and opens up to an extent (revealing a love of old murder cases), but she is trying to find out the secret that Madrigal is holding back on - which she assumes can prove quite wounding if exposed, and she would love to expose it. At points the secret comes near to the surface, but it keeps getting closed as quickly as it seems to appear. In the meantime Madrigal tries to get her employer see the need for Laurel to have her mother back into her life.

Refried Flimflammery
An evening of selected short plays from the playwrights of Loaded Gun Theory's "Slapdash Flimflammery"

Once again, we offer an evening of the most popular of the short plays from the minds of Loaded Gun Theory! These were all done one night only... until NOW!! A riotous evening of adult laughs!!


Jungalbook
Adapted by Edward Mast. Based on the Mowgli stories of Rudyard Kipling. Directed by Nelly Ruiz de Chavez.

Our Youth Guild summer show! This dramatization places the jungle of India on a children's playground. The dialogue and action refer to the jungle, but the play draws color and style from a child's intense world of playfulness, loyalty, adventure and betrayal. Mowgli, the human child, grows up in the jungle, raised by wolves under the guidance of Baloo the bear. The tiger, Sherakhan, killed his parents and wants the boy's flesh, but Bagheera, the lone panther, protects him. Mowgli grows up wild and unconcerned, believing he's a wolf; but the tiger works long and hard to poison the wolf pack against him. With rope stolen from the human village, Mowgli meets and destroys Sherakhan; but his use of "manthing" has broken jungle law. Mowgli must choose whether to defy the law or leave the jungle forever.

THE SECRET GARDEN and THE YELLOW BOAT, Sam Bass Community Theatre, Round Rock, May 8 - June 8, 2013

(Sam Bass Community Theatre, 610 Lee Street, Round Rock)


presents






The Secret Garden
adapted by Pamela Sterling and directed by Laura Vohs

and

The Yellow Boat
by David Saar, directed by Ashley Zeh

May 8, 2013 – June 8, 2013
Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays 8:00 pm, Sundays 2:00 pm

Sam Bass Community Theatre, 600 N. Lee St., Round Rock (in Memorial Park) -- click for map
$18; $15 seniors, students, educators, military; $13 all Thursday performances, $10 Children
Reservations: www.sambasstheatre.org

“The Secret Garden” tells the story of young Mary Lennox who is orphaned by an earthquake in India and sent to England to live with her uncle in a cold ancestral manor in Yorkshire. Mary, a resourceful and inquisitive girl, soon makes two exciting discoveries: she finds an overgrown secret garden, and her cousin, Colin. Mary and another new friend, Dickon, bring the garden back to life and decide Colin must see it... a decision that will change several lives.
“The Yellow Boat” is a glorious affirmation of a child's life and the strength and courage of all children. Benjamin is a uniquely gifted visual artist, whose buoyant imagination transforms his physical and emotional pain into a blaze of colors and shapes in his fanciful drawings and paintings. Benjamin's remarkable voyage continues to touch audiences around the world.

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

 

LOVE LETTERS by A.R. Gurney, Sam Bass Community Theatre, March 22 - April 6, 2013

(Sam Bass Community Theatre, 610 Lee Street, Round Rock)

presents

Love Letters

by A.R. Gurney
directed by Lynn S. Beaver
March 22, 2013 – April 6, 2013
Times: March 22, 23, 29, 30 & April 4, 5 & 6 at 8:00 PM
March 24 and 31 at 2:00 PM
Sam Bass Community Theatre, 600 N. Lee St., Round Rock (in Memorial Park)
$18; $15 seniors, students, educators, military; $13 all Thursday performances
Reservations: www.sambasstheatre.org



Love Letters, the Pulitzer Prize nominated play by A. R. Gurney, is back at SBCT for 9 performances! This is the story of two characters, Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III, that spans over 50 years, as they discuss their hopes and ambitions, dreams and disappointments, victories and defeats – all through the letters they write to each other. Please join us for this evocative, touching, frequently funny but always telling evening in which what is implied is as revealing and meaningful as what is actually written down.

Featuring Frank Benge as Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and Veronica Prior as Melissa Gardner

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

Auditions in Round Rock for The Secret Garden and The Yellow Boat, Sam Bass Community Theatre, March 25 and 26, 2013

 [Sam Bass Community Theatre, 600 Lee Street, Round Rock -- click for map ]

Auditions for The Secret Garden and The Yellow Boat, March 25 and 26, 2013, 7-9 p.m.


The Yellow Boat is a glorious affirmation of a child's life and the strength and courage of all children. David and Sonja Saar's son, Benjamin, was a uniquely gifted visual artist. Benjamin's buoyant imagination transformed his physical and emotional pain into a blaze of colors and shapes in his fanciful drawings and paintings. An enchanting classic, The Secret Garden, is the story of 11 year old orphan Mary Lennox who returns to Yorkshire to live with her embittered, reclusive uncle Archibald and his invalid son Colin. The estate's wonders include a magic garden which beckons the children in this compelling tale of forgiveness. Secret Garden by Pamela Sterling / The Yellow Boat by David Saar

DEATH AND THE MAIDEN by Ariel Dorfmann, Sam Bass Community Theatre, Round Rock, March 22 - 30, 2013

(Sam Bass Community Theatre, 600 Lee Street, Round Rock)

presents


Death and the Maiden

by Ariel Dorfmann
March 22 - 30, 2013
Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.
Sam Bass Community Theatre, 610 Lee Street, Round Rock

Set in an unnamed country that is, like the author's native Chile, emerging from a totalitarian dictatorship, the play explores the after effects of repression on hearts and souls. Paulina Escobar's husband Gerardo is to head an investigation into past human rights abuses. A Dr. Miranda stops at Escobars' to congratulate Gerardo. Paulina overhears them speaking and is convinced that Miranda supervised her prison torture sessions. She ties him to a chair and conducts her own interrogation, gun in hand. Escobar doesn't know whether to believe his distraught wife or his persuasive new friend. This white knuckle thriller is a rivetting intellectual and emotional tug of war.

"Searing." - Christian Science Monitor

"Magnificent...One of those rare plays which...seem to grasp the pulse of the century." - London Financial Times

"A terrifying moral thriller which combines brilliant theatricality with clear thought and fierce compassion." - London Sunday Times

"Suspenseful, rivetting... movingly personal." - The New York Times

PLEASE NOTE: FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY!
CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE AND THEMES!

Make Reservations at http://www.sambasstheatre.org

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

DEATH AND THE MAIDEN by Ariel Dorfman, Sam Bass Community Theatre, Round Rock, March 22 - April 6, 2013

(Sam Bass Community Theatre, 600 Lee Street, Round Rock)

presents



(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

IT COULD BE ANY ONE OF US by Alan Ayckbourne, Sam Bass Community Theatre, Round Rock, February 8 - March 2, 2013

(Sam Bass Community Theatre, 600 Lee Street, Round Rock)

presents

It Could Be Any One of Us

a comedy by Alan Ayckbourne

February 8 - March 2, 2013

Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.

Click here to buy tickets

A thunderstorm! In a windswept country house a family of failures wrangles over a will: a detective who has never solved a case; a writer, an artist and a composer whose works have never been published, shown or performed, and a dysfunctional teenager. 


These are the prime ingredients for a murder mystery but this diversion is by British Master of Comedy Alan Ayckbourne and it has a number of surprises. The victim is not who it should be and the thrills are leavened with tongue in cheek humor and ironic commentary.

And one more twist: The murderer changes with every performance!

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

Upcoming: The Back Room, a New Year's Eve Speakeasy, Sam Bass Community Theatre, Round Rock, December 31

presents

The Back Room - A New Year's Eve Speakeasy
	December 31, 2012  Shhhh! Something is happening behind the closed doors of The Back Room at Sam Bass Theatre this New Year's Eve. Rumor has it that the infamous speakeasy is going to be back in business for just one night. Enjoy The Back Room's smooth voiced cabaret singers, then relax in The Back Room's speakeasy lounge. There are three seating times available for this event - 8:00 pm, 9:00 pm, and 10:00 pm. Each seating includes a cabaret show in The Back Room's theatre, followed by one hour of post-performance food, drinks, entertainment, and silent auction in The Back Room's speakeasy lounge. Come dressed in your best 1920's speakeasy attire. Bring your imagination and your sense of adventure, because you may find yourself playing a role in the mystery and intrigue of The Back Room. Special offer - use code SECRET when buying tickets and save $5 per ticket. Tickets must be purchased by December 15 to receive this special offer!

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

Upcoming: A Christmas Carol, adapted by Phil Grecian, Sam Bass Community Theatre, November 16 - December 15

A Christmas Carol

adapted by Phil Grecian from Charles Dickens

directed by Ashley Zeh

opens November 16th at Sam Bass Community Theatre.

November 16, 2012 - December 15, 2012 Times: Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays 8:00pm, Sundays 2:00pm Sam Bass Community Theatre, 600 N. Lee St., Round Rock (in Memorial Park)

Tickets $18; $15 seniors, students, educators, military; $15 all Thursday performances, $10 Children Reservations: www.sambasstheatre.org

Charles Dickens' holiday classic, “A Christmas Carol”, has been given a fresh new adaptation by Phil Grecian. This holiday season treat yourself to a highly theatrical interactive audience experience. The classic tale of Scrooge's transformation after the supernatural visits from Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come is a perennial holiday favorite. You may have seen “A Christmas Carol “many times... but never like this!

Cast includes- Rex Heller, Jeff Sughrue, Anthony Bain, Lindsay Snyder, Theresa Dombrowski, Kylie Shannon, Greg Garcia, Kelly Hamilton, Lindsey Heller, Cara Garcia, Micah McKee, Kevin Dombrowski, Christian Midkiff, Eric Schott, Natalie Simon, Brendan Vohs, Mathias Mesich, Peggy Schott and Jake Gollub.

Presented by Sam Bass Community Theatre

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

Auditions in Round Rock for New Year's Eve event The Back Room, October 15

Auditions for the 2012 New Year's Eve event, The Back Room, will be held on October 15 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at Sam Bass Theatre. Seeking the following roles:

Cabaret singers - 5 to 6 singers. Each will sing 2 solo or duet songs (singer's choice) plus an opening and closing group number. Singers will submit their own selections for the director's approval. Songs must be from the 1920s or in the style of the 1920s. The singers are the performers in the The Back Room's nightclub. Please prepare 1 or 2 selections for the auditions. Think sexy, sultry, lounge style. The singers will perform 3 sets for 3 different audiences.

Waiters/waitresses - 2 or 3, can be male or female
Bartender - 1 male
Bouncer - 1 male
MC - 1 male
Fortune teller - 1 female (must be comfortable reading tarot cards)
Box office girl - 1 female

These roles are interactive with the guests. There are no scripts for these performers. Each actor will create their own backstory based on character descriptions provided by the director. Character descriptions will be emailed out the week before the auditions and actors will be asked to improvise for the audition.

Youtube auditions will be accepted for singers/actors who are unable to attend the auditions. Youtube links may be emailed to hpdoggett@yahoo.com. Video submissions must be received by 6:00 pm on October 6.

The Back Room is a different kind of event for SBCT. Guests will be transported to a 1920s speakeasy upon arriving at the theatre. Guests will not be told that the staff of the speakeasy are actors. The concept is to provide an interactive event for the guests. More details will be provided at the auditions, but questions are welcome.

The performances will be held on 12/31 from 7:00 to midnight. The rehearsal schedule will be flexible based on singers/actors schedules. Not all will be called for all rehearsals. Rehearsals will begin the week of 11/5/12.

All roles, except one female singer, are open.

We understand this is a different type of audition, especially for those interested in acting roles, so questions are welcome. Post here or email hpdoggett@yahoo.com

Auditions in Round Rock for A Christmas Carol, Sam Bass Community Theatre, September 22 - 23

Auditions for "A Christmas Carol" are Sunday Sept. 22nd and Monday Sept. 23rd from 7 - 9 PM at the Old Depot Stage in Memorial Park in Round Rock.

Roles are available for all ages - men, women and children.

Auditions are cold readings from the script.

The production is directed by Ashley Zeh.

2012-2013 Season for Sam Bass Community Theatre, Round Rock

2012-2013 Season

Click to go to the website for season tickets

 

The Hallelujah Girls

by Jones, Hope and Wooten

September 21 - October 13

Tickets on-line

Hilarity abounds when the feisty females of Eden Falls, Georgia, decide to shake up their lives. The action in this rollicking Southern comedy takes place in SPA-DEE-DAH!, the abandoned church-turned-day-spa where this group of friends gathers every Friday afternoon. After the loss of a dear friend, the women realize time is precious, and if they're going to change their lives and achieve their dreams, they have to get on it now! By the time these women rally together to overcome their obstacles and launch their new, improved lives, you've got a side-splitting, joyful comedy that will make you laugh out loud and shout "Hallelujah". By Jesse Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten(they also wrote Christmas Belles, Dixie Swim Club and Dashing Through the Snow)

A Christmas Carol

November 16 - December 15
Tickets on-line

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol has been adapted by Phil Grecian in this very theatrical stage play. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. You may have seen A Christmas Carol before but never like this! Adapted for the stage by Phil Grecian from the novella by Charles Dickens

It Could Be Any One of Us

by Alan Ayckbourn
February 8 - March 2
Tickets on-line

A thunderstorm! In a windswept country house a family of failures wrangles over a will: a detective who has never solved a case; a writer, an artist and a composer whose works have never been published, shown or performed, and a dysfunctional teenager. These are the prime ingredients for a murder mystery… but this diversion is by British Master of Comedy Alan Ayckbourne and it has a number of surprises. The victim is not who it should be and the thrills are leavened with tongue in cheek humor and ironic comment¦. And one more twist: The murderer changes with every performance! By Alan Ayckbourn

Death and the Maiden

by Ariel Dorfman
March 22 - March 30
Tickets on-line

Ariel Dorfman's explosively provocative, award-winning drama is set in a country that has only recently returned to democracy. Gerardo Escobar has just been chosen to head the commission that will investigate the crimes of the old regime when his car breaks down and he is picked up by the humane doctor Roberto Miranda. But in the voice of this good Samaritan, Gerardo's wife, Paulina Salas, thinks she recognizes another man—the one who raped and tortured her as she lay blindfolded in a military detention center years before. By Ariel Dorfman

The Secret Garden/Yellow Boat
May 8 - June 8
Tickets on-line

The Yellow Boat is a glorious affirmation of a child's life and the strength and courage of all children. David and Sonja Saar's son, Benjamin, was a uniquely gifted visual artist. Benjamin's buoyant imagination transformed his physical and emotional pain into a blaze of colors and shapes in his fanciful drawings and paintings. An enchanting classic, The Secret Garden, is the story of 11 year old orphan Mary Lennox who returns to Yorkshire to live with her embittered, reclusive uncle Archibald and his invalid son Colin. The estate's wonders include a magic garden which beckons the children in this compelling tale of forgiveness. Secret Garden by Pamela Sterling / The Yellow Boat by David Saar

Bugsy Malone

Book by Alan Parker with music and lyrics by Paul Williams
July 26 - August 7
Tickets on-line

A slapstick musical comedy, BUGSY MALONE follows the rivalry between two half-witted street gangs and the washed up, well-intentioned, one-time boxer who steps in to take control of Fat Sam's gang and give Dandy Dan and his boys what they've got coming. In this film noir spoof, the message is one of good, clean fun; the characters are wonderful 1920's cartoon cutouts; and the weapons of choice are "splurge" whip cream guns, flour bombs, and custard pies. Book by Alan Parker with music and lyrics by Paul Williams.

Auditions in Round Rock for New Year's even at Sam Bass Community Theatre, October 7

Auditions for the 2012 New Year's Eve event, The Back Room, will be held on October 7 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at Sam Bass Theatre. Director- Holly Provance Doggett; AD/SM - Laura Vohs. Seeking the following roles:

Cabaret singers - 5 to 6 singers. Each will sing 2 solo or duet songs (singer's choice) plus an opening and closing group number. Singers will submit their own selections for the director's approval. Songs must be from the 1920s or in the style of the 1920s. The singers are the performers in the The Back Room's nightclub. Please prepare 1 or 2 selections for the auditions. Think sexy, sultry, lounge style. The singers will perform 3 sets for 3 different audiences.

Waiters/waitresses - 2 or 3, can be male or female; Bartender - 1 male; Bouncer - 1 male; MC - 1 male; Fortune teller - 1 female (must be comfortable reading tarot cards); Box office girl - 1 female

These roles are interactive with the guests. There are no scripts for these performers. Each actor will create their own back story based on character descriptions provided by the director. Character descriptions will be emailed out the week before the auditions and actors will be asked to improvise for the audition.

Youtube auditions will be accepted for singers/actors who are unable to attend the auditions. Youtube links may be emailed to hpdoggett@yahoo.com. Video submissions must be received by 6:00 pm on October 6.

The Back Room is a different kind of event for SBCT. Guests will be transported to a 1920s speakeasy upon arriving at the theatre. Guests will not be told that the staff of the speakeasy are actors. The concept is to provide an interactive event for the guests. More details will be provided at the auditions, but questions are welcome.

The performances will be held on 12/31 from 7:00 to midnight. The rehearsal schedule will be flexible based on singers/actors schedules. Not all will be called for all rehearsals. Rehearsals will begin the week of 11/5/12. All roles, except one female singer, are open. We understand this is a different type of audition, especially for those interested in acting roles, so questions are welcome. Post here or email hpdoggett@yahoo.com

Upcoming: The Hallelujah Girls by Jones, Hope & Wooten, Sam Bass Community Theatre, Round Rock, September 21 - October 6

THE HALLELUJAH GIRLS by Jones, Hope & Wooten, Sam Bass Community Theatre, Round Rock, September 21 - October 13
  "The Hallelujah Girls" by Jess1e Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten opens September 21st at Sam Bass Community Theatre. Directed by Lynn S. Beaver.
Click to reserve via the Sam Bass website

Hilarity abounds when the feisty females of Eden Falls, Georgia, decide to shake up their lives. The action in this rollicking Southern comedy takes place in SPA-DEE-DAH!, the abandoned church-turned-day-spa where this group of friends gathers every Friday afternoon. After the loss of a dear friend, the women realize time is precious, and if they're going to change their lives and achieve their dreams, they have to get on it now! By the time these women rally together to overcome their obstacles and launch their new, improved lives, you've got a side-splitting, joyful comedy that will make you laugh out loud and shout "Hallelujah!"

Cast includes: Melita McAtee, Veronica Prior, Jan Phillips, Laura Vohs, Mary Southon, Gene Storie and Ken Ramsey. Presented by Sam Bass Community Theatre

Dates: September 21, 2012 - October 13, 2012 Times: Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays 8:00pm, Sundays 2:00pm Sam Bass Community Theatre, 600 N. Lee St., Round Rock (in Memorial Park) $18; $15 seniors, students, educators, military; $15 all Thursday performances Reservations: www.sambasstheatre.org

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

Upcoming: Alice in Wonderland, adapted by Andre Gregory and the Manhattan Project Theatre, Sam Bass Community Theatre, July 20 - August 11

Sam Bass Theatre Youth Guild 

presents

Alice In Wonderland

an adaptation by the Manhattan Project under the direction of Andre Gregory of the novel by Lewis Carroll

directed by Nelly Ruiz de Chavez

July 20 - August 11

Wednesdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Sam Bass Community Theatre, 600 N. Lee St. , Round Rock (in Memorial Park)(click for map)

Tickets $18; $15 seniors, students, educators, military; $13 all Thursday performances Reservations: www.sambasstheatre.org. Purchase tickets at the Sam Bass Community Theatre website.

It's hard to imagine anyone not knowing the story of Alice and her Adventures in Wonderland, but you probably won't remember it quite like this! Our ensemble cast of Sam Bass’s Youth Guild brings Andre Gregory's classic avant-garde one-act play to life. This exuberant, funny version of Lewis Carroll's classic is NOT the Disney-fied version. It IS a piece of pure theatre that is full of truth, fun, terror, and uncanny pertinence to our own topsy-turvy times. Andre Gregory may be recalled by some as the subject of the film “My Dinner With Andre”, in which he played himself.