Submitted by Jake Perrine, Orcas Center.

It is with great jubilation that we are announcing Orcas Center’s upcoming Spring 2024 production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s masterwork “Into The Woods”! It will be directed by Jake Perrine.

This pinnacle of the American musical theatre canon first appeared on Broadway in 1987, and has gone on to become one of Sondheim’s most-beloved and most-produced musicals. Mashing up the storylines and themes of multiple Brothers Grimm fairy tales – such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, and others, the cast delves into humor and poignancy as each story must go “Into the Woods” to find its resolution.

Auditions are Nov. 6 and 7 from 6-9 p.m. To sign up for a 15-minute audition slot on either date: email jake@orcascenter.org. Callbacks are Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. The first cast read-through TBD but it will be before Nov. 19. Rehearsals begin in January 2024, ramping up in late March-April. Performance Dates are 10 shows between April 25 and May 12, 2024 on Orcas Center’s Center Stage.

The cast is made up of 18 characters played by 12-18 actors (A full character list is available at https://www.mtishows.com/full-cast-info/1041) ranging in age (14 and up), gender, and ethnicity. Depending on who auditions, casting may include some doubling of parts, and/or gender fluid casting.

Every role is a singing part, some more than others, but generally there is no one discernable “lead role”: It is a true ensemble cast, which is what makes this show perfect for the Orcas Island community. The music is challenging (as all Sondheim’s scores are), and so experience learning complex music, ability to read a vocal score, and confidence singing alone will all be important factors in casting. The cast will be predominantly responsible for learning their lines and music on their own before rehearsals begin in early 2024. The show will be rehearsed and performed to a pre-recorded score, so this will allow actors to rehearse confidently on their own time.

While there will be no traditional “dance numbers” in the show, there will be a strong emphasis on physical theatre, ensemble movement, and using your whole body to sing and convey story.

To audition, email Jake with three possible 15-minute time slots on either of the audition dates. Please prepare 1-3 minutes of one of the solo songs from the show along with a backing track from YouTube (there are many to choose from – try searching “into the woods giants in the sky karaoke” or similar). You may bring your device (phone, etc.) to play back your song on a speaker we will provide, or you can send me a link to your song beforehand and we will play it for you. Auditions will take place one at a time in a private environment with a small handful of people from the production team. Callbacks will take place on Thursday 11/9 at 6pm.

We look forward to your audition, and are excited to hear you sing and see you play! Emphasis for this production will be on having fun together as a team in a low stress but hard working environment.

PS: Astute actors will notice that we are auditioning “She Kills Monsters” and “Into The Woods” on the same evenings! Well done, you are correct! This is for efficiency. You are welcome to audition for both shows, but you may only be in one or the other, as your sanity is important to us!