By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
The Hays Community Theatre, 121 E Eighth, is preparing for a busy spring as work begins on two upcoming productions along with their summer musical.
This year’s summer musical, The Addams Family, won’t be performed until July, but this weekend, cast hopefuls will begin the audition process.
“Our practices usually start at the beginning of June,” said board member Adam Conkey. “So, this is a summer-intensive thing.”
Auditions are scheduled for 2 p.m. March 4, 11 and 12.
He said practices entail a few hours in the evenings until the performances on July 27, 28 and 29 in the Beach/Schmidt Performing Art Center on the Fort Hays State University campus, 600 Park.
“This will involve a lot of choreography,” Conkey said. “It will involve singing and dancing, so get your shoes on.”
He said the cast could be may be as large as 30, but the more that want to participate the better.
“If you don't want to audition for a show, it helps us to have people in the background backstage, pushing props around and figuring out how the set needs to be moved,” Conkey said. “Those are always handy positions as well.”
While work begins for the summer production, two spring events are planned as well, including a unique version of Hamlet, and the second annual Drag Show.
“This is this is this is a kind of a special Hamlet, this is emo Hamlet in early 2000's Shakespearean tragedy,” Conkey said. “It's a take on Hamlet as a lead played by a female. So Hamlet is Ham Let and this is, set in a period where scene and emo music are part of the feel of it.”
Conkey will serve as director for the performance.
“I wanted it to be a tragedy, but one of those kind of dark comedies almost where it's, it's funny how terrible it is, how sad it is,” he said. “So that's the direction I'm going with it.”
The search for performers for that production will also begin soon, Conkey said, with junior high-age children to seniors needed.
Auditions are set from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. March 5 and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. March 6.
“Also, if you want to send in a video of yourself to hctks.com showing a Shakespearean sonnet that you're reading, that'll work just as well,” Conkey said.
Rehearsals are set to begin March 12 and run Sundays through Thursdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Performances are set for 7 p.m. April 27, 28 and 29 of April at the Community Theatre.
“It's gonna be a fun take,” Conkey said.
But first ...
“This is an over-the-top experience,” Conkey said of the upcoming second annual Drag Show set for 8 p.m. April 1. “I've never experienced an audience for anything quite like this. ... I'm also calling for performers for this as well.”
He said last year they had over 10 performers playing multiple characters and hopes to find even more this year.
“Lots of fun coming up here at the community theater, so for events and anything happening, make sure to see us at hctks.com or follow us on Facebook,” Conkey said.