GREENEVILLE – Whether people want to act in intimate plays outdoors or perform in a Shakespearean comedy on the stage inside Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Center, Tusculum University is ready to give them a chance.
Actors perform a scene during a 2025 performance of “Edgar Allan Poe and Other Haunted Stories in the Woods.”
The Center for the Arts is holding auditions for the annual production of “Edgar Allen Poe and Other Haunted Stories in the Woods” and “The Taming of the Shrew,” both of which will have shows in the fall semester at the university. Those who are interested can vie for parts in late August and early September for these distinctly wonderful styles of theater.
People are not required to have acting experience to audition.
“We love giving local experienced actors and others who want to give theater a try the opportunity to show their skills,” said Steve Schultz, director of Tusculum Arts Outreach and the director of both productions. “Auditions are always great fun because we love to see what gifts the actors will bring to the table and how they will enhance the performances. We encourage people in the region to be part of the creative process and demonstrate how they would be an excellent fit for the cast.”
Auditions for “The Taming of the Shrew” will be held Sunday, Aug. 30, and Monday, Aug. 31, at 6 p.m. in Behan Arena Theatre. The Center for the Arts will then hold auditions for “Edgar Allen Poe and Other Haunted Stories in the Woods” Sunday, Sept. 6; Monday, Sept. 7; and Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m. in Behan.
Tusculum students are urged to audition for “Shrew” because the university now offers a theater concentration within its bachelor’s degree in communication. Students enrolled in that academic program are taking Acting 1 in the fall semester and are required to be in this production. But there are still additional roles that will be available to other Tusculum students as well as community members.
“Edgar Allan Poe and Other Haunted Stories in the Woods” provides the opportunity to see multiple plays.
Schultz is seeking to cast 20 parts for “Shrew” – 17 with speaking roles and three who will sing in the production. Those who audition need be at least 14 years old, but Schultz said the cast will leaning on older actors because of the difficulty of the roles. He said he will spend the first week of rehearsals teaching the cast about Shakespeare and the approach to speaking and acting in one of that playwright’s productions.
Anyone who wants to audition will have to perform 10 lines of a Shakespeare comedic monologue. They will then participate in cold reads from “Shrew” with others who are seeking a role in this production. To learn more, please visit Arts Outreach’s Facebook page.
Erin Hensley Shultz, who will serve as the music director and costume director for “Shrew” will oversee the auditions for the singing parts.
“Poe” has become a tradition around Halloween. Held at the Doak House Museum, “Poe” consists of six plays of about 10 minutes each in duration. Each one is performed six times, enabling the audience to see all of the plays. The event also features Tusculum student groups selling concessions as a fundraiser and guides reciting poems as they escort people to the different plays.
Audiences enjoy coming to “Edgar Allan Poe and Other Haunted Stories in the Woods” in the cool fall weather.
This production has become a major hit with community members, who have the opportunity to experience great outdoor theater on a cool fall evening.
The complete roster of plays for “Poe” is still being formed, but Schultz knows that “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart” will return for another year. The remaining plays will be determined by the time of the auditions, and those who are seeking to act in “Poe” will participate in readings from the scripts.
Performances of “Shrew” will be Thursday, Dec. 3-Saturday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 6, at 2 p.m. in the Marilyn duBrisk Theatre inside Annie Hogan Byrd. “Poe” will be held Friday, Oct. 23, and Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Doak House, with gates opening at 6 p.m.
“Another great year of theater awaits the community as we embark on these two productions for the fall,” Schultz said. “We are proud to enhance the quality of life in our region through the arts and build on our lengthy tradition of strong theater. Audiences will enjoy what we present this fall, and we are thrilled to get things rolling with these auditions.”
Anyone who has questions can email Schultz at sschultz@tusculum.edu. More information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu.