By Cierra Martinez
@cierramarie26
Every year Las Positas College Department of Theater Arts presents a fall play. And this year will be no different.
But according to former theater director Titian Lish, the Las Positas theater program will look a little different. This is because LPC will have a new director, Jill MacLean.
MacLean has worked for Las Positas Theater since 2010 and this will be her first year directing.
“Instead of just having just one play each semester, Las Positas will now have two shows per semester, plus a summer musical” said MacLean. “It’s very exciting I have been an adjunct instructor for six years, and this is the first directing slot that has been opened and I’m thrilled that it’s a musical.”
According to McLean, Lish will still be very much involved in LPC’s theater program as she will be producing and marketing the shows, acting as department coordinator, overseeing the needs of the director, and handling the facilities and box offices.
Essentially Lish provides the framework of the shows and will also be directing LPC’s fall play “Silent Sky.”
This fall, LPC Theater will be presenting “The Addams Family”, a musical based on the characters of the original comic strip and tv show/films.
“‘The Addams Family’ musical follows the story of Wednesday Addams, now a young adult who falls in love with a “normal” boy from Ohio, and how both families come to terms with their relationship,” said McLean.
The musical has 10 principal characters: Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, Grandma, Uncle Fester, Lurch, Mal, Alice, and Lucas Beineke.
Following “The Addams Family” will be ‘Silent Sky’.” MacLean said describing the plays.
With flyers and posters everywhere on campus, LPC Theater is encouraging anyone who is interested in theater and acting to audition.
MacLean stated “LPC’s Department of Theater has promoted auditions for this fall’s upcoming plays in several ways including Facebook groups such as ‘Las Positas Theater Nerds’, and ‘Bay Area Theater Folks’, as well as Google group ‘Bay Area Theater Bums’ which students can subscribe in order to find out about auditions and any other theater related jobs”.
Las Positas will be holding joint auditions on campus for both plays Tuesday, August 30 and Wednesday August 31 from 7-10pm, in the Barbara Mertes Center for Arts in building 4000. No experience is necessary for auditioning, so everyone is welcome to join; however when auditioning students can choose whether to audition for booth plays or just one.
If students choose to audition for “The Addams Family”, students should bring a prepared popular song or theater song that is 32 measures, or one verse, and a prepared one-minute comedic or serio-comic monologue, which can be memorized or read.
When auditioning for “Silent Sky” students should bring a prepared one-minute or serio-comic monologue memorized or read.
For more information on how to prepare for auditions check out LPC’s Theater website: (www.laspositascollege.edu/thea/auditons.php).
With the new school year beginning, MacLean’s goal this year is to include as many students and members of the community as possible. “It’s a very family friendly and really fun musical,” said McLean. “I want to make The Addams family a fun Halloween themed event families can come to.”
“The Addams Family” opening night will be Friday Oct. 21st at 8pm and the show will have four additional performances; Saturday Oct. 22 at 8pm, Sunday Oct. 23 at 2pm, Friday Oct. 28 at 8pm, and Saturday Oct 29 at 8pm, all in the Main Stage Theater.