Wabeno Area Players Hosting Auditions for Musical Comedy, Lumberjacks and Wedding Belles

The Wabeno Area Players are seeking cast members for their production of the hilariously fun, musical comedy, Lumberjacks and Wedding Belles. The cast for the show includes 12 female roles and 10 male roles, plus extras, ages 12 to 80. Auditions are set for June 13 from 6:00-8:00pm and June 14 from 5:00-6:30pm. Tryouts are on the stage of the Nancy Volk Auditorium. A tryout for a role will consist of: 1. Singing a childhood song of the actor’s choice. 2. Learn, at the tryout session, a very short and simple dance routine. 3. Read aloud a portion of the script for roles the actors are interested in playing. Tryout materials are available at the Lakes Country Library, the Wabeno Public Library, the Edith Evans Library in Laona, and the Crandon Public Library Actors will be expected to attend three to four rehearsals a week. Rehearsals will be Monday through Thursdays, at 6:00 – 8:30pm, starting on June 26. Performance dates for the show are August 18, 19, and 20. The play is under the direction of Carol Bartlein. Male roles include Josh, Barney, Abraham and Luke who are lonely lumberjacks from Northern Wisconsin who decide to bring women to the Northwoods by means of mail-order brides. Mayor Crook is the corrupt politician, who wants the area to remain uncivilized and victim to his corruption. Asa Mercer is a young lawyer who think the mail order brides will help to civilize Northwoods; he is also the first to fall in love with one of the mail order brides. Lum is a total moron who wants the woods to stay wild, like him. Female roles include Pie Annie, a caring friend of the lumberjacks, who see her as their second mother. Nellie and Jenny are 12-year-old orphans who are in the care of Pie Annie. Charity (the love interest of Asa), Mae, Faith, Hope, and Arabella are mail order brides who have traveled from out East, in hope of finding husbands. Venus and Aphrodite are the wild sisters of Lum and the daughters of Ma Scrubbs, who is a villainous trapper and conspirator of Mayor Crook. There are 12 songs in the show. Most numbers large and small group ensembles. There are a few solos. The songs are easy, with mostly unison singing. There will be choreographed numbers, but the dance steps will be kept easy-to-learn. Lumberjacks and Wedding Belles is a very fun, moderately challenging show to perform. Wabeno Area Players are looking for energetic, dedicated, and hardworking singers and actors to bring the show to life for our audiences. Call 715-473-5466 or email carolbartlein@gmail.com with questions. Looking forward to seeing you at tryouts!

Wabeno Area Players 2023 Season

The Wabeno Area Players are happy to announce our 2023 season! With the new year approaching, we encourage you to mark your calendar for what is sure to be a fantastic year. For updates on shows and more, make sure to bookmark this page.

Steel Magnolias

Nancy Volk Auditorium (Wabeno High School)

Friday April 21st @ 7pm

Saturday April 22nd @ 7pm

Sunday April 23rd @ 2pm

A story of life, laughter, and loss against the backdrop of life in rural Louisiana- this tale shares the life and struggles of a group of women who meet regularly at Truvy’s in-home beauty parlor. Join us for laughter and tears as we celebrate this classic together this April.

Huisman Honor Recital

Nancy Volk Auditorium (Wabeno High School)

Saturday May 20th @ 7pm

In honor of the late Richard Huisman, we present a showcase of young Wisconsin talent. The Huisman Honor Recital celebrates high school students who have been selected to receive scholarships and offers them an opportunity to showcase their vocal or instrumental talents. Proceeds from this event go towards further funding this scholarship program.

Day at the Schoolhouse

Wabeno Old Schoolhouse (on Highway 32, across from the Christian Thrift Store)

(In the event of inclement weather, the show will be held at the Nancy Volk Auditorium)

Saturday June 24th @ 6pm

Join us for an informative and funny look back at life in Wabeno’s one room schoolhouse. This readers’ theater event examines the lives of teachers and students living in rural communities in the early 1900s. Come laugh and learn!

Those interested in participating can audition June 8th and 9th at the Nancy Volk Auditorium.

Lumberjacks and Wedding Belles

Wabeno Firefighters’ Park

Thursday August 17th @ 7pm

Friday August 18th @ 7pm

Saturday August 19th @ 7pm

Sunday August 20th @ 2pm

Music? Check. Dancing? Check. Flannel? Check. This musical has it all! We invite you to a tiny logging town where small town life is about to heat up. Will Asa defeat the villainous Mayor Crook? Will anyone stand up to the Scrubbs family? Can you stand our singing? Find out this August!

We will be holding open auditions for this show July 10th at the Nancy Volk Auditorium.

… And More!

In addition to the above shows, the Players are hard at work to set a hilarious fall show as well as schedule more events for our Fine Arts series. Watch this page for updates!

We look forward to seeing you in 2023!

Wabeno Area Players To Hold Auditions for Play On

The Wabeno Area Players will be holding Auditions for the March production of Play On. This hilarious comedy is sure to be a favorite of all involved and who attend. The show will be March 26-29, 2020. Auditions will Tuesday, January 14th at 6:00 p.m. They will be held at the Nancy Volk Auditorium (Wabeno High School, 4325 Branch St., Wabeno, WI 54566) in Wabeno. The audition will consist of cold readings. For more information please call (715) 889-1606 or email wabenoareaplayers@gmail.com.

This will be the featured production of the Wisconsin Association of Community Theatre Conference being held in Wabeno at the Wabeno High School and Nancy Volk Auditorium. The conference will focus on workshops devoted to community theatre or high school theatre. Workshops are led by experts that have or are working with community/high school theatre in many areas. These workshops are for those with experience, little experience, or no experience in producing a theatrical production. The workshops are open to adults and students as well. Anyone interested or involved in theatre is welcome to attend. These workshops would include: acting, directing, stage management, improvisation, sound & lights, volunteerism, AACTFest, and state community theater networking. This is also a great opportunity to get to know other theatre people from around the state, share ideas, possibly exchange costumes or props, and have a great time.

A little about Play On…

Continue reading “Wabeno Area Players To Hold Auditions for Play On”

Wabeno Area Players Hold Auditions for Farce of Habit

The Wabeno Area Players will be holding Auditions for the November production of Farce of Habit.  This hilarious comedy is sure to be a favorite of all involved and who attend.  The show will be November 21-24, 2019.  Auditions will Tuesday, September 10th at 6:00 p.m.  They will be held at Madonna Hall (1793 Elm Ave., Wabeno, WI 54566) in Wabeno.

The audition will consist of cold readings.  For more information please call (715) 889-1606 or email wabenoareaplayers@gmail.com.

A little about Farce of Habit

Comic fireworks explode in FARCE OF HABIT, an absurdly funny Southern-fried romp that takes us back to the Reel ’Em Inn, the finest little fishing lodge in the Ozarks. The proprietor, D. Gene Wilburn, is looking forward to a peaceful weekend on the lake. But there are only two chances of that happening: slim and none. Why, for example, has his wife, Wanelle, picked these three days to white-knuckle her way through caffeine withdrawal? Why is his son Ty’s marriage to Jenna falling apart so fast? Could it have something to do with the French can-can costume Ty is wearing? How on earth would D. Gene’s feisty sister, Maxie, allow herself to get caught up in such a bizarre undercover police assignment? And that’s just his family. If this isn’t enough to thwart D. Gene’s weekend plans, he’s got a gaggle of nuns who’ve converged on the Inn, hell-bent on experiencing a nature retreat—which might be tolerable if D. Gene didn’t have a chronic fear of anything in a habit. Add to this the presence of Jock McNair, a nationally known relationship guru whose colossal ego threatens everyone’s sanity; a shy retiree anxious to cut loose and embrace his “inner caveman” and a couple of wild women who may or may not be who they claim to be. Throw in the storm of the century that’s fast bearing down on Mayhew, Arkansas, and D. Gene has no prayer of baiting a hook any time soon. Oh, and did we mention there’s an axe murderer on the loose? If you enjoy gloriously preposterous hilarity, then laughing your way through the take-no-prisoners comedy is one habit you’ll never want to break!

OPEN AUDITIONS for the Musical WORKING!

On April 22nd and 23rd at 6:00 pm, the Players will be holding open auditions for the musical WORKING.  The audition will be held at Madonna Hall (1793 elm Ave., Wabeno, WI 54566).  You will be doing a cold reading and will be required to sing a short song that will be taught to you at the audition.  If you would like more information please contact the Players at (715) 889-1606 or email wabenoareaplayers@gmail.com. This production will be performed July 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 & 27 at 7:00pm and 21 at 1:00pm in the Nancy Volk Auditorium (Wabeno High School, 4325 Branch St., Wabeno, WI 54566).

Working is the extraordinary genre-defining musical from Grammy and Academy Award-winner Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell) based on Studs Terkel’s best-selling book of interviews with the American workforce: Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do.  This highly original and universal portrait of the American workday is told from the perspective of those that the world so often overlooks – the schoolteacher, the millworker, the mason, the housewife, the fireman and the waitress amongst many – whose daily grind and aspirations reflect the truths of the people that make up a nation. Working employs a range of musical styles and genres from contributing composers, including five-time Grammy Award-winner James Taylor.  Nominated for six Tony Awards, this classic has been updated for a modern age, featuring new songs by Tony Award-winning and Pulitzer Prize-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda.