Four Old Broads- Auditions

The Wabeno Area Players would like you to join them for their production of the uproarious comedy, FOUR OLD BROADS, by Leslie Kimball. Open auditions are set for August 7 and 8 @ 6:00pm in Nancy Volk Auditorium.

As the play opens, retired burlesque queen Beatrice desperately needs a vacation –and not another trip to “that precious little German village for the umpteenth time!” A Sassy Senior Cruise is just the ticket if she can convince her best friend, Eaddy Mae, to stop praying and go with her. Unfortunately, things have not been very pleasant at Magnolia Place Assisted Living since Nurse Pat began working there. The newest resident, Imogene, is suddenly losing her memory. Maude is obsessed with her favorite soap opera and planning her own uneral. Sam, a retired Elvis impersonator, keeps trying to seduce every woman in the building. A mystery unfolds at Magnolia Place; with laughter and hilarity the Four Old Broads try to solve it. If they can, they may make it to the cruise! The characters needed for the cast are 1-2 males and 5-6 females including: Beatrice, a former burlesque star with an attitude and is a senior citizen; Eaddy Mae, a former nurse and “religious” lady and is a senior citizen; Imogene, the newest resident of Magnolia Place and is a senior citizen; Pat, a rude and pushy nurse in her Forties; Maude, a funeral and soap opera obsessed frump and a senior citizen; Sam, a retired Elvis impersonator and Casanova senior citizen. Mary Sue, a quiet romance-novel-loving nurse in her thirties.

The dates of the show are October 6, 7, and 8. There will be three rehearsals a week on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays or Fridays. Audition materials are available at area libraries. The play is under the direction of Carol Bartlein. Call 715-473-5466 with questions.

Lumberjacks and Wedding Belles- CANCELLED

It is with a heavy heart we announce that our summer show, Lumberjacks and Wedding Belles, is officially cancelled due to insufficient actors to stage the show. Do you want to help us make sure we can put on shows in the future? Volunteer now! The Wabeno Area Players are always looking for onstage talent, offstage support, and ushering volunteers. See how you can help keep community theater alive in Wisconsin!

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!

Lumberjacks and Wedding Belles- Auditions

Would you like to join the Wabeno Area Players on-stage? We are looking for roles small and large, on-stage and off-stage for our musical this summer. Please stop by and see how you can help support community theater!

  • Wabeno High School- Nancy Volk Auditorium
  • June 13th 6pm-830pm
  • June 14th 5pm-630pm

If you are unable to make these dates and would still like to participate,or if you are interested in joining our upcoming show “Day at the Schoolhouse,” please contact Carol Bartlein at 715-850-0132 or email us at wabenoareaplayers@gmail.com.

Wabeno Area Players Seeking Actor for Summer Presentation

In August of 2022, the Wabeno Area Players had such great fun and success presenting the original play, “A Day at the Schoolhouse”, that they decided to do the show again this summer. Audiences loved the readers’ theater historical comedy, commemorating the bygone era of the one-room schoolhouse in
rural Wisconsin. “A Day at the Schoolhouse,” will be performed Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 2:00 and 6:00 on a stage in front of the schoolhouse, next to the library, in the Wabeno Park.


The Wabeno Area Players are seeking a few new participants, male and female, ages 15 – 90, to fill this summer’s cast. No memorization is needed for a Readers’ Theater, just the ability to read expressively and react to other readers. Persons who are good readers, love to act and have an interest in the history of one-room schoolhouses in Wisconsin should join the Players’ cast.

There will be four rehearsals (time to be determined), to prepare for the show. If interested, please call Carol Bartlein, at 715-473-5466 or email her at carolbartlein@gmail.com.

Cast of “A Day at the Schoolhouse”-2022