The Wabeno Area Players are in search of actors and actresses for their August show, the hilarious musical comedy melodrama, “The Dastardly Doctor Devereaux.” Show dates are set for August 10, 11, 12, and 13. Open tryouts for the side-splitting medical spoof are Monday, June 19 and Tuesday, June 20 at 6:00PM in the Wabeno High School Auditorium.
The Players are hoping to find energetic and committed persons to fill five major female roles, four major male roles, six minor roles and the chorus. Most of the major roles have singing solos. The music is not challenging and it’s filled with fun! There are roles that call for little or no singing abilities. There are large group numbers needing persons to play patients and personnel at the Hanover D. Cash Clinic.
The roles include Lotta Cash, a wealthy widow and owner of Hanover D. Cash Clinic. The evil Dogsbreath Devereaux, M.D., sets his sights on marrying Lotta so he can inherit her fortune and her late husband’s clinic. A second villain in the story is the nasty nurse, Hilda Hatchet, who Devereaux promises to wed after she helps him eliminate Lotta.
Sweet and innocent Wendy March is the heroine, and handsome Dr. Phil Good is the hero of the melodrama. They are assisted by naïve and kooky Nurse Ivy Dripp who is madly in love with the muscle-bound orderly, Ward Helper. A burlesque dancer from Brooklyn, Trixie St. James, barges into the clinic with a broken ankle and derails the blossoming relationship of Wendy and Phil. Officer Tommy Gunn, is an authoritative cop in need of medical attention, but finds mayhem instead. Minor roles include six zany patients who have uproarious medical issues, Brother Sunbeam, a peace-loving minister, and Trixie’s troupe of energetic burlesque dancers.
Packets of tryout materials include the complete script, CDs of the music, mini scripts of dialog, and instructions for tryout preparation. The packets are available at the Wabeno Public Library, Lakes Country Library, Laona Public Library, and Crandon Public Library or from Carol Bartlein.
Persons who are unable to make the tryouts on June 19 or 20 should contact Carol Bartlein at 715-473-5466 and make other arrangements. Also call her if there are tryout questions. Rehearsals will start June 26 and be two to four nights a week depending on the role. The show is under the direction of Carol Bartlein.