ACT I of Benton County is pleased to announce that we will be holding auditions for our upcoming musical production of Jason Robert Brown’s musical The Last Five Years. Auditions will be held on Sunday January 5th at 3PM and Tuesday January 7th at 7PM at the ACT I Centre located at the old West School.

The Last Five Years is a contemporary musical that ingeniously chronicles the 5 year life of a marriage, from meeting to break-up or break-up to meeting depending on how you look at it. The show is an intensely personal look at the relationship between a writer and actress told from both points of view. His going forward and hers going backwards.

Roles to be cast:

CATHERINE HIATT. Female, 20-35. Character arcs from an ambitious, fresh-faced girl in a new relationship to a woman stunned by a betrayal and a divorce that she is only beginning to understand.

JAMIE WELLERSTEIN. Male, 20-35. Character arcs from an ambitious guy on a promising first date with a dazzling career to someone who is blinded by success and ego. He is very lovable, yet makes unintentional choices that sabotage his own happiness.

Performance dates for The Last Five Years are scheduled for February 28th and 29th at 7PM and March 1st at 2PM. All performances will be held at The Palace Theatre in Vinton.

If you would like to audition and cannot make either date, or have any other questions, please email lastfiveyears20@gmail.com.

We are pleased to announce our cast for the upcoming production of The Music Man! We are looking forward to six performances the weekends of August 10th-18th. Please contact us at act1musicman19@gmail.com with any questions!

THE MUSIC MAN CAST LIST

HAROLD HILL: Chris Overturf
MARIAN PAROO: Katie Stuelke
MAYOR SHINN: Greg Walston
EULALIE MACKECKNIE SHINN: Cathi Calderwood
MARCELLUS WASHBURN: Matt Walston
MRS. PAROO: Patti Gilbaugh
TOMMY DJILAS: Joe Dufoe
ZANEETA SHINN: Kara Perry
WINTHROP: Levi Mensen
AMARYLLIS: Mya Randall

ACT I of Benton County is pleased to announce that we will be holding auditions for our upcoming musical production of The Music Man. Auditions will be held on Sunday April 14th from 2-4PM and Monday April 15th from 6:30-8:30PM, at the ACT I Centre located at the old West School.

The Music Man is a classic musical that tells the story of fast-talking traveling salesman, Harold Hill, as he cons the people of River City, Iowa, into buying instruments and uniforms for a band that he vows to organize – this, despite the fact that he doesn’t know a thing about music. His plans to skip town with the cash are foiled when he falls for Marian, the librarian, who ends up transforming him into a respectable citizen by the end of the show.

Roles to be cast include the following:

Harold Hill – A smooth talking con man and traveling salesman with plenty of charm

Marcellus Washburn – Former con man and friend to Harold Hill

Marian Paroo – A stuffy, conceited librarian and piano teacher in town

Mrs. Paroo – Widowed mother to Marian and Winthrop

Mayor Shinn – The Mayor of River City, self-important, blustery, pompous

Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn – Mayor Shinn’s wife

Winthrop Paroo – Marian’s little brother

Amaryllis – Young piano student of Marian’s

Olin Britt – Editor of the Gazette, part of the barbershop quartet

Oliver Hix – Banker, part of the barbershop quartet

Jacey Squires – Owner of the livery stable, part of the barbershop quartet

Ewart Dunlop – Owner of the General Store, part of the barbershop quartet

Tommy Djilas – A teenager from the “wrong side of town.

Zaneeta Shinn – Mayor Shinn & Eulalie’s daughter

In addition, there are many other small roles for men, women and youth of all ages.

Performances dates for The Music Man are scheduled for August 10th and 17th at 2PM and 7PM and August 11th and 18th at 2PM.

If you would like to audition and cannot make either date, or have any other questions, please email act1musicman19@gmail.com.

ACT I is pleased to announce the Cast List for the “Last Round up of the Guacamole Queens,”  the last show in the trilogy of the Red Velvet Cake War. 

The “Last Round up of the Guacamole Queens” will be directed by Doug Martens. Performances will be at the Palace Theater in downtown Vinton on November 16^th, 17^th, and 18^th.

EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT!!

Newsies auditions set for April 22nd, 23rd, 26th, 29th!

ACT I of Benton County is pleased to announce that we will be holding auditions for our upcoming musical production of Disney’s Newsies. Auditions will be held on Sunday April 22nd from 2-4PM, Monday April 23rd from 6:30-8:30PM,Thursday April 26^th from 6:30-8:30 and Sunday April 29^th from 2-4PM; at the ACT I Centre located at the old West School.

ACT I of Benton County Announces Auditions for the Spring 2018 Show:

LAST ROUND-UP OF THE GUACAMOLE QUEENS, a Jones Hope Wooten Comedy.

Auditions are open to ALL Benton County Community Members on Saturday January 6th from 2 to 4 and Sunday January 7th from 2 to 4 at the ACT I Center located at 906 E Ave, Vinton, Iowa 52349

In this deliciously funny Southern-fried comedy, the Verdeen cousins of Sweetgum, Texas — Gaynelle, Peaches, and Jimmie Wyvette — are up against the clock as they frantically attempt to produce the ultimate high school reunion before the old building is demolished. But they’ve got a bushel of obstacles to overcome before they can pull off this miracle!

A gut-busting Jones Hope Wooten farce — LAST ROUND-UP OF THE GUACAMOLE QUEENS is the third and final comedy in the Verdeen Cousins Texas Trilogy that begins with THE RED VELVET CAKE WAR and continues with REX’S EXES.

ACT I is looking for 6 (NEW) Adult Females and 2 (NEW) Adult Males to audition for roles in LAST ROUND-UP OF THE GUACAMOLE QUEENS.

Performance dates for LAST ROUND-UP OF THE GUACAMOLE QUEENS are March 2nd 3rd at 7pm and March 4th at 2pm.

Please email any questions to : spotlight@act1.org

ACT I of Benton County is pleased to announce that we will be holding open auditions for variety show material to be performed at our December Holiday Show. Auditions will be Sunday October 29th from 2-4PM and Monday November 6th from 6:30-8:30PM at the ACT I Center.

Are you a talented singer, dancer, or musician? Are you a talented speaker or presenter? Do you have other talents you would like to share? If so, we would love to have you audition for the Variety Show portion of our December show. We are looking for several acts that could include vocal or instrumental performances, dance, dramatic or comedic speech/readings or short skits. We would like acts to be 5-7 minutes or less and all are welcome.

Performance dates are December 1st and 2nd at 7PM and December 3rd at 2PM. Variety Show material will be interspersed with two one act plays, The Little Match Girl and Gift of the Magi, already in production.

If you have any questions, please contact us at act1variety2017@gmail.com.

ACT I of Benton County is pleased to announce we will be holding auditions for two one act plays to be performed in conjunction with this year’s Holiday Variety Show!

The Little Match Girl, directed by Marcy Horst, is a youth musical based on a story by Hans Christian Anderson with (6) roles, for both boys and girls, plus an ensemble.  All youth ages elementary through junior high are welcome and encouraged to audition.

Gift of the Magi, directed by Steve Arnold, is a classic play about a young couple unable to afford gifts for each other as they celebrate their first Christmas together.  The cast includes (7) roles, both male and female, high school age or older.

Auditions for The Little Match Girl and Gift of the Magi will be held October 1^st, from 2-4PM at the ACT I Center in Vinton.

Performance dates are December 1^st and 2^nd at 7PM and December 3^rd at 2PM at the Palace Theatre in Vinton.

If you have any questions, please contact us at act1variety2017@gmail.com.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Wonderful Community for attending our production of “Annie”. You made it a huge success and made the hard work and dedication of our cast and production staffs and the entire Act 1 of Benton County family well worth it. Thank you again for you support.

Sincerely,

Jerry Ahrenstein, President Board of Directors