Developing High Quality Theatre for Hutchinson and the Surrounding Area

Calling All Actors! Now casting for Matilda The Musical! The Hutchinson Community Theatre presents Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical with a book by Dennis Kelly and original songs by Tim Minchin on August 2-4 and 9-11 at Hutchinson High Schol. Directed by Ana Guenther. Auditions will be held on Sunday, April 21st (3:00 - 5:00 p.m.) and Monday, April 22nd (6:30 - 8:30 p.m.) at Hutchinson Center for the Arts. Callbacks will be on Tuesday, April 23rd if needed. We are casting for various roles for both kids (current 4th grader or older) and adults! Please prepare 30 seconds of a song either from Matilda or in a similar styling. You may bring your own sheet music or pre-recorded accompaniment (we will have a speaker to connect your phone to). The audition may also include reading from the script. Please be familiar with the characters (descriptions below) and music before you audition and be prepared to list any conflicts you may have with the rehearsal period (May 6th- August 1st with performances beginning August 2nd). To save time at your audition, please fill out our google form ahead of time: https://tinyurl.com/htc-matilda-auditions . We will also have paper audition forms available on the day of auditions. If you are interested in being involved in the production in an offstage capacity (pit band, costuming, set construction, stage management, choreography, etc.), fill out the form above or send us an email at info@hutchtheatre.org About the show: Inspired by the twisted genius of Roald Dahl, the Tony Award-winning Roald Dahl's Matilda tells the story of a little girl with astonishing wit, intelligence and psychokinetic powers. She's unloved by her cruel parents but impresses her school teacher Miss Honey. During her first term at school, the two forge a bond as Miss Honey begins to recognize and appreciate Matilda's extraordinary personality. Matilda's school life isn't completely smooth sailing, however – the school's mean headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, hates children and just loves to punish those who don't abide by her rules. But Matilda has courage and cleverness in equal amounts, and could be the school pupils' saving grace! Kids' Roles (Must be a current 4th grader or above): Matilda Wormwood – An imaginative girl who is clever and wise far beyond her years. She has a thirst for learning that cannot be quenched. Enigmatic, serious, intense. Bruce- Matilda's classmate. He is subject to extreme punishment by Miss Trunchbull. Lavender- Matilda's classmate and friend. Loud and kooky - likes to have fun – big personality. Michael Wormwood- Matilda's older brother. He is not very bright and favored by their parents. Needs good deadpan comedy and the ability to find a character during a lot of stage time with few words. Kids Ensemble- Variety of roles! Adult Roles: Miss Agatha Trunchbull- The tyrannical headmistress at Crunchem Hall Primary School who despises children. Miss Honey's aunt. Once a famous athlete, she is described as a "gigantic Holy terror", a "fierce tyrannical monster" who "marches like a storm trooper with long arms swinging" with an "aura of menace". Strong Character actor with an imposing presence. Miss Honey- Matilda's kindhearted teacher. She is tired of living in fear under Miss Trunchbull. A mild, quiet person who never raises her voice and seldom seems to smile - yet possesses the rare gift of being adored by every small child under her care. She should have a curious warmth that is almost tangible. Mr. Wormwood- Matilda's uncaring father. A slimy, greedy used-car salesman. Strong Character actor with a strong Over the top personality. He is not a Nice person, but not in an angry way, he is sort of an ignorant clown type. Mrs. Wormwood- Matilda's self-absorbed, negligent mother and an amateur ballroom dancer. She is obsessed with her dancing partner, Rudolpho, and her looks. Like her husband she thinks very little of Matilda’s unique abilities and often berates her. She is as loud in her makeup and dress sense as she is in her voice – must have strong comedy. Mrs. Phelps - Warm and nurturing local librarian who encourages Matilda’s love of reading. She has an inner peace. No Solo Singing Required for this role- but will be included in adult ensemble as well. The Escapologist and The Acrobat- A character in a story Matilda tells to Mrs. Phelps who comes to life in their imagination. Rudolpho- Mrs. Wormwood's ballroom dance partner. Should be genuinely fit and athletic. Must be a comedic character actor with strong comedic timing and a flair for physical comedy. Ensemble- Variety of roles (Doctor, Big Kids, Parents, Cook, Bulgarians, Henchman 1, Henchman 2, Henchman 3

We are now accepting applications for Teen Mentors to assist with the YoungStars workshop this summer. Each summer, we select 2-3 Teen Mentors (ages 16-19) to provide support during the workshop. Apply Here: https://tinyurl.com/YSTeenMentorApp YoungStars begins June 3rd Monday-Thursday 12:00-2:30 p.m. with performances Thursday, June 27th and Friday, June 28th at Park Elementary School. About the Show: When a group of human high school students stumbles upon the monster school thanks to a broken down bus, utter mayhem ensues. Far more silly than spooky, this comedy delivers both loads of laughs and a gentle message about befriending those who are different from us.  About YoungStars: This annual workshop is a 4-week theatre educational experience targeted for area youth who have completed grades 4-8. Students going through the YoungStars program will benefit by learning about theatre, confidently preparing for participation in Middle and High School theatre events, and, where appropriate, auditioning for HTC productions. The program is also designed to provide practical leadership and work experience for an Assistant Director and Teen Mentors. For more information visit our website https://www.hutchtheatre.org/young-stars

Registration is now officially OPEN for our summer YoungStars production of Transyl-Mania! YoungStars begins June 3rd Monday-Thursday 12:00-2:30 p.m. Register Here. Deadline June 1st. About the play: When a group of human high school students stumbles upon the monster school thanks to a broken down bus, utter mayhem ensues. Far more silly than spooky, this comedy delivers both loads of laughs and a gentle message about befriending those who are different from us. Come watch the show! Performances are Thursday, June 27th & Friday, June 28th at 7 p.m. Park Elementary 100 Glen St SW Hutchinson About YoungStars: This annual workshop is a 4-week theatre educational experience targeted for area youth who have completed grades 4-8. Students going through the YoungStars program will benefit by learning about theatre, confidently preparing for participation in Middle and High School theatre events, and, where appropriate, auditioning for HTC productions. The program is also designed to provide practical leadership and work experience for an Assistant Director and Teen Mentors. For more information visit our website https://www.hutchtheatre.org/young-stars About the director: Erika Durheim Theatre and performing arts have always been her first love! Erika majored in Theatre Education at St Cloud State University. She was Executive director of The Hutchinson Center for the Arts in 2012-2013. There she became familiar with the many arts organizations in the Hutchinson Community. Predominantly an actor by craft, she has also produced and directed many shows over the years, mostly working in children’s and community theatre. She grew up in Portage, Wisconsin (near Wis. Dells) where she was in 27 shows before graduating from high school, thanks in large part to a community theatre group similar to HTC! Recently Erika has directed the Hutchinson High School Spring Plays – CLUE: ON Stage! (in 2019) and after the 2020 play was cancelled due to COVID, returned with a student written original Love Bites (in 2021). She directed the YoungStars Production of Caught in the Web (summer 2021). Erika has been a member of the Hutchinson Theatre Company Board since 2020. She is the liaison to the Hutchinson Youth Theatre Association (HYTA), the High School “Boosters” Group. Erika lives in Hutchinson with her husband, Jason, and their two border collie rescue dogs.

Tickets ON SALE: The Odd Couple: The Female Version Click here to purchase tickets HUTCHINSON CENTER FOR THE ARTS March 14th-16th Doors open 6:30 p.m. 7 p.m. Show March 17th Doors open 1:30 p.m. 2 p.m Show About the show: Neil Simon’s revision of his hugely successful play, The Odd Couple, sees the lead characters transformed into Olive Madison and Florence Unger. Olive and their group of girlfriends are enjoying their weekly Trivial Pursuit night in Olive’s messy and ill-equipped apartment. As the game continues, Florence arrives, fresh from being dumped by her husband. Fearful that the neurotic Florence might attempt suicide, Olive invites her to move in as her roommate. However, Olive and Florence have VERY different personalities. Where Olive is messy, untidy, and unconcerned about the state of her apartment, Florence is obsessively clean, tidy, and obsessed with hygiene. Olive’s easy-going outlook on life soon clashes with Florence’s highly-strung neurotic tendencies, testing their friendship to the limit. When Olive organizes a double date with the Costazuela brothers, their differences come to a head and sparks fly.

Congratulations to our cast of The Odd Couple: Female Version

Calling All Actors! The Odd Couple: The Female Version The Hutchinson Community Theatre presents The Odd Couple: The Female Version by Neil Simon on March 14-16th at 7 p.m. and 17th at 2 p.m. matinee, directed by Rhoda Hubbard. Auditions will be held January 21st 2-5 p.m. & Jan. 22nd 4-7 p.m. at New Journey U.C.C., 31 4th Ave SW, Hutchinson Rehearsal starts Jan. 29th 5:30-7:30 p.m. (pending actors schedules) at New Journey Contact the Hutchinson Theatre Company for any questions at info@hutchtheatre.org. We will have paper audition forms available on the day of auditions. If you are interested in being involved in the production in an offstage capacity (costuming, set construction, stage management, choreography, etc.), send us an email at info@hutchtheatre.org or come to auditions to sign up! Cast: 6 women, 2 men, 30s+ (See below for detailed description of the characters.) Neil Simon’s revision of his hugely successful play, The Odd Couple, sees the lead characters transformed into Olive Madison and Florence Unger. Olive and their group of girlfriends are enjoying their weekly Trivial Pursuit night in Olive’s messy and ill-equipped apartment. As the game continues, Florence arrives, fresh from being dumped by her husband. Fearful that the neurotic Florence might attempt suicide, Olive invites her to move in as her roommate. However, Olive and Florence have VERY different personalities. Where Olive is messy, untidy, and unconcerned about the state of her apartment, Florence is obsessively clean, tidy, and obsessed with hygiene. Olive’s easy-going outlook on life soon clashes with Florence’s highly-strung neurotic tendencies, testing their friendship to the limit. When Olive organizes a double date with the Costazuela brothers, their differences come to a head and sparks fly. Cast: Olive Madison, age 30+ Olive is a successful television producer. She is intelligent, wisecracking, with a good sense of humor – and she’s a complete slob when it comes to her surroundings. She has an encyclopedic understanding of sports, is a good friend and a complete pushover for her ex-husband. Florence Unger, age 30+ Florence is very well groomed, neat and has just broken up with her husband. She takes herself very seriously, likes to clean, decorate and cook and is very good at all three (obsessively so). Flo is also intelligent, warm-hearted (in her own way), and has no sense of humor (at least about herself) – she does NOT make jokes. She can also, without meaning to, make Olive feel guilty. Sylvie, age 30+ Sylvie is desperately trying to stop smoking, and so sucks on lollipops or chews gum. She can get irritated with her friends, but has a good sense of humor, especially about her husband. Mickey, age 30+ Mickey is a police officer, who is down-to-earth, plain talking, and has a good understanding of people. Sometimes she can take the “police bit” too far and she tries very hard to be in control of all situations. Renee, age 30+ Renee is Sylvie’s best friend. She can be very plain-spoken, especially when she points out Olive’s failings as a hostess, and then Flo’s. She is single and dating a doctor. Vera, age 30+ Vera is very sweet, very nice, somewhat spacey, and, although quite smart, is often a step or two behind her friends. She’s very funny but doesn’t realize it. She is married to Harry. Manolo Costazuela, age 30-40 Manolo is handsome, very well groomed, and Spanish. He is every woman’s dream date and showers both Olive and Flo with attention. He must have good comic timing, as he gets VERY emotional. He is sensitive and appreciates Florence’s sensitivity. Jesus Costazuela, age 30-40 Jesus is Manolo’s younger brother, who is also very handsome, well-groomed, excellent posture, very romantic, and he also gets very emotional, and truly appreciates Florence.

We got your stocking stuffer covered!! Introducing HTC's Holiday Flex Pack! Now you can purchase pre-sale tickets that can be used at any show in 2024, excluding our fall dinner theater show. Save $5 on each ticket with this pre-sale option.

Season Passes are on sale thru February 7th, 2024. Passes include Hutchinson Theatre Company's summer, fall and winter shows for 2024. Season pass holders also will receive advance notices reminding them to choose their performance date and seats. They have access to buying tickets a full week ahead of the general public!

We're excited to announce our 2024 Season! We hope to see you at all of our shows