Theatre-at-Tusculum announces auditions for Aug. 22 and 23 for its annual fall musical directed by Marilyn duBrisk. This year duBrisk and her creative team will be producing the Tony Award-winning musical comedy “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum.”

Auditions for adults and high school students will be held Monday, Aug. 22, and Tuesday, Aug. 23, at 6 p.m. in the Annie Hogan Byrd Theatre at Tusculum College. Auditions will consist of singing, choreography and readings from the show’s script. No prepared audition pieces are required, and registration for those wishing to audition will begin at 5:30 p.m., with callbacks being held on Thursday, Aug. 25, at 6 p.m. erformance dates are Nov. 4-6 and 10-13. Rehearsals will take place three evenings a week beginning Aug. 30 from approximately 6 to 9 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays with some Sunday rehearsals scheduled as needed.

The production team is looking to cast approximately 25 men and women of varying ages for this production. Roles available include seven leading and supporting roles for men, and two leading roles for women. An ensemble of 16 or more men and women are needed to complete the cast. Those wishing to audition should be prepared to list any scheduling conflicts between Aug. 30 and the performance dates at auditions.

“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” premiered on Broadway in 1962 and was awarded several Tony Awards that year including Best Musical and Best Author (Musical). The show was adapted in to a popular film in 1966 staring Broadway legends Zero Mostel and Jack Gilford in the leading roles of Pseudolus and Hysterium respectively, and was later revived on Broadway in 1996 starring Nathan Lane.

The music and lyrics for the show were written by renowned Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim (Follies, Sunday in the Park with George, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods), and with Leonard Bernstein (West Side Story), with book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart.

Music Theatre International describes the musical as “Broadway’s greatest farce” and as “light, fast-paced, witty, irreverent and one of the funniest musicals ever written. ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’ takes comedy back to its roots, combining situations from time-tested, 2,000-year-old comedies of Roman playwright, Plautus, with the infectious energy of classic vaudeville. ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’ is a nonstop laugh fest in which Pseudolus, a crafty slave, struggles to win the hand of a beautiful, but slow-witted, courtesan named Philia for his young master, Hero, in exchange for freedom. The plot twists and turns with cases of mistaken identity, slamming doors and a showgirl or two.”

For the production, duBrisk has assembled a talented production staff, including Angie Clendenon as musical director, Kim Berry as choreographer, Suzanne Greene as stage manager, Kasie Shelnutt as accompanist and David Price as percussionist. The production staff also includes Tusculum Arts Outreach staff members Brian Ricker as assistant director, Barbara Holt as costume director, Frank Mengel as set designer and Jennifer Hollowell as box office manager.

For more information regarding auditions or to see a full character breakdown, please visit the Arts Outreach website at http://arts.tusculum.edu, TC Arts Outreach on Facebook or call 423-798-1620.

Theatre-at-Tusculum
Presents Neil Simon’s
“The Odd Couple”
Directed by Marilyn duBrisk
Final Four Shows: March 3, 4, 5 at 7:00pm, March 6 at 2:00pm
Behan Arena Theatre
Tusculum College
Tickets: $15-adults, $12-seniors 60 &over, $5-12 & under
Phone: 423-798-1620, Email: jhollowell@tusculum.edu

Uncovering cases from the annals of the highest court in America that may not have the popular recognition of Brown v. Board of Education or Roe v. Wade but have had as significant impact on the nation will be the focus of a presentation Tuesday, Feb. 9, at Tusculum College.
“American Civil Rights and Liberties: Little Known Supreme Court Cases That Have Made a Big Impact” will be presented by Dr. David Scott at 7 p.m. at the Behan Arena Theatre in the lower level (side entrance) of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building on campus. The presentation is part of the Cicero Lecture Series and Tusculum Arts Outreach’s Acts, Arts, Academia 2015-16 performance and lecture series.
Dr. Scott, visiting instructor of political science at Tusculum, will be primarily discussing four cases that have been significant for the country during his lecture, but will also share information about other important Supreme Court decisions.
A licensed attorney, Dr. Scott earned his doctorate in political science with a focus in American politics from the University of Tennessee. He holds Juris Doctorate and Master of Dispute Resolution degrees from Pepperdine University.
His teaching and research interests include American constitutional law, civil rights and liberties, the influence of interest groups on the Supreme Court via the submission of amicus curiae briefs and political philosophy.
In his second year as an instructor at Tusculum, Dr. Scott has also taught at Carson-Newman University and Walters State Community College, as well as serving as a graduate teaching associate at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He and his family live in Greeneville and he serves as an elder at First Christian Church.
Admission to the lecture is $7 per person. For more information about the lecture, please contact Tusculum Arts Outreach at 423-798-1620 or jhollowell@tusculum.edu.

“Central Ballet Theatre of Greeneville will present “Cinderella” the weekend of January 22-24. CBT’s version displays Cinderella as a vulnerable young lady who maintains her lovely character of kindness and courage through hardships and trials, enduring to the end. She learns to give herself to the Lord’s will, asking that He would help her be content with whatever life He gives to her. The theme verse is Isaiah 61:3 where the Lord promises to ‘give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.’

Showtimes: Friday, January 22nd at 7pm, Saturday, January 23rd at 2pm & 7pm and Sunday, January 24th at 2pm at the Annie Hogan Byrd Auditorium at Tusculum College. Tickets can be purchased at The General Morgan Inn, Richland Creek Gifts, Three Blind Mice, at the theater the day of the performance, or by calling 423.724.7014.”