Promotional Image for the Broadway Hit Show “Guys and Dolls”, which is being put on by the San Luis Obispo High School Theater Company this Spring. Photo Courtesy of Clear Space Theatre.
Every year, the San Luis Obispo High School Theater Company performs a spring musical, and auditions have just opened this week!
This year’s production being put on is “Guys and Dolls”, a romantic comedy show about New York gamblers in the late 1930s which first debuted on Broadway in 1950. The auditions for the show are open up now through October 30.
“There are two types of auditions, voice and dance. Interested students have to attend both of them, and they also have to complete both auditions. Students will be asked to sing a little bit of a song of your choice in front of me, choir teacher Rick Robbins, and dance teacher Mandy Mettler. For dance auditions, we teach you a short combination, and then you perform it in groups of five, also in front of just me and Mettler,” said performing arts teacher Noelle Eben.
The spring musical allows people to express their love of theater and music on stage while highlighting their skills.
“The musicals are usually where we get the biggest variety of people, and you can showcase a wide variety of talents beyond acting,” said senior Frida Vega.
Aside from the onstage part of participating in the musical, the experience allows you to interact with tons of other actors and crew members in a way that really forms a community.
“I have found some of my best friends in theater, and the sense of community created at SLOHS is phenomenal. It is hard work, but it’s worth it to create something amazing.” said senior Kiana Blau.
Many students who are new to theater or music often feel nervous participating in the musical, but if they feel uncomfortable having a bigger role on stage, there is always a need for extra ensemble members, which allows you to reap all the previously mentioned benefits of the musical without having to have too much stage exposure.
“The ensemble is a really good opportunity if you’re new to theater [if you want to] be able to sing and dance in a safe and fun environment with a group of people, rather than by yourself,” said Eben.
And if you still really don’t want to be on stage, you can always join the Tech Crew, who work to make sure the show goes on seamlessly from behind the scenes.
“I’ve been in tech crew for five shows in total, and we mostly design and build the set for the weeks leading up to the shows, then we run full show dress rehearsals with the cast. Tech crew is really fun because you get to build, design, and paint sets, as well as work out the technical details of the play,” said junior Jack McGhee.
No matter what your experience level or interest is, there’s a place for everyone in the spring musical, so go and audition now! Email [email protected] for more information.
