The Walpole Players will be holding open auditions on August 28th and 30th for the classic Grimm’s Fairy Tale, “Hansel and Gretel,” to be directed by Mike Wright. Based on the story first published by the Brothers Grimm in 1812, “Hansel and Gretel” tells the tale of a young brother and sister who must use their courage and wits to outsmart an evil witch. This play has roles for adults and children.
Auditions for “Hansel and Gretel” will take place on Sunday, August 28th from 4:00-5:00 and on Tuesday, August 30th from 6:00 -7:00 at the Helen Miller Theater upstairs at the Walpole Town Hall. Come and try out for a part in this dramatic and exciting retelling of the classic Grimm’s Fairy Tale. Performances will be the last two weekends in October.
Breakdown of roles: Hansel – happy go lucky, plucky boy; should appear to be between 10 and 12 years old. Gretel – Hansel’s younger sister; determined, curious, energetic, and busy. Gingerbread Witch – at times kindly & grandmotherly, at other times wicked, cruel, and quick to anger. Father – large, strong, woodcutter. Quiet and proud. Stepmother – short-tempered, easily frustrated, ambitious. Mother – loving and caring. Angel. Villagers – adults and children who inhabit the village where Hansel and Gretel live (nonspeaking)
We are also always looking for volunteers who love theater and community events but don’t want to appear on stage. There are lots of opportunities to get involved- set construction, props, costumes, production assistants, advertising, and more! Remember, you can’t have Community Theater without the “Community”!
For more information email WalpolePlayers@gmail.com
Anyone wishing to help out the Players with some good old fashioned elbow grease, please show up at the Helen Miller Theater (second floor of Town Hall) on Sunday, June 26, at 1:00 PM! We will be striking our set as well as the audience risers in the house. There’s plenty to do, including a lot that doesn’t require too much muscle! In addition to disassembling the risers and storing the sections in the closet next to the stage, scenery and props have to be stored in our backstage storage areas, as well as all those seat cushions. Costumes need to be gathered and organized for cleaning/washing, and all chairs must be stacked and taken to their closet in the basement. Something for everyone!
There will be two chances to see our production of Alan Bennett’s The Wind in the Willows during Walpole’s Old Home Days: Thursday, June 23 at 7:00 PM, and Saturday, June 25 at 8:00 PM.
You won’t want to miss this funny and charming story of Toad and his friends Mole, Rat, and Badger, and their adventures from the Riverbank, into the Wild Wood, and finally out into the Wide World. For adults and children alike, this adaptation has something for everyone!
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children under 12. Tickets are available at Galloway Real Estate on Main Street in Walpole, the Walpole branch of Mascoma Bank, online at TheWalpolePlayers.org, and at the door. All performances are in the Helen Miller Theater on the second floor of the Walpole Town Hall, located at 34 Elm Street.
The Players are looking for volunteers to help in a variety of ways:
Riser Assembly – we will be assembling our audience risers on Saturday, June 11, at 10:00 AM, and would love some volunteers to help put this jigsaw puzzle together!
Tickets Takers – we are also looking for volunteers to take and sell tickets at the door at all performances. Volunteers need to arrive in time to open sales 30 minutes prior to curtain and remain at your station until at least quarter past the hour for late-comers. You would be able to stay and see the show. If you would like to volunteer as a ticket taker, please email us at walpoleplayers@gmail.common or call 603-756-2535.
Strike – on Sunday, June 26 at 1:00 PM we will strike our set and house. This means we take down all the scenery, put away all the props, disassemble and put away the audience risers, and sweep the theater clean of debris. This process goes quickly with enough people on hand, and everyone involved in the show is expected to help with this process. But we welcome other volunteers as well!
On June 17, 2022, The Walpole Players will open its second production of Alan Bennett’s adaptation of The Wind in the Willows, the children’s novel by Kenneth Grahame. Their first production of this play was in 1993 and was not only the US premiere of that show, it was the premiere for the entire Western Hemisphere! At the time, the original production was still on stage at the National Theatre in London and we were not allowed to reference that fact. Directed by Jane Skofield with the assistance of her husband Herman, they spent months retaining the rights to produce the play here after seeing it at the National Theatre during a trip to London.
While it’s the same story, with a slightly shortened script from the original, this year’s production will be different in several ways, from the costumes and set design to the music. However, it is the same charming story with the same delightful characters, and many cast members from the 1993 production are either reprising their original roles or appearing in new ones. And don’t let the term “children’s novel” deceive you into thinking this is a play just for children! Alan Bennett’s script injects plenty of sly jokes for the adults. This is a play for all ages!
We are dedicating our 2022 production to Jane, who not only directed this and other plays in the early days of The Walpole Players, but was instrumental in making the Players a successful organization and a permanent part of our community. We hope Jane would approve of what we’ve done in her honor!
Tickets will go on sale on May 18, and for the first time be available to purchase online through our website, TheWalpolePlayers.org. Tickets will also be available at Galloway Real Estate, Mascoma Bank in Walpole, and at the door. Show dates and times are: Friday, Saturday, and Thursday, June 17, 18, and 23, at 7:00 PM; Sunday, June 19, at 2:00 PM; and Saturday, June 25, at 8:00 PM. Ticket cost is $15 for ages 12 and over, $10 for children under 12.
So mark your calendars now and plan to attend one of our shows the weekend before and during Walpole’s Old Home Days!
The Walpole Players are seeking a stage manager for our next production, Alan Bennett’s The Wind in the Willows.
A Stage Manager is the glue that holds a production together! So please spread the word and contact us at WalpolePlayers@gmail.com or 603-756-2535 if you or someone you know might be interested. Performance dates are June 17-19, 23, and 25.
The Walpole Players 