Auditions for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” opens to students and locals

NIC held auditions for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in the Schuler Performing Arts Theater of Boswell Hall. NIC students and members of the local community had an opportunity to try out for the various parts in this Shakespearean play the evenings of Tuesday and Wednesday.

Professor Joe Jacoby has been directing NIC theater productions for several decades and this spring is no exception. This performance is planned for April 14-16 and April 21-23.

He was present as stage manager to evaluate auditions. He said he looks at where the participants would fit best and how all the actors will work together in the production.

“The personal commitment is to tell what the playwright wanted as accurately as possible,” he said. “Fit matters more than talent.”

One participant, Damian Maxwell, a freshman with no previous experience in theater, had not decided to audition until about an hour before trying out for Theseus. “I was expecting to be nervous on stage but once I was up there I was too busy playing the role to worry.”

Nearly 20 people made an appearance between the two days, forming individual groups according to the scene given to them. While one scene was enacted, other groups stepped outside the performance hall and rehearsed lines together.

Professor Jacoby sees this intricate play as an opportunity for personal initiative. Those selected will enter six weeks of rehearsal to be ready for the opening on April 14.