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Arts & Entertainment

Grosse Pointe Theatre Casting Call for 'The Trip To Bountiful'

Auditions will be held Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 17 to 18, for this production by the Grosse Pointe Theatre.

Wasting no time, Grosse Pointe Theatre will open its fall musical with The Music Man Sunday, Sept. 18, and hold auditions for its next production.

The Trip to Bountiful is the bittersweet tale of love, forgiveness and the undying human spirit scheduled to run in November.

Grosse Pointe Woods’ Ron Bernas is the director for this heartwarming drama. He will hold auditions for the play Saturday, Sept. 17 from Noon to 4 p.m., and then again on Sunday, Sept. 18 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Grosse Pointe Theatre, 315 Fisher Road.

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The Trip to Bountiful is a rich story of aging Carrie, who longs to return home to her farm in Bountiful before she dies. But her pleadings go unheeded by her nervous son and controlling daughter-in-law, with whom she lives.

"This is a beautiful, simple story, but it says so much," Bernas commented. "I first was captivated by this story with the 1985 movie version of the play. It's a simple story about the universal feeling of needing a place to belong. For Carrie, the lead character, it's Bountiful, the place she was happiest, and she just wants to see it one more time before she dies. This is a somewhat forgotten American classic and I think audiences will truly love it."

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While there are three lead roles, there are many supporting and extra roles that Bernas must cast.

"The Bountiful lead character is in her 60s, and it will take a pretty strong, vibrant woman to get through the role, as the play will be done without intermission, and she is onstage almost the entire play," Bernas said. "There aren't many plays with a lead role for a woman of this age, so I'm hoping we have a lot of people try out. Her son and wife are in their late 30s. Most of the other characters are mid-30s and up. There is a role for one young woman in her early 20s."

The stagehands will be in full costume, as they will be extras in the scenes as they make changes to the set, along with smaller roles as extras in other scenes. This, Bernas said, offers a great opportunity for first-time or once-upon-a-time actors.

"These roles are a great way for new people to join the Grosse Pointe Theatre family, as the time commitment will be slightly smaller. This provides a way to see whether they might like acting in future shows as well."

Whether you are very interested or slightly intrigued, Bernas suggests you attend the rehearsals. You just might get inspired to audition!

Rehearsals for the show will be held at the Theatre offices at 315 Fisher Road on Tuesday and Friday evenings, and on Sunday afternoons. Rehearsals begin Tuesday, Sept. 20. The show runs November 6, 10-13 and 17-19 at the Fries Auditorium at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.

Meanwhile, The Music Man opens Sunday at the Fries auditorium at the . 

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