Rock Island, Ill. – A brand-new, Quad-Cities-based theatre company will make its debut this summer, with Augustana College's Brunner Theatre Center as the site for three summer-stock presentations by the recently formed Mississippi Bend Players.
Originating in conjunction with last fall's opening of Augustana's multi-million-dollar Brunner Theatre Center, the Mississippi Bend Players will give both students and community members the opportunity to work together on professional stage productions, and auditions for the company's summer presentations of “Zombie Prom,” “Wait Until Dark” and “Brighton Beach Memoirs” take place on February 4 and 5, with interested performers asked to schedule appointments by January 31.
Spearheaded by Broadway veteran and Augustana alumnus Philip Wm. McKinley – whose credits include theatrical productions ranging from the Tony Award-winning Hugh Jackman musical “The Boy from Oz” to Augustana's staging of the locally written drama “A Green River” – the Mississippi Bend Players' mission is to provide excellence in Quad-Cities theatre by producing both commercially proven works and original musical and dramatic material.
“We're excited to work with the Mississippi Bend Players to bring such a unique theatre offering to the Quad Cities,” said Sam Schlouch, Augustana's senior communication director. “This year, we truly will bring Broadway to the Quad Cities.”
McKinley himself will direct the summer-stock season's debut production “Zombie Prom,” running July 7 through 16. A 1950s horror comic-book brought to life as a musical comedy, “Zombie Prom” finds composer/lyricists Dana P. Rowe and John Dempsey delivering a campy, rollicking romp through America's “Atomic Age” and the golden age of the comic book in this hysterical, tune-filled delight.
Jeffrey L. Coussens, Augustana professor of theatre arts, directs the Mississippi Bend Players' second summer offering: Frederick Knott's classic thriller “Wait Until Dark,” running July 21 through 30. As blind Greenwich Village housewife Susy Hendrix becomes the target of three vicious thieves, this masterfully constructed Broadway smash moves from one suspenseful moment to the next, building toward an electrifying, breath-stopping climax.
Corinne Johnson, theatre professor at St. Ambrose University, will direct the third and final production of the Mississippi Bend Players' inaugural season in Neil Simon's Tony-winning comedy “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” running August 4 through 13. Set in 1940s Brooklyn, this hilarious and touching portrait celebrates the American family through the eyes of 15-year-old Eugene Jerome in a play filled with wit, warmth, and Simon's signature laughs.
Said Schlouch of the Mississippi Bend Players' creative team, “The artistic staff of Philip Wm. McKinley, Jeff Coussens and Cory Johnson are well-respected across the country and right here in our community, and their expertise – paired with the talent they can draw – will bring a new experience for Quad Cities audiences.”
Auditions for the three summer productions are open to the public, and will take place, by appointment, on Saturday, February 4 (2 - 5 p.m.), and Sunday, February 5 (10 a.m. - 1 p.m., and 2 - 5 p.m.). “Zombie Prom” is seeking five male and five female performers; “Wait Until Dark” six male and two female performers, with one of the females a young girl; and “Brighton Beach Memoirs” three male and four female performers.
Those auditioning for all three shows should prepare a one-minute monologue, and those auditioning for “Zombie Prom” should also prepare 16 bars from a contemporary pop/rock song from musical theatre. Attendees may be asked to read from the scripts and sing from “Zombie Prom”'s score, and the Mississippi Bend Players encourage actors of all ages and experience levels to attend.
“We are excited that Augustana students and community members will be able to work with artists of the Mississippi Bend Players' caliber,” says Schlouch. “Our new space in the Brunner Theatre Center will lend itself to a wide variety of productions, and I know the public will enjoy seeing some first-rate theatre in our impressive space.”
The Mississippi Bend Players ask that interested performers provide a resume and headshot, and schedule a time for their February 4 or 5 auditions by January 31. For more information and to schedule an appointment, please contact Christina Myatt at 309-794-7611 or christinamyatt@augustana.edu.
| About Augustana: Founded in 1860, Augustana College is a selective four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences. Augustana is recognized for the innovative program Augie Choice, which provides each student up to $2,000 to pursue a high-impact learning experience such as study abroad, an internship or research with a professor. Current students and alumni include 165 Academic All-Americans, two Nobel laureates, 13 college presidents and other distinguished leaders. The college enrolls 2,500 students and is located along one of the world’s most important waterways, the Mississippi River, in a community that reflects the diversity of the United States. |
