Spring Musical QUILTERS
April 9th, 6 pm at the Playhouse

The Astor street Opry Company is happy to announce QUILTERS (written by Molly Newman and Barbara Damashek and produced with permission by Dramatist Publishing) to be our choice for our Spring Musical this coming 2010.

Directed by Jayne Osborn the story is of a pioneer woman and her six daughters, QUILTERS blends a series of interrelated scenes into a rich mosaic which captures the sweep and beauty, the terror and joy, the harsh challenge and abiding rewards of frontier life. Illuminating stories contained in various patches or "blocks" with music, dance and drama, the action depicts the lot of women on the frontier: girlhood, marriage, childbirth, spinsterhood, twisters, fire, illness and death. But, with this, there is also love, warmth, rich and lively humor and the moving spectacle of simple human dignity and steadfastness in the face of adversity. In the end, when the various patches are assembled into one glorious, brilliantly colorful quilt, the effect is both breathtaking and magical—and a theatrical masterstroke which will linger in the mind and memory long after the house lights have dimmed.

Auditions will be held Auditions April 9th at the Playhouse at 6:00pm. Show dates April 22nd~24th, 29th~30th, May 1st~2nd & 6th~8th. No experience is necessary and there are parts for 7 women and 2 men.

ASOC is also looking for musicians for this production. If interested please contact our box office at 503-325-6104.

26th Season of Shanghaied in Astoria
May 15th and 16th at 6pm

CALLING ALL ACTORS!

Auditions for our 26th season of the locally produced Broadway- Style Musical Melodrama, SHANGHAIED IN ASTORIA, opening JULY 8TH and running through SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2010, will be held Saturday May 15th 6:00pm or our NEW performers (all ages 14 and older) and FOR ALL OUR VETERAN PERFORMERS on Sunday May 16th at 6:00pm the ASOC Playhouse 129 West Bond Street Uniontown Astoria.

SHANGHAIED, with it’s bare bones budget and a cast of talented friends, ran for only three weeks in the summer of 1985, has now has expanded to ten weekends as it grew into a piece of Astoria’s folklore, entertaining over 55,000 in it’s 20 years history.

As a composite of English “Music Hall”, American Musical Theatre and Early Cinematic Melodrama, our annual folk-drama is an acting challenge as well as an exciting creative learning process, requiring a precise form of disciplined staging, definitive technique and performance style. This experience is guaranteed to make your summer a special and life-time rewarding memory while learning the craft of melodramatic performance!

Our plot centers on the “Shanghaiing” of our hero and his rescue. All in a melodramatic style of course! Where you can CHEER for the hero, SIGH with the Heroine, and THROW POPCORN at the Villain! Our characters include: an heiress of a very successful fishing cannery, a nasty no-good villain, two bungling Finnish fishermen, 4 man-hungry sisters, a Norwegian hero and his mama of course! Along with a dozen of other delightful & colorful characters!

SHANGHAIED runs 10 weekends, so actors are encouraged to share roles, splitting the run into an average of 5 weekends for over 60 different positions. Roles include: masters of ceremonies, actors, actresses, singers, dancers, (ages 14 and up) musicians, tech staff, as well as heroes, heroines and villains!

2nd Annual Junior Shanghaied (ages 10-13)
Saturday, April 24th, 1-3 pm at the Playhouse

YES it is true! Junior Shanghaied is back for a second season! Auditions for this annual summer Children’s Theater Program JUNIOR SHANGHAIED with Director/Instructor ChrisLynn Taylor will be on April 24th 1pm to 3pm at the ASOC Playhouse 129 West Bond Street Uniontown Astoria.

There are parts for over 26 young performers, singers, dancers and musicians (ages 10 to 13 years of age). With some parts to be shared during the performance run. All are welcome and no experience or preparation is necessary. But you must be willing to commit the time and energy as you get the opportunity to learn live stage performance from all aspects including: character development, stage movement, voice and techniques.

There will be 10 performances during the month of June at 2:00pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Rehearsals at the ASOC Playhouse will be weekdays 3:30pm to 6:00pm (with some weekends and evenings as needed) beginning April 26th and running up to opening matinee on Saturday June 5th .

Be the first alumni for this new annual Astoria tradition! Come audition for the ASOC summer melodrama Junior SHANGHAIED IN ASTORIA! for information about the process and the auditions. For any other ASOC questions please call our box office at 503-325-6104.