February 28, 2018
Dear Directors,
Workshop Players Theater in Amherst, OH is the longest running theater-in-the-round in the state of Ohio. Founded by Valerie Jenkins Gerstenberger in 1948 we are currently celebrating our 70th season. Imagine that! The faces have changed. The facility has been updated, but the plays go on! We are excited to invite you to be part of it all by submitting to direct in our 2019-2020 season, which will be our 72nd.
We have a potential list of plays to choose from, but your choices definitely need not be limited to these. We are particularly interested in plays with NAME RECOGNITION. Please note, that even though there are on our list, we have not worked through HOW to produce them in our unique space. As always, that is the director’s job, so we leave the mechanics of it all to you. Whatever plays you do choose ask yourself if they could successfully be performed in the round? Would they work with our limited amount of backstage space? Would the content of the play be appealing?
Beyond our list, we are especially interested in FAMILY FRIENDLY SHOWS, AND SHOWS SPECIFICALLY AIMED AT CHILDREN (not necessarily including children in the cast—-could be adults performing a show that would bring children into the theater). We welcome musicals, potentially Christmas offerings, more modern shows (though those with a lot of foul language may not work for our audiences).
If you have already directed at Workshop Players, you need not submit a resume or application, merely your list of play submissions that include and overview of the play and WHY and HOW you believe each would fit into our space. Each applicant should submit a list of no fewer than 3 and no more than 6 plays.
If you have not directed with us, please submit a resume along with your submissions. Send them to joeandpatprice@centurytel.net. These “applications” are due April 1, 2018 (no fooling!).
Please contact me if you would like a copy of our suggested list. Directors will be interviewed the second week of April by the Board of Trustees, when 5 directors will be chosen. The play reading committee will then read all of the plays submitted and meet with each director in August to finalize a balanced, interesting season.
Thank you for your potential interest in working with us. Please recall that Workshop Players is a volunteer organization and that directors will receive no stipend, just the joy of putting it together, bit by bit ….
Sincerely,
Pat Price
Play Reading Committee Chair