Theatre and Dance

Bright Star

Auditions are in the MainStage Theatre, E.O. Bull Center for the Arts and combined with auditions for Sacco & Vanzetti 

Bright Star is a sweeping tale of love and redemption inspired by true events from the American South of the 1920s and 1940s. Literary editor Alice Murphy has a chance encounter with a young soldier returning from World War II that sets her on a journey into her past. Featuring the soaring Americana Grammy-nominated score by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, the musical explores how the choices we make and the stories we tell shape our lives. It is a theatrical experience as refreshingly genuine as it is daringly hopeful. 

Audition Dates: You should attend either Wednesday OR Thursday evening auditions  

• Wednesday 8/26 | Dance: 6:00 - 7:15pm | Acting and Vocal: 7:30 - 10:00pm 
  All Wednesday auditioners must attend this dance call
• Thursday 8/27 | Dance: 6:00 - 7:15pm | Acting and Vocal: 7:30 - 10:00pm 
  All Thursday auditioners must attend this dance call
• Friday 8/28 | Callbacks to be held from 6:00 – 10:00 pm 
  Callback list will be emailed Friday morning

Initial auditions will consist of a movement call, short song, short monologue and a joke. See below for more details on what to prepare. 

Rehearsals begin August 31, 2026; Tech rehearsals begin October 6, 2026 
Show Dates: October 15, 16, 17, 2026 at 7:30pm | October 18, 2026 at 2:00pm 
Please fill out the following prior to auditioning:

BRIGHT STAR AUDITION FORM

AUDITION INFO SHEET

Please Prepare:

• Auditioners should be prepared for movement call first. Come dressed in active wear that you can move in, no bare feet allowed on stage. Footwear: sneakers or flats preferred. Time will be given to change clothes for vocal audition.
• Auditioners should prepare A) a 1-minute contemporary monologue, B) a joke, and C) approx. 32 measures of a song in the style of the show or from the show itself. Choose material that allows you to tell a story and connect authentically with the text. We are especially interested in performances that feel earnest, openhearted, and emotionally honest. These qualities can be expressed through comedy, romance, drama, joy, anger, vulnerability, or playfulness. Select pieces that invite genuine connection rather than relying primarily on irony, sarcasm, or emotional distance. Our goal is to get a sense of who you are as a storyteller so choose material that feels authentic to you.

Important Information:

• All performance and leadership production positions are conditionally dependent upon the student maintaining good academic standing with the University and having an overall GPA of 2.5 or better, inclusive. Directors will be notified if students have ‘nonpassing’ grades in individual classes and the student will be strongly encouraged to meet with their academic advisor and the director. 
• All students involved in WCU Department of Theatre and Dance productions are eligible for THA 200 credit. If cast or assigned a production position, and interested in academic credit, please contact our production manager, Dr. Christen Mandracchia at CMandracchia@wcupa.edu  
• The casting for this production of Bright Star is not limited by tradition, stereotypes, or social expectations. We embrace a policy of inclusive and conscious casting which maintains that 1) all roles are open to all performers regardless of identity and 2) we value the ways that a performer’s identity informs their storytelling. 

If you have any questions, please contact student stage manager, Anna Taylor, ATaylor725@wcupa.edu or faculty production manager, Dr. Christen Mandracchia,cmandracchia@wcupa.edu. 

Sacco & Vanzetti: A Tragedia dell ‘Arte 

Auditions are in the MainStage Theatre, E.O. Bull Center for the Arts and combined with auditions for Bright Star 

In 1919, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, two Italian immigrants and anarchists, were arrested on suspicion of robbing a shoe factory and murdering the paymaster and a guard. Their trial and subsequent executions sparked worldwide protests due to concerns about bias against the defendants based on their political beliefs and immigrant status. Through the lens of commedia dell’arte, Sacco and Vanzetti: A Tragedia dell ’Arte, will highlight the absurdity of the case while being a comic foil for the tragic events of Sacco and Vanzetti’s lives. 

Audition Dates: You should attend either Wednesday OR Thursday evening auditions  

• Wednesday 8/26 | Dance: 6:00 - 7:15pm | Acting and Vocal: 7:30 - 10:00pm 
  All Wednesday auditioners must attend this dance call
• Thursday 8/27 | Dance: 6:00 - 7:15pm | Acting and Vocal: 7:30 - 10:00pm 
  All Thursday auditioners must attend this dance call
• Monday 8/31 | Callbacks to be held from 6:00 – 10:00 pm 
  Callback list will be emailed by Monday morning

Initial auditions will consist of a movement call, short monologue and a joke. See below for more details on what to prepare. 

Tech rehearsals begin Tuesday, November 10, 2026 
Show Dates: November 19, 20, 21, 2026 at 7:30pm | November 21, 22, 2026 at 2:00pm

SIGN UP TO AUDITION 
AUDITION INFO SHEET 

Please Prepare: 

• Auditioners should be prepared for movement call first. Come dressed in active wear that you can move in, no bare feet allowed on stage. Footwear: sneakers or flats preferred. Time will be given to change clothes for vocal audition.
• Auditioners should prepare A) a 1-minute contemporary monologue, and B) a joke. If auditioning for Bright Star casting consideration, also prepare C) approx. 32 measures of a song in the style of the show or from the show itself. Choose material that allows you to tell a story and connect authentically with the text. Our goal is to get a sense of who you are as a storyteller so choose material that feels authentic to you.
• Callbacks for Sacco & Vanzetti will consist of separate commedia and acting portions. The commedia callback will be physical, and actors should wear clothing that allows them to move and sweat. For the acting callback, actors will be given a monologue from the show. 

Important Information: 

• All performance and leadership production positions are conditionally dependent upon the student maintaining good academic standing with the University and having an overall GPA of 2.5 or better, inclusive. Directors will be notified if students have ‘nonpassing’ grades in individual classes and the student will be strongly encouraged to meet with their academic advisor and the director. 
• All students involved in WCU Department of Theatre and Dance productions are eligible for THA 200 credit. If cast or assigned a production position, and interested in academic credit, please contact our production manager, Dr. Christen Mandracchia at CMandracchia@wcupa.edu  
• The casting for this production of Sacco & Vanzetti is not limited by tradition, stereotypes, or social expectations. We embrace a policy of inclusive and conscious casting which maintains that 1) all roles are open to all performers regardless of identity and 2) we value the ways that a performer’s identity informs their storytelling. 

If you have any questions, please contact student stage manager, Logan Greineder, lg1046006@wcupa.edu or faculty production manager, Dr. Christen Mandracchia,cmandracchia@wcupa.edu. 

 

Fall Dance Concert

Auditions are in the Dance Lab (rm 117), E. O. Bull Center for the Arts 

Audition Dates: Tuesday, Aug 25 and Wednesday, Aug 26, 2026 – 7:00-9:00pm  

• August 25 
  This audition is for new incoming students and any student who has performed with University Dance Company (UDC) for only 1 semester.
•  August 26 
  This audition is for Tuesday callbacks and all upperclassmen who have performed with University Dance Company (UDC) for at least 2 semesters.

Please arrive 20-30 minutes early to sign in, get a number, and warm-up.  No need to have anything prepared, you will be taught 2 combinations in a contemporary/modern/jazz dance form to perform in small groups. 

Rehearsals begin Monday, August 31, 2026 
Show Dates: November 6, 2026 at 7:30pm | November 7, 2026 at 2:00pm and 7:30pm 
 
If you have any questions, please contact Faculty Director Gretchen Studlien-Webb at gstudlien-webb@wcupa.edu.