Auditions held for ‘Importance of Being Earnest’

By Lindsay Ritzmann
Staff Writer

Auditions for Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” were held Sept. 1 and Sept. 2. The first night there were 16 men and women who arrived for the open call and cold reading for this play.

“The Importance of Being Earnest” will run on Oct. 27 through Oct. 30.

Director Holden Hansen performed at the auditions speaking with a faint British accent. Hansen insisted that everyone perform their cold writings from the script in their best British accent. Hansen then performed speech exercises individually and simultaneously out loud.

Hansen looked to cast eight to nine roles for this play. Students and the community’s residents were asked not to have outside commitments that would interrupt the practices and opening nights. This resulted in only a few who had other engagements, but all were fully committed to getting one of those eight to nine parts.

Hansen reassured everyone over and over that they could get a few chances to perform the same piece from wherever they felt more comfortable at on the stage as the actors perform their assigned roles.

Kyle Orozvich said that during the whole day he had been stressing over this event and calmed down throughout the warm up exercises that Hansen suggested.

Another actor, Morgan Lucas, said that throughout her years at UNCP she has been behind the scenes helping along with many of the plays and events that went on around GPAC. She’s been hiding out for too long and now wants to shine as a Diva.

Wilde's play focuses on two young men in love with girls both determined to marry someone named Earnest who is an imaginary character.