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THE JOLIET DRAMA GUILD TO HOLD OPEN AUDITIONS FOR
ONCE UPON
A MATTRESS
May 5 & 6
The Joliet Drama Guild will be holding open auditions for the musical The Joliet Drama Guild  will be announcing auditions for their upcoming musical production of “Once Upon A Mattress” by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer and Mary Rodgers on May 5 and 6 at 7 p.m., inside the Bicentennial Park Theatre at 201 W. Jefferson.  Callbacks will be May 9 at 7 pm. 

Due to an unhappy curse, King Sextimus is unable to speak. Meanwhile, his terror of a wife, Queen Aggravian, has taken over control of the kingdom. Most importantly, in an attempt to keep Prince Dauntless single, she has decreed that only the princess that can pass her test may marry her son. Furthermore, no one else in the kingdom may marry until Prince Dauntless does. Lady Larken and Sir Harry are extremely disturbed by this fact since Lady Larken is now pregnant with Sir Harry's baby. Luckily, Sir Harry is able to find an amazing princess, Winnifred the Woebegone. She instantly catches the attention of Prince Dauntless, and takes the test, which will prove that she is a real princess: sleeping atop a stack of mattresses under which has been placed a pea.  If she can't sleep, she is a true princess.

Directors Jan and Tom Novotny will be casting  men and  women and children of various ages for this production based on a the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale of the Princess and th Pea..  Auditions will consist of readings from the script.  The directors ask that you prepare 16 measures of a song you know well to perform for the audition, bringing the music with you.  A song and a dance number will be taught there.  Wear comfortable clothes to dance in.  Performances will be August 1-10, 2008.

For more information call 815-722-1001 or click here.

Buy Tickets Online!

The Joliet Drama Guild has teamed up with ticketguys.com to provide audience members with the ability to buy tickets in advance using a credit card. To buy your ticket for Once Upon A Matress or Murder At The Villa in advance, click  

Welcome to the Joliet Drama Guild

For over seventy years, the Joliet Drama Guild has entertained residents of Joliet, Will County, and surrounding areas. Located at the lovely Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theater on the edge of historic downtown Joliet, we provide quality live entertainment at a low price. We have actors and audience members that are on the second, and in some cases, third generation of involvement with our guild. If this is the first time you have heard of us, come see what your missing. If you are a regular part of our Guild, thank you, and we ask that you bookmark this page and visit often.

ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES OF "MURDER AT THE VILLA" TO BE DONE MAY 23 & JUNE 13 -- TICKETS NOW ON SALE
Tickets now on sale for the JDG's first interactive mystery dinner theatre, "Murder at the Villa"!

The world premiere performance was be May 2nd, and the participants enjoyed a fun evening of murder and dining.  We sold out quickly and have added 2 more performances at 7:30 on May 23 and June 13th at the P. Seth Magosky Museum of Victorian Life.  Tickets are $39.50 each (includes dinner) and must be purchased at least a week in advance.  Go to www.ticketguys.com/joliet to purchase tickets with a credit card.  Other performance dates to be announced soon.

The year is 1908, and you're invited to an elegant dinner party at the home of one of Joliet's leading citizens.  But beware -- before the evening is over, you may be called on to help solve a baffling murder!

This original work is the creation of performers Dan Jagodzinski, Marty Kaspar, Mike Manolakes, Tina Matriciano, Jan Novotny, Tom Novotny, Marie Salvaggione, and Rae H. Williams.  Angela Salvaggione will provide piano accompaniment.  Catering by Bella Cuchina.

The cast/creators of this unique performance piece are very excited about the opportunity to present "Murder at the Villa".  Come join us and help figure out "whodunit"!
Support Our Supporters
The Joliet Drama Guild has many advertisers who have paid for ads in our programs now.  Show some support.  If you need something, visit one our supporters.  On that note, there are 4 supporters who give us a large discount on whatever service they provide, and have often given us donations of time and items:
Illusions Costume Company of
   Bolingbrook
Josie O'Kain Costume Shop of
   Joliet
Memories Unlimited of
   Shorewood
Angela Salvaggione, Music
   Teacher of Joliet
UPCOMING AT
THE JOLIET DRAMA GUILD
Coming up for The Joliet Drama Guild:

1. We will be holding a gala fundraiser for The Joliet Drama Guild on June 7th.  There will be dinner, music, dancing, and entertainment.  As well as a silent auction.  If you want to donate anything for the silent auction or want to help, click here

2.  We have a new season and are about to pick the directors.  The shows in no particular order are:  Moon Over Buffalo by Ken Ludwig, The Musical Comedy Murders Of 1940, by John Bishop, You Can't Take It With You, by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, and The King And I by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II.  If interested in directing for our 76th season, please put together your request with a technical resume and acting resume (if you have one) and 
click here.  The cut off date for applying is May 14th.

3. We're looking at June 18th for the next actors workshop, but will let you know when this date has been confirmed. 
Click here  if interested in more information.

4.  The June meeting/barbecue will be announced soon.  The Guild will supply the meat and drinks, and the Board will bring dishes to pass.  If you want to bring a dish also, it would be appreciated.  We will be voting on the 76th season's board of directors at this meeting.  Which means:

5.  If you're interested in running for the JDG Board of Directors for our 76th season (2008-9), please submit you name to 
click here. the head the nominating committee.  The Guild members vote for the board members, who then decide who will do what on the board.

6.  To mark our 75th season, we have commemorative plates now on sale.  Pat Magosky has put together a beautiful plate to commemorate our 75th season and celebrate the opening of the P. Seth Magosky Museum of Victorian Life.  It includes our Guild Logo and a drawing of the mansion on a limited edition plate.  To own one of these 100 plates,
click here to place your order.  The plates are $50 each with the profits being split by the Guild and the Mansion.

For further information call 815-722-1001.

Congratulations To All The Oddballs Of "Barefoot In The Park"!
The Joliet Drama Guild continued its 75th Season with "Barefoot In The Park," by Neil Simon. Show Dates were April 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, & 13, 2008 inside the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre.

Fortunately the audiences didn't have to climb the 6 wheezing floors of stairs to enjoy this well loved comedy.  After a six day honeymoon a spanking new lawyer, who has just won his first case 6 cents in damages, and his young bride, who is as pretty and addled as they come, move into the new, high rent apartment that she has chosen for them. But the difficulty is, in order to enjoy the charming character of this apartment, one has to climb six wheezing flights. And the apartment is absolutely bare of furniture, the paint job came out all wrong, the skylight leaks snow, there isn't room for a double bed, and an outlandish gourmet who lives in a loft on the roof uses it and the window ledge as the only access to his padlocked premises. The situation is enough to break the heart and burst the lungs of any stylish young lawyer; and indeed it does, on the night he flatly refuses to join his wife in a barefoot walk through the snow in the park. She kicks him out, but he comes back not for reconciliation, but because he figures that since he's paying the rent she should be the one to go.

New to directing for the JDG, but very experienced Director Bobby Jean Koukas with the help of Co-Director Marie Salvaggione put together a wonderful show for the third production of our 75th season.  Filling in when Bobby was down for a short time, Marie kept the cast working hard with the aid of Stage Manager Carol Roman.  They were aided by producers Tom Novotny and Rae H. Williams. props as well.  Tina Matriciano and Jan Novotny made certain that props were running smoothly each night. Mike Manolakes and Tina Rich filled on both lights and sound. Costumes were provided by the cast, Illusions Costume Company, and Josie O'Kain Costume Shop. Mike also put together the wonderful posters.  Angela Salvaggione provided preshow music to the delight of all.  And, of course, thank you to Joe Boron for enduring the silliness each night for Memories Unlimited.  And to all the people who helped with house.

The tireless efforts of the cast were well received by everyone who saw the show.  Thanks to Kristina Wilson as Corie Bratter, Mark Wietting as Paul Bratter, Robin Christopher as Mrs. Banks, Dan Jagodzinski as Victor Velasco, Samuel Guerrero as theTelephone Repairman, and Leon Briick as the Delivery Man.  Entertaining the audience with antics while actually performing a very useful task of moving furniture were Chris Campos, Rob Diver, Tina Matriciano, and Jill Parrish.  The audience laughed at the whole show from beginning to end.  Thank you for your hard work.
    
“Barefoot In The Park” was our third show of our 75th season, which followed the spooky "Blithe Spirit" and the hilarious “The Nerd.”  Coming up soon will be "Once Upon A Matress" in August.  And check out our 76th season above.
The Joliet Drama Guild's
75th Season!
Yes, we're celebrating 75 years of bringing community theatre to life.  We're the 2nd oldest community theatre group in Illinois and one of the oldest in the nation.  To celebrate this momentous year we are presenting in order: Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward, Barefoot in the Park, by Neil Simon, The Nerd by Larry Shue, and Once Upon A Mattress by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer and Mary Rodgers. Although Blithe Spirit and The Nerd are now fond memories, please find time to join us for the other shows.  It promises to be a season full of laughs.  Click here for more information and dates.

And Announcing Our 76th Season!
At the March Membership Meeting, we had our best turn out ever to vote for the plays for the next season.  Selecting from a wonderful list of plays from the Play Reading Committee, democracy in action selected the following shows in no particular order: Moon Over Buffalo by Ken Ludwig, The Musical Comedy Murders Of 1940, by John Bishop, You Can't Take It With You, by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, and The King And I by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II.  Season tickets will be available soon.
 

Joliet Drama Guild - Reservations Line : (815) 722-1001 - Questions : publicity@jolietdramaguild.org

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