THE LITTLE THEATRE OF ALEXANDRIA (LTA) IS SEEKING A DIRECTOR FOR RIPCORD

On stage June 6-25, 2021

Applications are due Monday, January 11, 2021.

A script is available upon request by emailing ltaseasonalplanning@gmail.com

Please note: due to the large amount of applications we generally receive, we will not be able to offer interviews to all candidates.  Any questions concerning the application process should also be directed to ltaseasonalplanning@gmail.com with the subject line, “Director Application Inquiry.” The full FAQs are available here and it is strongly recommended that prospective directors review them in their entirety.

Interviews will be held shortly after the application deadline via Zoom.

All director submissions should include the following in a single PDF:

• A Letter of Interest stating your desire to direct at LTA, which show you are submitting for and a basic concept for that show. The concept should include: 1) your overall vision for the show including why you want to direct, what you will bring to this show as director and what you hope audiences will take away from performances of your production; 2) technical aspects such as set, sound, lights, props, and special effects; 3) what you see as challenges in directing this show at LTA and how you propose to meet those challenges.
• A current resume that includes all productions directed – including theatre, location, and year. Other relevant theatre experience may be included as well as current contact information (phone and email address mandatory). Please do not submit reviews/photos of previous productions.
• Any possible schedule conflicts that may exist during the pre-production months, tech week, and production dates of the show. In general, the productions audition approximately 8 weeks prior to tech week. Take into consideration that rehearsals are to be held week nights (up until 10 pm), Saturdays during the day and/or Sunday afternoons and evenings. Dates are approximate and will be finalized in conjunction with your producers.
• A list of 3 references familiar with your past work. The list must include each reference’s name, address, phone number, and email address.

LTA has safety protocols in place while the COVID is still a threat.  In-person rehearsals and audience sizes may be restricted for this production.  LTA will continue to monitor the CDC and Health Department recommendations and adjust accordingly.

LTA will continue to abide by state and local health guidelines, so the level of staging of this production will depend on what guidelines are in place in June (for example, socially distanced staged reading versus a full production). We want everyone to feel safe and comfortable performing and attending our shows, so we’ll be asking our director to be flexible with staging ideas, possibly on short notice depending on fluctuations in case loads. LTA is a member of ALX Promise and has a reopening plan that we regularly update available here that details all of the precautions that we take to keep volunteers and patrons safe.

Have questions or need a copy of the script? Contact LTASeasonalPlanning@gmail.com.

Three-ply washable and reusable facemasks with LTA’s logo now available! Show your support for LTA while keeping yourself and others safe! Masks come in two sizes, adult and child, include chin rest, adjustable ear loops, and filter. Cost is a suggested donation of $20 per mask. Limited quantity available. If demand exceeds our supply, we will place an additional order.

PRINT FRIENDLY ORDER FORM HERE

ONLINE ORDER FORM HERE

If interested, please fill out the order form and mail to LTA at:

The Little Theatre of Alexandria (attention LTA Facemasks)
600 Wolfe Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

Dear LTA Friends—

We are fortunate that the number of COVID cases in Northern Virginia continues to be relatively lower than most areas around the US.  There is now general agreement, however, that the dreaded “second wave” of infections (a wave that has been anticipated as far back as April) has begun to materialize as predicted. With this in mind, I have updated the theater’s reopening plan; you can find it here: LTA ReOpening Plan – October 26 update. This plan remains the best statement of LTA’s procedures and policies for dealing with the virus.  With a second wave looming, now is the time for all of us to double down on our preparedness.  Please re-read the plan and, once you have, follow the rules within it.  The health and well-being of your fellow theater lovers are at stake.

Here are a few reminders:

• Come to LTA only if you have necessary and urgent business to conduct.
• Never come to LTA if you are running a fever, exhibiting other signs of COVID, or have been recently exposed to someone with COVID.
• Board members, current teachers, and volunteers/actors working on the production on stage now don’t need to get permission to visit LTA.
• All others coming to LTA must arrange their arrival with Tina McCrea through the appropriate governor or the LTA safety officers.
• Everyone approved to be at LTA must enter only through the front door, register in the book, and use the hand sanitizer and the sanitizing supplies provided.

Again, I ask you to take a few minutes to read or re-read the plan.  If you have questions, please ask.

Regards,

Russell M. Wyland, LTA President.

Dear LTA members, subscribers, and patrons—

The LTA Board is excited to announce that the next production in the “Small Theater for Unusual Times” series will be Will Rogers’ U.S.A., a show that brings to the stage the wit and wisdom of America’s foremost political satirist and cowboy philosopher.  Will Rogers’ U.S.A. will replace The Belle of Amherst, which had to be cancelled because of unforeseen circumstances (NOT related to Covid). Will Rogers’ U.S.A. will run for 8 performances beginning November 6.  Tickets are currently available on Eventbrite for members and subscribers; they will be opened to the general public on October 23.

Will Rogers’ U.S.A. is directed by Frank D. Shutts, II and stars Rob Cork, who is reprising a role that has charmed audiences in the DC metro area for almost a decade.  LTA hopes to stage The Belle of Amherst at a later date.

Russell Wyland, LTA President

The Little Theatre of Alexandria is asking for volunteers to make washable face masks, which we are then donating to charities around the city that are supporting the COVID-19 relief efforts.  LTA will provide mask making kits including fabric, elastic, and instructions.  If you would like to participate, please contact Susan Boyd, Governor for Artistic Support at susan.fashionpolice@gmail.com, so we can arrange contact-free pickup and drop off of your kits and finished masks.

Dear Members, Subscribers, Patrons, and Friends—

On behalf of the Board of Governors, I hope this update finds you, your family and friends, happy and healthy. It has been some time since I provided an LTA update, and I have news to share.

“Mamma Mia, here I go again.” I am sorry to report that LTA has cancelled our January production of Mamma Mia! It has always been our hope to be one of the first community theaters to stage this landmark musical. However, after discussing it with the Alexandria Health Department and failing to find ways to safely stage the production, the next step became clear. Many thanks to those who have invested so much time and energy into this production, especially co-producers Bobbie Herbst and Rachel Alberts, director Joanna Henry, choreographer Stefan Sittig, and music director Christopher A. Tomasino. In the coming months, the Board will try to reschedule Mamma Mia! If you’re a subscriber and you paid for your subscription by credit card, we will be giving you the three remaining shows—The Revolutionists, Mary Stuart, and Prelude to a Kiss—and not charging you for Mamma Mia! If you paid for your subscription by cash or check, you will be given our summer 2021 musical—the Tony Award-winning Something Rotten!—instead of Mamma Mia! (plus the other three shows in the season).

Given the challenges inherent in performing in the January time slot, the Board has decided to give LTA a much-needed post-holiday break for some building maintenance.

Even with the changes in our schedule, our box office continues to be busy. Many have been asking us, “When can subscribers expect to receive their tickets? And when will tickets be available for members and the public?” In addition to the other challenges LTA is facing with COVID19, we have also been informed that our long-time ticketing system, Vendini, will be terminated later this year by its new owner, AudienceView. Whether we opt for another AudienceView or switch to a different ticket provider, our Box Office will need time this fall to transition to the new ticketing system and be ready to print tickets. With our first regular season show now not scheduled until the end of February 2021, we plan to mail out subscriber ticket packages around mid-January. For members and the public (and for everyone hoping to see our unique presentation of A Christmas Carol), tickets for each of the remaining shows this season will be made available approximately 4 weeks before the show’s opening. This delayed ticketing schedule will also allow LTA to better assess prevailing public health conditions and determine our safe audience capacity for each show.

As noted above, the LTA Safety Officers and I met with a representative of the Alexandria Health Department. There were two major “take aways” from our meeting:

1.)   LTA has been officially sanctioned as a member of ALX Promise, a voluntary service within Alexandria that certifies that a business complies with health and safety standards during the pandemic. This is exciting news. It means LTA is meeting or exceeding all national, state, and city standards. For your safety, please consider patronizing ALX Promise-sanctioned businesses by visiting their website.

2.)   Social distancing requirements will be in place until perhaps two months after the introduction of a vaccine. Therefore, the Board has decided to flip-flop two shows in our season. Opening in mid-February will be The Revolutionists. This exciting, small-cast show lends itself to a socially distanced performance. Prelude to a Kiss, which had occupied the mid-February time slot, will now be performed in the June time slot vacated by The Revolutionists.

”Small Theatre for Unusual Times” is generating a lot of excitement in the community. Our first show, Love Letters, directed by Joanna Henry and starring Nicky and Steve McDonnell, is just about out of tickets. We are able to offer a maximum of 46 seats for each performance (safely distanced across our 215-seat auditorium). Reservations for Mixed Doubles and Belle of Amherst will open soon.

LTA’s Scrooge extraordinaire Michael J. Baker, Jr. will be bringing a new adaptation of A Christmas Carol to the LTA stage in December. The high-tech, but traditional, rendering of this classic will no doubt have all of Alexandria talking. Intrigued? More to come, I promise.

While LTA’s HVAC system is relatively new and relatively same, we will be doing filter upgrades later this month. The new super-filters will ensure that the air in our building is clean and safe to breathe. Does this mean you can take off your face mask? No. Sorry. Face masks still required.

Eager to know more about LTA’s reopening plans? Please visit the Reopening plan listed below.

Stay healthy,

Russell Wyland, LTA President

A full copy of LTA’s Reopening Plan can be found HERE: LTA ReOpening Plan

At this difficult time, The Little Theatre of Alexandria stands fully and proudly with the African American community and the Black Lives Matter movement, and we stand strongly against injustice and racism. Actively dismantling racism in all its forms is a challenge and opportunity that must be embraced by all, and LTA is committed to redoubling its efforts to use the power of the stage and our community to make Alexandria a better—more just, more diverse, more welcoming–place to live, work, and play.

At LTA, we are listening; but we are acting too. The LTA Board has formed a DEI (Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion) committee to increase the presence of people of color not just in front of the curtain, but in all aspects of our theater. If you have ideas for how LTA can improve itself going forward, please contact LTA President Russell Wyland (russellwyland@gmail.com). Join us as we move forward and create a better tomorrow.

We’re excited to announce the launch of Script Addicts, an informal play-reading group hosted at LTA! We’ll be gathering every other Sunday from 7pm to 9pm, beginning March 1st on the second floor of the Academy, and reading all kinds of plays (mostly comedies, as the world is dramatic enough). We’ll assign roles at random and switch parts throughout the evening, without regard to age or gender. Not an actor? Not a problem! All that’s required is a desire to read some plays, make some friends, and have some fun.

UPDATE: LTA’s playreading group, Script Addicts, is moving online!

Join the Facebook group linked below or send an email to ltascriptaddicts@gmail.com to be added.

Link to join meeting from desktop or laptop:
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/5432132388

Admission is free!

Upcoming shows at 8PM: October 24. For ages 18 and up.

They’ll use your suggestions to create a fun night of improv!  Snacks and drinks will be served.  All current LTA Improv students get in free.  Everyone else pay what you choose ($5 recommended donation).  Like their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter to learn more about their upcoming shows!

The Revolutionists

By Lauren Gunderson

Directed by Jennifer Lyman

The Little Theatre of Alexandria

Liberté, Egalité, Sororité! The literal translation is “liberty, equality, sorority” with the later also meaning “sisterhood” – an apt catch phrase for this feminist revolutionary comedy!

Four beautiful, badass women lose their heads in this irreverent, girl-powered comedy set during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen (and fan of ribbons) Marie Antoinette, and Hattian rebel Marianne Angelle hang out, murder Marat, and try to beat back the extremist insanity in 1793 Paris.

“…a sassy, hold-on-to-your-seats theatrical adventure… [Gunderson] has created a play that is wonderfully wild and raucous. …It’s a wild ride, filled with verbal gymnastics that come racing at you so quickly it’s occasionally hard to keep up.” —Cincinnati Enquirer.

“The Revolutionists resembles a blindingly scintillating gem-like puzzle… By turns it is drolly funny and affectingly poignant, then doubles back to satirical farce, then ends by bringing into stark relief the social commentary that it has been nurturing all night.” —FloridaTheaterOnStage.com.

Please note that due to the ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic, LTA will be producing The Revolutionists as a badass staged reading! Actors, cast, and audience will be masked and socially distanced for our mutual safety. While there will not be a full set or blocking, there will be full costumes, lights, sound, and a lot of modern, irreverent, feminist, political comedy.

Auditions: Saturday, December 12, 2 – 5 pm and Sunday, December 13, 6 – 9 pm, via Zoom.

Auditions will be conducted on Zoom. Auditions will consist of a memorized, contemporary, comic monologue no more than 2 minutes in length.  Sign up for an audition slot here:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0549a9ab2ca5fd0-auditions.

An audition form and conflict schedule will be emailed to you. Please return the audition form, a headshot, acting resume, and a list of all conflicts during the rehearsal and performance period of December, January, February, and March to secure your audition slot.

Call backs: Tuesday, December 15, 7 pm, via Zoom.

Rehearsals: We will be rehearsing one or two nights a week via Zoom until February 15th when rehearsals will be in person at LTA. All in person rehearsals will require all participants to be masked and socially distanced. The rehearsal schedule will be designed around the cast’s conflicts.

Performances: Performances will be at The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria, VA, Saturday, February 27 – Saturday, March 20, 2021. Performances will be Tuesdays – Saturday nights, and Sunday afternoons. Cast, crew, and audience will be masked, will maintain social distance, and will follow LTA’s pandemic safety protocols (see note below).

Cast:

Olympe de Gouges – 35-45. Badass activist playwright and feminist. Theatre nerd, excitable, passionate, a showman. Widowed and never remarried to ensure her personal freedom.

Charlotte Corday – 25-30. Badass country girl and assassin. Very serious, hardened by righteousness, never been kissed. Has a pocket watch she keeps checking. Also plays “Fraternite”

Marie-Antoinette – 25-35. Less badass but fascinating former queen of France. Bubbly, graceful, opinionated, totally unaware, unintentionally rude, and oddly prescient. Never had a real friend. Also plays “Fraternite”

Marianne Angelle – 30-40. A badass black woman in Paris. She is from the Caribbean, a free woman, a spy working with her husband, Vincent. Tough, classy, vigilant, the sanest one of them all.

NOTE: Information regarding LTA’s safety protocols during the Coronavirus Pandemic can be found here: http://thelittletheatre.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/LTA-ReOpening-Plan-Main-1.pdf

Future Audition Dates

Audition notices will be posted as they become available.

Audition dates are subject to change. Check back for updates.