Students Compete for a Spot in the Next Big Theatre Production

The theatre department saw the auditions of 30 people for this semester’s biggest production—The Jack Tales, Appalachian Variety Show, and now the preparation for the premiere in November will begin.

    Auditions took place on September 6 and 7, and left Karen Vuranch, Instructor of Communication Arts and director for the upcoming show, in a difficult position to choose who would land the roles in the production. The completion was fierce, Vuranch says.

    “There certainly is some competition as everyone put their all into the reading,” says Brianna Duckworth, Communication Arts student who auditioned for the show.

    Vuranch chose four Jake Tales stories out of six for the Concord production, including “Jack and the Witch’s Tale,” “Wicked John and the Devil,” “Jack’s First Job,” and “Jack Fear-No-Man,” each one about 15 minutes long. Vuranch is planning to add music and make the story of Jack a celebration of Appalachia.

    “I want students to improvise as they tell the story and have fun with it, be creative and think of new ways to interact,” says Vuranch about her vision for the show. She also plans to have four different actors for Jack in each story, and in “Jack and the Witch’s Tale,” she plans to cast a female as Jack.

    Margaret Jusiel, Adjunct Professor of Music, and Timothy Mainland, Professor of Music, will also be involved in the production as music directors. Jack Sheffler, Chair of the Fine Arts department, will have a role in one of the four acts.

    The show will run November 8, 9, 10, and 11 at 7 p.m. in the Alexander Fine Arts building. The Jack Tales might be taken on the road in the future, as Vuranch and some of her students are hoping to raise money for a trip to London this upcoming spring semester.