Playgoers of Lethbridge want you to “Exit Laughing,” in October.
 They are holding auditions for their Oct. 22-26 production of  Paul Elliott’s comedy “Exit Laughing,” June 26 and 27 in the Casa Meeting room from 7-9 p.m.
Director Linda Johnson is keeping her cards close to her chest about what the play is about.
“I don't want to give away too much info about the play other than: "When the biggest highlight in your life for the past 30 years has been your weekly bridge night out with the girls, what do you do when one of your foursome inconveniently dies,” she described in an e-mail.

Elliott’s new comedy “ Exit Laughing completed its developmental staging with the Reunion Theatre Group outside of Seattle  to rave reviews, then won the 2013 AACTfest with a record-breaking premiere  at the Springfield Little Theatre ‘s historic Landers Theater.  

By the end of its premiere run, Exit Laughing had broken a 50-year record for the amount of money raised and tickets sold and packed houses every night with standing room only.

 The cast requires three women in their late ’50s to ’60 to play the three southern ladies from Birmingham, Alabama , Connie, Leona and Millie who borrow the ashes of their recently deceased friend from the funeral home for one last card game and the most exciting night of their life begins as hilarity ensues involving a police raid,  a stripper and much more.
 The play also requires one woman in her early ’20s and a man in his 20s.
 They also need a producer and production staff
No preparation required.

The show runs in Country Kitchen, Oct. 22-26. Johnson hopes to begin rehearsals in mid-July.

Pridefest is coming up and Ashley Thomson is excited to return home to Lethbridge to kick it off with her one woman production of Elise Forier Edie’s 2011 play the Pink Unicorn, June 9 at 3 p.m. at  SAAG.
“It’s a really beautiful story about a conservative Christian mother who learns her daughter comes out as transgendered, ” said Thomson, who is a veteran of many a New West Theatre Christmas show and several University of Lethbridge performances and played Puck in Shakespeare in the Park’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

“It’s a beautiful story as she questions her religion and her spirituality and he family. She tells the story from a lot of different character’s points of view, but there is no costume changes,” she continued.

“ But it really is about love and acceptance. It takes place in a fictional Texas town, so it is fun to play with a Texas accent,” she said.

Extra, extra, read all about it, Lethbridge Musical Theatre has joined forces with Chinook High School to bring award winning musical Newsies to the Yates Theatre, Nov. 1-9.
“This project is a hybrid project with Lethbridge Musical Theatre and the choral and musical theatre program at Chinook High School,” said director Dave Mikuliak, who is excited to  be directing the first main stage Lethbridge Musical Theatre production is several years. The massive cast of 60 will include a combination of students and  community members, so there are separate auditions for the public on June 5 from 7-9 p.m.  at the Country Kitchen, but you need to sign up for a slot though Lethbridge musical theatre’s new website https://lethbridgemusicaltheatre.wordpress.com/
 Auditions for students are June 4 at Chinook High school. Chinook High School students will have their own auditions, as Newsies will be part of their curriculum, which focuses on acting, singing and dancing.

“We did Les Mis which is more singing and dancing and  Fiddler on the Roof, which is more book based, so I’m excited to continue that with Newsies,” Mikuliak enthused.
 The 2012 Broadway show  is inspired by the 1899 New York newsboys strike,which also inspired a 1992 movie.

“Though the musical and  the movie are quite different,” said Mikuliak, who is excited to combine the energy and budget of LMT and Chinook High School.
“ So the newsies will be youth, though it’s written so they can be girls too as that part of the show is written for higher register voices. And the adult characters can be adults,” he continued, adding there are some familiar names like newspaper tycoon Joseph Pulitzer.

“ Lethbridge Musical Theatre hasn’t done a mainstage production at the Yates Theatre for about four years, so it is very cool to be able to help bring that back now they‘re in  a financial position to do something like this.,” said Mikuliak, who has been involved in many LMT productions over the years including Guys and Dolls and Oliver. The last LMT mainstage production was Guys and Dolls in 2014., though they have put on a couple smaller shows to raise funds including Nunsense and Nunsense 2.

“LMT played an important formative role in my life when I was on my 20s and 30s  from 1989 to about 1994,” he enthused, adding he directed Finnegan’s Rainbow in 1995.
“ It’s funny, but a lot of the cast probably wouldn’t even have been born, when I directed my last LMT show. So it’s pretty special to be back,” he chuckled, adding he was excited to research the background for the show.