The Marion Art Center has announced open auditions for all roles in the upcoming production of The Puzzle with the Piazza written by Mark Dunn and directed by Pippa Asker. Due to current MAC policies and for everyone’s safety, only fully-vaccinated actors will be considered for roles. Auditions are scheduled on Saturday, January 8 from 10am-12pm and Sunday, January 9 from 2-4pm at the Marion Art Center, located at 80 Pleasant Street in Marion, MA. Performance dates are Friday, March 11-Sunday, March 13 and Thursday, March 17-Sunday, March 20. All Thursday-Saturday shows will begin at 7:30pm, and Sunday matinees will begin at 2:00pm. Anyone entering the Marion Art Center must wear a mask. Please send any questions to the director at pasker@comcast.net.
Director Pippa Asker will be casting four females and one male. Roles include: Althea Witlin – woman in her seventies; Leif Morrell – young man, thirties; Connie Morrell (Leif’s wife) – thirties; Mattie Pleshette – young woman, neighbor, in her twenties/thirties; and Ina Gluck – Althea’s sister – early- to mid-seventies.
Show Synopsis: The Puzzle with the Piazza, a new full-length comedy-drama by Mark Dunn, author of Belles, Five Tellers Dancing in the Rain and The Glitter Girls, tells the story of septuagenarian Althea Witlin who has one jigsaw puzzle among her large collection that she’s never worked. It contains 3,000 pieces, and she has less than a day to finish it because poor health has forced her to move in with her younger sister … without her puzzles. The Puzzle with the Piazza is a gentle, bittersweet comedy/drama about the fragility of family ties and the often much stronger bonds of friendship that lattice the final years of our lives.
New Mending Workshop in February – The Marion Art Center will offer a new one day workshop, Visible Mending with Sashiko with Instructor Crickett Warner, on Saturday, February 12 from 10:00am-1:00pm. Join the renewed trend of repairing your clothing with beautiful traditional Japanese mending techniques and patterns. First recorded in Japan in the 16th century, peasants repaired worn-out clothing using scraps and layering to make material stronger. Local patterns identified people from different regions. Using thread and needles specifically made for sashiko stitching, most students will complete one patch during the workshop, and some may finish up the last bits at home. Patterns and directions will be provided. Some denim jeans will be available to practice on, but it’s best for students to bring their own (holes not required) so the masterpieces can be worn! The cost for the three-hour workshop is $60 for MAC members and $65 for nonmembers plus a $10 materials fee per student. Registration is open now online. More information including a list of provided materials can be found at marionartcenter.org/adult-classes.