Cassandra Wood plays Violet and Timothy Thomas plays Flick in the Davidson Community Players' production of "Violet." (Bill Giduz photo)

Davidson Community Players open their  production of “Violet” on Thursday night for a 15-show run. “Violet” is an award-winning musical about the civil rights era, based on a short story “The Ugliest Pilgrim” by Statesville author Doris Betts. And coming up, the local theater calendar also includes a March 25-28 Davidson College production of Ken Ludwig’s “Leading Ladies,” a comedy about a pair of struggling Shakespearean actors in rural Pennsylvania.

Also below, news about auditions for “Oklahoma” and “Noises Off!” at Davidson Community Players as well as spring break and summer camps.

“VIOLET” OPENS THURSDAY

Davidson Community Players will open the award-winning musical “Violet” on Thursday, March 11, for 15 performances through March 28.

With a score of bluegrass, gospel, Memphis blues, and other familiar styles, this powerful musical swells with a truly Southern spirit and soul. Both heart-breaking and hopeful in its message, “Violet” boldly shows us the need to look beneath the surface to find the true beauty within us all.

Based on the short story, “The Ugliest Pilgrim,” by well known Statesville author, Doris Betts, the musical follows the journey of Violet, a 25-year-old whose face has been horribly scarred by a childhood accident. She journeys from Spruce Pine, N.C., to Tulsa, Okla., seeking the aid of a televangelist faith-healer to remove the scar that has caused her so much anguish. Along the way, she befriends two soldiers, Flick and Monty, who have their own experiences with prejudice and unfair judgment based on appearance.

Violet also also communicates with her late father, the man responsible for the scar, as she begins to understand the difference between love and beauty. By the time she reaches Tulsa, Violet has gained far more than the outward beauty she so desperately sought.

Dennis Delamar joins the cast in a reprisal of his highly-praised performance as the Father at Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte a few years ago. Cassandra Wood of Mooresville will portray Violet, while Timothy Thomas of Charlotte and Jack Stevenson of Rock Hill play the two young soldiers Flick and Monty, respectively.

Young Violet will be played by Hannah Roberge. A large ensemble and choir of local favorites and new faces fill out the cast. Director Melissa Ohlman-Roberge and Musical Director John Smith team up again after their award-winning collaboration on “West Side Story” this past summer.

Violet will be performed at the Armour Street Theatre in Davidson, NC on March 11th, 12th, 13th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 25th, 26th, and 27th at 8pm, with additional performances on March 14th and 21st at 7pm. Matinee performances will be on March 14th, 21st, 27th, and 28th at 2pm. Tickets prices are $15-$18. For reservations, call 704-892-7918 or go online to www.carolinatix.org. Recommended for ages 12 and up.

‘HARRIET RETURNS’ at DAVIDSON

The Ethnic Studies Program at Davidson College will present the one-woman play “Harriet’s Return” on Friday, March 12 at 7:30 pm, in the college’s Duke Family Performance Hall.

The play, written, directed and performed by Karen Jones Meadows, examines the life of the legendary Harriet Tubman, one of the leaders of the Underground Railroad.

This event is free and open to the public.

“LEADING LADIES” ON MAIN STAGE

The Davidson College theatre department will present its major spring production, the comedy “Leading Ladies,” March 25-28 in Duke Family Performance Hall.

Assistant Professor of Theatre Mark Sutch directs this tale of two struggling British Shakespearean actors, Jack and Leo, who find themselves penniless in rural Pennsylvania. To escape their fate, they scheme to collect an inheritance by posing as the long-lost relatives of a dying local dowager. As the plot develops, role reversals, complications and romantic entanglements abound.

Performances are March 24-25 at 7:30 p.m.; March 26 -27 at 8 p.m.; and March 28 at 2 p.m. All performances will be in Duke Family Performance Hall. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $11 for seniors, and $6 for students. For tickets call 704-894-2135 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, or reserve online at www.davidson.edu/tickets. The play is recommended for ages 12 and up.

After directing three darker plays at Davidson, director Sutch was eager to take on a comedy. He was already familiar with playwright Ken Ludwig’s award-winning works, Lend Me a Tenor and Moon Over Buffalo. Ludwig’s comedic genius in Leading Ladies, which premiered in 2004, impressed Sutch even more. He recalled, “It was the only play I read that just had me laughing out loud from the first page, which is a rare thing.”

Three senior class veteran student actors play the lead roles in Davidson’s production of Leading Ladies. Maret Seitz ’10 plays Meg, Matt Baum ’10 is Leo and Josh Tobin ’10 is Jack. Both men will spend the majority of the play in drag. Sutch explained, “The only things their characters have with them are costumes from Shakespearean plays, so not only are they in drag, but they’re in period drag!”

Despite the complicated plots to deceive, Sutch said higher powers of love and theatre lead the three main characters to self-realization.

“The play really is about earnest love for the arts and for the theatre,” said Sutch. “It explores how theatre can change people’s lives and bring them out of less than happy circumstances. These two characters eventually learn that not everything in our lives should revolve around ambition, wealth and fame.”

The cast also includes Ian Bond ’10 as Duncan, Audrey Gyurgyik ’12 as Audrey, Will Ames ’11 as Doc, Brandon Smalls ’12 as Butch, Stephen Pierce ’10 as the Conductor, and outside actress Jamie Anne Sharpe as Florence.

AUDITIONS MARCH 15-16

Davidson Community Players will hold auditions for actors and actresses of all ages, shapes and sizes for its upcoming summer productions: the Rogers and Hammerstein musical “Oklahoma!” and the bedroom farce “Noises Off.”

Auditions for actors and actresses ages 8 to 80 for “Oklahoma!” will at 7 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, March 15 and 16. Director Melissa Ohlman-Roberge seeks a diverse cast of actors, singers and dancers for this June 2010 production. Opportunities for performers of varying levels, as well as for seasoned musical theatre folk.

Auditions are at Armour Street Theatre, 307 Armour St. Prepare a song that shows off your voice. Bring sheet music in the proper key. A prepared one-minute monologue is optional.

Callbacks for “Oklahoma!” will be Wednesday, March 17, and are by invitation only. A callback specifically for dancers for the Dream Ballet will be held at a later date.

Actors and actresses 18 and over are invited to audition for “Noises Off” will be 7 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, March 29-30. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. Callbacks March 31

“Noises Off” is a hilarious comedy about putting on a comedy. It follows the onstage – and offstage – antics of an ailing acting company staging a production of a fictitious play called Nothing On. Noises Off will be directed by Jim Yost, whose production of “Lend Me a Tenor” for DCP played to record houses in July 2008.

Both productions will run for eight performances in the state-of-the-art Duke Family Performance Hall, on the campus of Davidson College. For information about the Davidson Community Players, contact Diane Benson at 704-892-7953 or visit www.davidsoncommunityplayers.org.

SPRING BREAK & SUMMER CAMPS

Davidson Community Players’ youth theater group The Connie Co. will host a School’s Out Drama Camp for young actors to have fun and learn about basic acting and production techniques during Spring Break, April 5-9.

The camp’s theme will be “Theatre Play and Improvisation.” A morning session from 9-noon each day will be offered for children ages 5-7; an afternoon session from 1-4 p.m. will accommodate actors ages 8-10.

The camp will offer 15 hours of instruction in an authentic theatre environment at the Armour Street Theatre, 307 Armour St. The week will culminate in a sharing for family and friends.

Camp fee is $80 per student; campers should bring a snack and a water bottle each day. Scholarships are available.

DCP is also currently registering for summer camps for children ages 4 thru 12, grouped by age. This year’s summer theme is The Connie Company: Wild Wooly & Wonderful. Each camp includes 15 hours of instruction in an authentic theater environment with snack included. Each camp culminates in a sharing for family and friends.

Register online at Davidson Parks & Rec, www.d-recs.org. For scholarship information, contact Davidson Community Players at 704-892-7953.