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Wellesley Players Featured in Wellesley/Weston Magazine

During our spring production of Annie, Janet Mendelsohn, writer for the Wellesley/Weston Magazine, followed the production of Annie from audition to opening night.

“I had slipped into a groove, doing the same old things, and was thinking it was time to expand my horizons (sound familiar?) when Lois Goodman, my doctor, mentioned an upcoming Wellesley Players production” said Mendelsohn. “ In fact, every time I see her she raves about a recent or upcoming show, whether or not she’s in the cast. This time, I thought, “I haven’t attended community theatre in years. Why not? And that’s how this story began.”
Here is a taste of what Mendelsohn had to say:

Twenty-one girls are glued to Liza Levy’s every movement. For 20 minutes, Levy, a marketer for Rounder Records by day and a choreographer by night, has been teaching the pre-teens and teens an intricate sequence of dance steps. Behind her is a wall of mirrors where each nimble dancer can check that her high kicks are high enough, her timing and posture correct. It’s Wednesday, a school night, and the girls are in the basement of Wellesley’s Christ Church United Methodist for the second round of auditions for The Wellesley Players’ upcoming production of Annie.

With instruction ended, in quick succession the hopeful “orphans” perform in groups without Levy to guide them. The dance audition is quick, decisive. Next Fennell hands them “sides,” or pages of the script. “Ladies, make no assumptions based on which part I ask you to read,” she says. “Remember that Annie is the boss. She’s calm and collected. She knows she can handle whatever life throws at her.”

Among qualities the team looks for is an actor’s ability to take direction. When two candidates for the role of Annie run through a scene with two equally talented men auditioning to be Oliver (Daddy) Warbucks, the male lead, it’s clear the choices will be difficult.

The full article can be found in the Wellesley/Weston Magazine.