An Austin community theater is looking ahead to summer and its 49th season.

Summerset Theater announced its 2016 season of “Shrek the Musical” from June 21 to 26, “The Murder Room” from July 13 to 17, and “Harvey” from Aug. 3 to 7 at Riverland Community College’s Frank W. Bridges Theatre. All weeknight and Saturday shows are at 7:30 p.m. with Sunday shows at 2 p.m.

“All three shows are very light-hearted,” said Vic Wylde, who will direct “Harvey.”

Summerset Theater’s main goal for its 49th season is to excite people and get audience members in the seats of Frank W. Bridges Theatre.

“We wanted to pick shows that people would love to come and see,” said Summerset co-Executive Director John Deyo.

Deyo will direct “Shrek the Musical” to kick off the season.

“So we picked shows that are heartwarming and endearing and are titles that they know,” Deyo said. “With ‘Shrek,’ that’s just going to be popular, period.”

Summerset co-Executive Director Randy Forster will direct “The Murder Room,” and he said most people love farces, as he described the show as a fast-paced, witty, almost slapstick comedy that will be fun for the audience and cast.

Each of the directors has a history with Summerset. Deyo first performed with the theater in 1977, Forster debuted with a performance in “Our Town” after moving to Austin in 2003, and Wylde started working with Summerset in “Spamalot” in 2013.

“Harvey” will mark Wylde’s directorial debut, which he’d thought of doing since he was stage manager for “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” last summer and ended up helping James Douglass with some of the directing duties.

“It feels wonderful,” he said. “I’m really excited.”

When Wylde heard the plan for this season, he immediately thought he’d enjoy directing “Harvey” after watching the movie with Jimmy Stewart as a boy.

“I just love the story in general,” he said. “It’s always been a fascinating story to me.”

“It’s always been a story that I loved,” he added.

 The cast

But Summerset’s season will truly begin long before the actors sing the first notes of “Shrek” on June 21. That’s because auditions for the shows will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 23 and 6 to 9 p.m. on April 25 at the Frank W. Bridges Theatre. Participants can attend on either date.

This summer’s trio of shows offer a diverse range of roles for actors, singers and dancers of all types, ages, ethnicities and skill levels. Children ages 10 and older are welcome to audition for “Shrek the Musical.” “The Murder Room” and “Harvey” have roles available for adults.

Summerset Theatre is open to all community members who wish to participate.

“We want to encourage everybody in the community who has an interest to come and audition and participate,” Forster said.

“Shrek the Musical” features a cast of 38 to 60-plus performers, while “The Murder Room” features an adult cast of six and “Harvey” features an adult cast of about 12.

Actors will be given sides to read from the show and, if auditioning for a musical, music and/or movement will be taught. Materials and a cast breakdown for each of the shows will be posted in advance at the theater.

Deyo cautioned people should be ready to sing and dance — and to act really silly — when auditioning for “Shrek the Musical.”

For those looking to audition, the typical play rehearses 25 to 35 days, though “Shrek the Musical” will rehearse May 2 through June 20 for about 40 rehearsals since it’s a big show. “The Murder Room” will likely start rehearsing soon after Memorial Day.

Summerset typically rehearses in evening and on weekends.

“It is a commitment they have to make,” Deyo admits.

Community enrichment

Deyo said the arts are very important to promoting a thriving community, whether it’s dance, music, painting or any other art.

“It provides an enrichment to the community and just broadens everyone’s horizons,” Deyo said.

Summerset is also debuting a new mission statement this year: “The mission of Summerset Theatre is to provide the community with engaging entertainment and artistic opportunities in a positive, collaborative environment.”

Deyo describes Summerset as one of the only venues for adults interested in theater, aside from the occasional opportunities to help with Riverland plays.

Forster noted Summerset prides itself on featuring a live orchestra for the shows, and Deyo agreed.

“We have many, many talented people in this town, and it’s a great thing to be able to bring them together,” Deyo said.

While Summerset is performed at Riverland Community College’s Frank W. Bridges Theatre, it’s a separate entity with its own finances and fundraising. Deyo noted Summerset can be misinterpreted as college plays, but it is a community theater and not a college program.

With 2017 being Summerset’s 50th anniversary, Deyo and Forster are already planning some big shows to tie into the celebratory season, which they could announce before the close of the 49th season.

“Stay tuned about the 50th anniversary,” Forster teased.

“We have to survive the 49th first,” Deyo added with a laugh.

 Tickets

Season passes for Summerset Theatre’s 2016 season are $45 and are on sale now through June 20. To purchase a season ticket or to receive more information, call the Summerset Theatre Box Office at 507-433-0595, email boxoffice@riverland.edu, or purchase tickets online and view the brochure at www.summertheatre.org.

Individual tickets to all three productions go on sale starting May 31 and continue Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and one hour before performances.

Individual ticket prices for “Shrek the Musical” are $18, and $15 for “The Murder Room” and “Harvey,” children age 12 are $10 for each show. Curtain time for all shows is 7:30 p.m., with the exception of Sunday which will be a 2 p.m. matinee.

Summerset Theatre’s 2016 season

“Shrek the Musical”

Based on the Dreamworks Animation motion picture and the book by William Steig. Book and lyrics by David Linsay-Abaire, music by Jeanine Tesori.

June 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 at 7:30 p.m., June 26 at 2 p.m.
Directed by John Deyo, Sponsored by REM Woodvale

Shrek the Musical is the story of a hulking green ogre who, after being mocked and feared his entire life by anything that crosses his path, retreats to an ugly green swamp to exist in happy isolation. Suddenly, a gang of homeless fairy-tale characters raid his sanctuary, saying they have been evicted by the vertically challenged Lord Farquaad. So Shrek strikes a deal: I’ll give you your home back, if you give me my home back! But when Shrek and Farquaad meet, the Lord strikes a deal of his own: He’ll give the fairy-tale characters their home back, if Shrek rescues Princess Fiona. Shrek obliges, yet finds something appealing — something strange and different — about this pretty princess. He likes her. A lot. But why does she always run off when the sun sets? This show is recommended for all ages.

 “The Murder Room” by Jack Sharkey


July 13, 14, 15, 16 at 7:30 p.m., July 17 at 2 p.m.
 Directed by Randy Forster

Proudly sponsored by Theatre Friends in Memory of David Dahlquist

The story centers on newlyweds Edgar and Mavis. But two days after the wedding, Edgar discovers that Mavis is being unfaithful. Her first attempt to kill him is by poisoning his cocoa, but the cat dies instead. Mavis resorts to shooting him and returns to her lover only to find out the shots were blanks and that his body has vanished.

 “Harvey” by Mary Chase


Aug. 3, 4, 5, 6 at 7:30 p.m., Aug. 7 at 2 p.m.
Directed by Vic Wylde

Elwood P. Dowd is an affable man who claims to have an unseen (and presumably imaginary) friend Harvey — whom Elwood describes as a 6-foot, 3-and-a-half-inch-tall pooka resembling an anthropomorphic rabbit. Elwood introduces Harvey to everyone he meets. His social-climbing sister, Veta, increasingly finds his eccentric behavior embarrassing. She decides to have him committed to a sanitarium to spare her and her daughter, Myrtle Mae, from future embarrassment. When they arrive at the sanitarium, a comedy of errors ensues.