Auditions for ETC’s “Fiddler on the Roof ”

Auditions for “Fiddler on the Roof” are next week for the Educational Theatre Collaborative (ETC). They will be held in PSU’s Silver Center for the Arts Nov. 6-9.

ETC is a program at Plymouth State University founded in 1994. It puts on an annual, full-scale musical each January.

Auditions are open to Plymouth State undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, children in grades 3-8, high school students, and community members of all ages.

“ETC is special because of the community that is created each January,” said artistic director Trish Lindberg. This year, ETC is bringing back “Fiddler on the Roof,” a show that they put on 17 years ago.

“Fiddler on the Roof” is a musical that follows the dairyman, Tevye, and his five daughters. Tevye struggles to maintain his Jewish tradition while he deals with his oldest daughters, who want to marry for love, while dealing with an increase of anti-Semitism in Czarist Russia.

The show won nine Tony Awards, and was the first Broadway musical to run for more than 3,000 performances. “It is a beloved story that is filled with wonderful music, great characters, and a big heart,” said Lindberg. It features well-known songs including “If I Were a Rich Man”, “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” and “Tradition”.

Sharleigh Thomson, a theater major at PSU, has been involved with ETC since 2011. She is jazzed to be auditioning for Fiddler, which she says is a very relevant show.

“Everything gets turned on it's head...some things for the better and some for worse, but this community has to dig deep and think about what really matters to them,” she said, “and I think that right now as a country, we're experiencing some similar struggles.”

Bruce Goldman, a professional actor, will play the role of Tevye. Goldman will be a guest artist in residence at PSU.

Melody Funk, a local actress, will revive her role of Golde, which she played in ETC’s 1999 production. “She is a wonderful woman who was a beloved art teacher in Holderness for many years,” said Lindberg.

All other roles are open. Rehearsals run from Jan. 2 to Jan. 20, during Plymouth State’s Winterim. In those 18 days, ETC has rehearsals going on every day, often with three rehearsals happening simultaneously. The cast surpasses 100 people, but not everyone is called to every rehearsal.

“ETC is a crazy experience start to finish,” said Thomson, “but if you're willing to give it your all and really dig into what it means to be an actor and an artist, it's incredible. The community that comes out to support and participate is just overwhelmingly positive.”

Plymouth State students who are cast in the show are provided with free on-campus housing during Winterim.

In addition to the musical, ETC organizes a Children's Arts Festival for children in grades K-6 on Jan. 7, and an Integrated Arts Conference for teachers on Jan. 20.

High school students and adults are asked to bring a piece of prepared music to the audition. Schedule and audition by contactin Brenda Gleich at (603) 535-2803 or gleich@ plymouth.edu.

Performances run Jan. 20-22 and 25-28. For more information about ETC, visit https://www.plymouth. edu/outreach/etc/ or email ETC’s artistic director, Trish Lindberg, at plindber@plymouth.edu.