Director Lonna Wilke will hold open auditions at 7 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, Jan. 21-22, in the theater of the Donald D. Shook Fine Arts Building on the SCC campus in Cottleville. Center Stage Theatre invites SCC students and community residents to audition.

Callbacks will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23. The auditions will consist of cold readings from the script, which is on reserve in the SCC library. Monologues are encouraged, but not required. 

“The Elephant Man” is based on the life of John Merrick, who lived in London during the latter part of the 19th century. A horribly deformed young man, victim of rare skin and bone diseases, he has become the star freak attraction in traveling sideshows. Found abandoned and helpless, he is admitted to London's prestigious Whitechapel Hospital. Under the care of celebrated young physician Frederick Treves, Merrick is introduced to London society and slowly evolves from an object of pity to an urbane and witty favorite of the aristocracy and literati only to be denied his ultimate dream, to become a man like any other.

There are roles for six men and two women.

The performances will be held in the theater of the Fine Arts Building Wednesday-Sunday, March 5-9. There will be a high school matinee at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 6.

For more information about auditions or the play, contact the Humanities Department at 636-922-8255 or Lonna Wilke at lwilke@stchas.edu or 636-922-8420.

St. Charles Community College is a public, comprehensive two-year community college with associate degrees and certificate programs in the arts, business, sciences and career-technical fields. SCC provides workforce training and community-based personal and professional development as well as cultural, recreational and entertainment opportunities. For more information, visit www.stchas.edu.