By Emily White

REXBURG—Since their first show in 2007, Rexburg Community Theatre has provided the community with quality theatrical productions for all ages to enjoy and participate in. Each year they perform two or three shows, ranging from popular shows like “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Hello, Dolly,” to lesser known shows such as “And Then There Were None,” and “The Taffetas.”

Like many businesses, RCT took a blow when COVID-19 hit. According to RCT President Ann Cluff, the company had been in the process of casting “The Sound Of Music” when the city started to shut down in March 2020. They assembled the show’s production team and were faced with the difficult decision of putting their season on a hiatus or continuing as planned. They announced they would be postponing the production until that fall, hoping that new regulations wouldn’t be permanent. When it became clear that COVID-19 would have a lasting effect, they made the decision to postpone all their shows until 2021. 

The announcement was met with a lot of opposition. 

“People let us know in no uncertain terms that they were not happy with the decision,” Cluff says. “But at the end of the day, it came down to personal safety for us and the actors.”

After another devastating round of COVID-19-related setbacks in 2021, Cluff and the RCT team decided to push the musical back another year. Auditions for “The Sound of Music” are set for March 23-25, 2022, with performance dates set for later that summer. 

Fortunately, Rexburg doesn’t need to wait too long for another dose of the dramatic arts. Their hiatus is over and RCT is coming back strong with a production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Auditions are scheduled for September 18 with performances in December. 

Auditions are open to the public. To audition, visit www.rctheatre.org, select an audition time, and fill out the audition form. RCT is asking that you prepare a two- to three-minute monologue for your audition. There is a $35 participation fee to cover royalties, script, costumes, and music. Masks are encouraged for those who aren’t vaccinated but not required.

“Performing arts gives us a joy for life and a different kind of storytelling,” Cluff says. “One more magical and personal.” 

Everyone at Rexburg Community Theatre is thrilled to be getting back into the swing of things and invite you to be a part of the magic whether on stage, behind the scenes, or in the audience.