Photo by Ashley Soltys (2027)
The first floor D-hallway has seen a lot of pre-performance jitters. From the biannual choir and band concerts, to the Temptasian performances, anxiety to perform well after months of practice and teacher feedback is completely normal. But having less than three weeks to memorize and rehearse audition material all on their own is the circumstance aspiring Pirandello Players find themselves in, kicking-off the 2025-26 club year with auditions for the winter play: Murder on the 518.
In the Red Cafeteria on September 15, the live reveal was held in front of faculty and interested students, with an information meeting on Wednesday of that same week. Hoping to answer questions from newcomers of the club, SBHS seniors and long-time members of the club, including new stage manager Em Weisner (2026), filled in the blanks for the experiences of cast and crew alike.
Audition information officially posted on September 18 to the Pirandello Players Google Classroom and the bulletin board outside of D104, the choir room where auditions are held. At the very beginning of the year, the board advertised six clues, three for each show, to create excitement about what this year’s productions could be. Now, it displays the intense calendar for both shows, as well as previously publicizing character breakdowns, the link for online-exclusive sign ups and the sides for Murder on the 518. A “side” is an excerpt of a show’s script for auditioners to memorize and perform in front of the co-directors. Auditions for Murder on the 518 were held on October 7 and 8, with callbacks, or a second day for the directors to see more from someone, hosted the following day.
English and Theater Arts teacher at SBHS, as well as Director of Pirandello Players, Mrs. Jillian Trader, said “It’s always good to have some family-friendly shows in the mix when you are doing a season of shows. What drew me to Murder on the 518 was the murder mystery aspect. There was a time when all we did was murder mystery for our fall/winter play. People were getting bored of it. There were a lot [of them being done], and some of it was really good and cute, but there’s only so many that are really good that are out there and that are entertaining. We want to bring in an audience, so Murder on the 518 had a lot of elements of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, and a lot of people know Agatha Christie’s name or the title. So that definitely was one where we said, ‘yeah, this could bring people in.’ Then when I read it, there’s so much more to it.”
The cast is made up of 16 travelers, their personalities and careers ranging from a veteran ER doctor, an upbeat hipster musician, a husband-and-wife chef team, cheesy honey-mooners, a writer who speaks in third person, and, of course, an investigator. “All of the characters are such characters, and so unique from one another, so every student who gets cast in it can really shine in a character. But also, there is an ensemble of waitstaff and train conductors, and train ticket sellers, and all these other people that for students who may not be ready to hold a leading role, can still be viewed and seen by being part of this ensemble” said Mrs. Trader.
The infamous cast list, posted on Friday, October 9, brings about joyful relief and disappointment, as each character and person playing that role is printed and posted on the bulletin board. Whether you secured the role you wanted and made it into the show, or made it in as an ensemble member, all parts are crucial to having a successful production.
On October 21 and 22, Pirandello had their auditions for Grease, the spring musical that will begin rehearsals in mid-February. “Between Mr. [Araunzula], Mrs. Bufis, and I, we really liked the aspect of hitting the ground running… We also know that a lot of students pick clubs and pick sports now, and we figured if they know which two shows our season is, and that we are auditioning, that they can figure out their schedules and what is going to work.” said Mrs. Trader.
If you are interested in crew for either show, sign up for the Pirandello Players Google Classroom, as more information will be coming out soon about their informal interview process happening in early November. The directors hope to see a good turnout!