Auditions for the upcoming play of “How Shakespeare Won the West” will be held in the Black Box Theater today and Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m.

Those auditioning will be performing cold reads from the play’s script, and theatre minors will be required to do a monologue of their choice.

Mollie Spieker, who is directing the show, asks that the monologues tell a story of some kind and be at least 90 seconds in length.

Once cast selections are made, rehearsals will run from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays.

The play, written by Richard Nelson, is about a group of actors traveling from New York to the West to pursue their dreams.

“The play is based on true-to-life accounts of actors who crossed the United States in the 1850s during the California gold rush,” Spieker said. “There was a rumor floating around in the acting community at the time that the gold miners were generally educated men who, after a hard day of work, wanted cultured entertainment. Actors flooded California and traveled from mining camp to mining camp, sometimes acquiring fortune, but most times struggling to survive.”

Those who wish to be involved with the play but are not comfortable performing on stage can contact Brian Begley at [email protected] to help as a backstage hand, designing set or with costuming.

Spieker is also looking to put together a band to play opening and closing music. Anyone interested who can play the guitar, banjo, fiddle or harmonica can contact her in Humanities room 217D Tuesdays and Thursdays between 8 and 9:30 a.m.

“The show itself is both comedic and tragic; and I guess I’d say it’s a love song of sorts,” Spieker said. “It’s written for those early pioneers of the American stage. Stage acting is not an easy profession to go into and it never has been. But theatre has the ability to fill its participants, both actors and audience members, with a sort of magical joy.”