The results of the open auditions are in and the casts of the spring productions of the UAF Theatre Department have been selected.

"I was very pleased with the turn out for the auditions, some of the choices were hard to make," said Lee Salisbury, who is director extraordinaire of this spring's "Picnic" and the man who started the UAF theater program. "I think I've got a very good cast."

"Picnic" by William Inge, will open on the April 20 and will have a cast of 11 including names familiar to university theatre goers like Levi Ben-Israel, Anna Gagne-Hawes and Jey Johnson. The play also stars a few newcomers, including Hadassah Nelson.

Stage manager Fiona Lundquist is excited about "Picnic," which she describes as "a dramatic play with bits of humor, not a comedy by any stretch of the imagination."

The play, which could be described as a more intellectual, non-musical, post-war version of "Bye Bye Birdie," is about a town that is disturbed from its reverie by the appearance of a handsome man named Hal (Ben-Israel).

The performance on April 27 will mark the 50th anniversary of Theatre UAF and it will be commemorated with a special gala.

"I think ['Picnic'] will be a great opportunity for people to come back and see theater by the man who built this theatre, the man who began it," Lundquist said.

April is still a winter away, but fortunately UAF theater students have another "Winter Shorts" planned in March.

The shorts are directed and produced by students. Previous performances have featured one act performances that have varied greatly, such as last semester's eerie Butoh dance, hilarious Ground Squirrel improve, and vivacious slam poet.

Senior theater student Ben Coffroth will be directing a short called "Danny and the Deep Blue Sea" by John Patrick Shanley.

"We had an excellent turn out for these auditions," Coffroth said. "We had 35-40 people and it got really difficult to narrow it down to just two roles."

But narrow it down he did; the play will star Luke Roberts as Danny and Hadassah Nelson as Roberta. Both are relatively new to the college stage, which may prove interesting as experience can either be worthless or invaluable depending on the actor and the role.

"This is a play about sick emotional people," Coffroth said. "People that aren't quite right. I think it's good sick humor with some tender moments."

The winter shorts will also feature a play called "Power Lunch" by Alan Ball, directed by theater major Craig Brookes.

"When you think about the price winter shorts are some of the best theater in Fairbanks" Coffroth said.