The Wabeno Area Players will have open auditions for the comedy “The Hallelujah Girls” at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016 and 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5, at the Wabeno Town Hall, 4473 N. Branch St., Wabeno.

Wabeno Area Players seeks six women and two men who can play ages 35-65. The auditions will consist of readings from the script. Character descriptions and audition scenes can be found at http://www.wabenoareaplayers.org.

The performances will take place at 7 p.m. Feb. 9-11 and at 2 p.m. Feb 12. The venue for this production is the Madonna Hall located behind St. Ambrose Catholic Church.

The action takes place in Spa-Dee-Dah, an abandoned church-turned-day-spa in Eden Falls, Ga., where Sugar Lee and her feisty friends congregate. After the loss of a dear friend, the women realize time is precious and if they’re going to make the most of their lives, now is the time. The comic tension mounts after Sugar Lee’s charming ex-fiancé unexpectedly arrives at the spa and her longtime nemesis vows to take over the church building and destroy Spa-Dee-Dah.

Written by Jesse Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten (of TV’s “The Golden Girls”), the play’s characters are Sugar Lee Thompkins, the vivacious, smart Southern woman owner of the Spa-DeeDah health resort; Carlene Travis, a no-nonsense gal with dry wit who’s given up on romance after three husbands; and Nita Mooney, a sweet, simple country woman who lives vicariously through romance novels.

Also, Mavis Flowers, a wise-cracking matron who enjoys partying more than being with her indifferent husband; Crystal Hart, a daffy, loveable lady who sings her own lyrics to popular Christmas songs; and Bunny Sutherland, an upbeat seemingly pleasant person who is amusingly judgmental and passive aggressive.

Other characters include Bobby Dwayne Dillahunt, a rugged, good looking man with a selfdepreciating sense of humor and charming manner, and Porter Padgett, a good hearted, gregarious blowhard who doesn’t know when to shut up and tends to talk louder than most people.

One drama critic notes that “with an uncanny ear for Southern comedy, the authors produce intelligent and thoughtful writing that elegantly portrays the dignity of Southern folk.”

The Wabeno Area Players originated over 25 years ago under the direction of Nancy Volk. Since that time the organization has presented mainly summer theater on the Wabeno High School stage, including such shows as Steel Magnolias, Nunsense, Two by Two and numerous plays. Since 2014, the troupe has been performing an extended calendar of productions.

“The Hallelujah Girls” marks the company’s first production of the 2017 season. For more information, email wabenoareaplayers@gmail.com or call (715) 889-1606 or (715) 473-5466.