American River College held auditions for “Tennessee Williams’ Honky Tonk Parade,” a play that will include selections from plays and poems by American playwright and author Tennessee Williams, on Tuesday, Sept. 2.

The selections will include William’s works “This Property Is Condemned,” “Talk To Me Like the Rain And Let Me Listen” and “A Perfect Analysis Given By A Parrot.”

Williams is best known for writing two Pulitzer Prize winning plays, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”  and “A Streetcar Named Desire,” which was also adapted into a film starring actor Marlon Brando.

Director Bob Irvin, who this summer directed “Brain from Planet X” and “The Drowsy Chaperone,” said he was looking for 10 to 12 actors (an even number of men and women), and those who are able to speak with a southern accent. While songs are featured in the production, the ability to sing isn’t a requirement.

Actors were partnered up to do a cold reading from one of the plays that will be featured, or were given a poem to read from.

“Honky Tonk Parade” stage manager Meghan Pence gave advice for people who wanted to audition.

“If it’s your first cold reading, just have fun with it, go with your gut instinct, and just have fun. That’s all you can do,” said Pence.

Caitlyn Verlade, an art major, said, “This is my first time going to an audition, I’m pretty nervous.”

“I read a little bit (of William’s work) before, just to figure out, ‘oh god, what am I going to do?’ When I tried to look up plays specifically, I got things like scripts. I’m going into this quite blind,” said Verlade.

Acting major Edward Pinelo also auditioned for a role in the play.

“I honestly can’t give you my opinion about it. I’m the kind of guy who has to see it to give an honest opinion about it. All I can say is I did the best I could,” said Pinelo.

“(The audition) was the first time I saw the script. I knew about Tennessee Williams from ‘A Streetcar Named Desire,’” explained Pinelo. “Off the top of my head, that was the first one I knew of him.”