St. Paul’s Marian Players have recently begun auditions in preparation for their fall production of “The Teahouse of the August Moon,” a physical comedy  originally written as a novel and then later adapted into a play that is set in  post WWII Okinawa, Japan.

“We did it 11 years ago, and it was a huge success,” said show Director Denny Charbonnet.

The beginning of the show starts out in the village of Tobiki in Okinawa, Japan. In the aftermath of WWII, American forces occupied the small village. Captain Fisby is put in charge of the task, Plan B, intended to teach the native people all about American Culture. Sakini, a native of Tobiki assigned to be Fisby’s interpreter,  aquatints Fisby of Okinawa’s native culture and acts as a guide to the audience.

“It [the play] has loads of male roles with a variety of characters,” said Charbonnet. She added that Assistant Director Barrett Baumgartner, who worked backstage on the production 11 years ago as a student, said his only regret was not being on stage during that performance.

Over the past years, many of the Marian Player’s fall productions have been set before, during, or after WWII. But, this isn’t just a coincidence; there is a method behind the madness.

“My father was in WWII,” said Charbonnet, who added that her father loved comedy. “Also the WWII plays always have their own message.” She added that this show particularly focuses on cultural diversity.

Auditions are still in the callback phase, and roles will soon be announced. The performances are due to kick off in November. Performance dates will be announced at a later time. Tickets will be $10 for students and $15 for Adults. Tickets are scheduled to go on sale in October and will be available by contacting St Paul’s School at 892-3200 (ext. 1000) or can be purchased at Braswell Drugs on Tyler St. in Covington.