Directors of this semester’s upcoming plays said they are looking for students who bring charisma and excitement.

Two of this year’s spring productions have been announced as Agatha Christie’s 1952 murder mystery “The Mousetrap” and Bertolt Brecht’s 1943 drama “The Good Person of Setzuan.”

Theater professor Zackary Ross will be directing “The Good Person of Setzuan,” and visiting TV and theater actress Marnie Andrews will be directing “The Mousetrap.”

Both directors said they have certain expectations of the students who audition.

“I want to work with people who are there to have fun and enjoy themselves and who are hopefully versatile enough to take on the challenges that the play demands,” Ross said.

Andrews said she agreed with Ross’ feelings on preferring charisma over credits.

“I love the circle of creativity,” she said. “We actually might pick people with no acting experience.”

Both said it does not matter whether or not students have been involved in many productions or if this is their first one.

Ross and Andrews said they are not giving preference to students who have many acting credits to their names because “this is not Broadway.”

“I would much rather work with some who is excited to be there and excited to be a part of the process than with someone who has their craft down pact and just there to get the job done,” Ross said.

J. Kevin Doolen, the chair of the theatre department, along with a committee of faculty members and students, choses the plays for this semester, Andrews said.

She said Doolen contacted her a year in advanced to direct “The Mousetrap.”

Ross said even though they are not part of the selection committee, they like the plays selected because they show diversity within the community.

“‘The Good Person of Setzuan’ is something different that doesn’t get produced a lot,” Ross said. “It does have that moral and universal message that speaks to everyone.”

Andrews said she could not wait to direct something so exciting as something by Agatha Christie. She said she appreciates that Doolen and the committee chose to select a play that echoes for different communities.

“There have not been a lot of playwrights who are writing about issues that are important to people who are not white,” Andrews said.

She said she likes that each year the committee is planning to select plays they believe will make the audience laugh, think or “make them feel like they are a part of this world.”

Auditions for “The Mousetrap” and “The Good Person of Setzuan” will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday in The Theatre of the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

Second auditions will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday in the same location with callbacks following from 7 to 10 p.m.

Darronté Matthews can be reached at 581-2812 or at dqmatthews@eiu.edu.