Auburn Players will hold auditions this weekend for its production of Neil Simon's “Laughter on the 23rd Floor.” The auditions are from 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 6, 7 and 8, at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 17 William St. There are parts for seven men and two women, aged 20 to 60. Scripts will be provided. For information, contact the director at bjones02@twcny.rr.com.

The Hangar Theatre has announced local auditions for its 2008 Mainstage Season. Non-musical auditions will be held on Saturday, Feb. 2, at Ithaca High School. Musical auditions will be held the following day, Sunday, Feb. 3, in the same location. Actors who wish to be considered for both should attend only the musical call. Call (607) 273-8588 ext. 440 after Jan. 21 on Monday or Wednesday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. to arrange an audition time, or if you would prefer, arrive at 10 a.m. on the audition day to schedule a time. Please be available later in the day for callbacks. Auditioners should prepare a one minute monologue for non-musical auditions or a one-minute monologue and 16 bars of a Rogers and Hammerstein song for musical auditions. Bring sheet music and a current headshot and resume.

Now in its second year at Genesee Elementary School, the Theatre Arts program under Partnership for Results Extended School Day will present an original musical written especially for them. Thirteen students in third through fifth grades have been working since September on the fairy tale musical “Don't Go In the Woods.” The show will be presented Jan. 25, in the Genesee Elementary Auditorium. The students will perform twice during the school day so that the entire Genesee student body will see the show. Also there will be a public performance at 4:30 p.m. that day; it is free and a reception will follow to which all are invited. The show is suitable for all ages and lasts approximately one hour.

You can take the edge off of winter with laughter as Syracuse Stage presents award-winning playwright Martin McDonagh's gleeful, gruesome and over-the-top comedy, “The Lieutenant of Inishmore.” This is not a comedy for the family, some versions of the play have used up to six gallons of stage blood for a single performance. The play runs Jan. 16 through Feb. 3. Call 443-3275.

Kitchen Theatre in Ithaca opens “Bed No Breakfast,” a new musical by Artistic Director Rachel Lampert and Larry Pressgrove, Jan. 17. The musical runs through Feb. 10. Call (607) 272-0403.

And a fond farewell this past year to a number of theater luminaries: Vincent Sardi Jr; Yvonne DeCarlo, who turned Sondheim's “I'm Still Here” into an anthem for women; composer Gian Carlo Menotti; singer, actress and philanthropist Kitty Carlisle Hart; author Kurt Vonnegut (only one play, but what a good one); playwright and director Ron Miller; Theater angel Brooke Astor; actresses Alice Ghostley and Carol Bruce; mime Marcel Marceau, actors George Grizzard and Ian Richardson; dancer Lowell Smith; singer Robert Goulet; choreographers Igor Moiseyev and Maurice Bejart; and most deeply felt, personally, Auburn's own Tony winner, Thommie Walsh.

Should be quite a show in heaven this year.

Play nice.

Tom Woods writes monthly on local and regional theater news. E-mail him at thewoodhead@yahoo.com