In stories of puppy love, it is usually a teenage boy chasing the elusive girl. In “The Cemetary Club,” however, the roles are reveresed. In this play, three women are chasing a man — and they are all senior citizens.

“The Cemetary Club,” a play penned by Ivan Menchell, will be the first show Whidbey Island Playhouse presents for the 2004-2005 season. Local thespians turned out July 10 and 11 to audition for the play.

On stage, Jack Sondericker, who is auditioning for the part of Sam, nervously reads a script. This cold reading gives Director Judy Hendrix a chance to see the raw talent an actor has.

“For this play, it’s such an ensemble piece, I do a lot of cold reads,” she said. “It lets me see the potential of following direction and natural ability.”

The play is about a group of three Jewish widows who meet once a month for tea before going to visit their husband’s graves. Ida, Lucille and Doris are a spirited group of women whose conflicting personalities allow them to get along perfectly, until they meet Sam.

Sam meets the women while visiting his wife’s grave on their 30th anniversary. A romance between Sam and Ida begins, but Doris and Lucille quickly smash it.

This is the kind of play geared toward the playhouse’s audience, producer Mary Lou Chandler said.

“Our membership in the past has been older,” she said. “We try to put on plays geared toward an older audience.”

Sometimes the playhouse has put on plays that were not well received. Several members of the audience walked out during “The Complete Works of William Shakespere, Abridged,” Chandler said.

The playhouse is beginning to see a resurgence of younger people on its board and in its audience, Chandler said.

The age barrier is usually not the most difficult hurdle for the playhouse to overcome when it has auditions. The casting calls usually have a shortage of men come to audition, Chandler said.

“In a lot of cases, it’s not OK to have one guy,” she said. “Getting a man onstage is hard, they have other things to do.”

Competition for the spot of Sam raged between Sondericker and his opponent, Tom Coe, who begrudgingly tried out after his ex-wife suggested he do it. Coe said it was all in good fun, however.

The audition process can be long and strenuous, actors can be called in at a moment’s notice to re-read a scene and must wait while other groups of actors read on stage. The director and producers are looking for the right mix of people, Chandler said.

“We are looking for how they fit with the rest of the cast,” she said. “You have to have the right mix. You have to work for the right chemistry on stage.”

Of the eight people who auditioned, five had the right chemistry. Key Johnson will play Ida, Terry Ann Daugherty will play Lucille, Kyle Northcutt will play Doris, Sondericker will play Sam and Dottie Morgan will play the part of Dottie, who is the plot twist.

Sondericker said the theater has always been a draw for him. The retired Baptist pastor first auditioned for a pay at the playhouse in 1994’s production of “Busstop.”

“I’ve always been interested in this, I don’t know what it is,” he said. “I guess I’m just drawn to it.”

Despite his experience on stage, Sondericker said he still gets nervous while auditioning. His hands shake almost incontrollably until he gets into character, he said.

“I’m scared to death,” he said.

While on stage, he said he lets his mind go blank in order to become the character.

“I don’t know if I am thinking about anything. I’m just trying to play the character,” he said.

For some actors, the community-oriented theater is an outlet for their creativity. Gaye Litka, who did not receive a part, said she likes the theater because it lets her play so many different characters.

“Community theater is my outlet,” Litka said. “It’s my fun. My husband has golf; I have community theater.”

“The Cemetary Club opens Sept. 10 at Whidbey Playhouse. Call 679-2237 or go to www.whidbeyplayhouse.com.