The fourth season of Western Playhouse, the summer theatre company at Missouri Western State University, will feature two beloved musicals. The Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine musical “Into the Woods” will be produced June 19-27 in the Potter Hall Theater. The off-Broadway classic “The Fantasticks” will be produced July 10-18 in the Kemper Recital Hall inside Spratt Hall.

“We are all very excited about the upcoming season,” said Dr. Bob Willenbrink, founding dean of Missouri Western’s School of Fine Arts and producing director of Western Playhouse. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to produce two of the world’s most loved and most popular musicals. They are sure to be audience favorites.”

Equity and non-Equity auditions for roles in “Into the Woods” will be held on March 1 at Crown Center in Kansas City, Mo., and on March 8 in the Potter Hall Theater on Missouri Western’s campus in St. Joseph. Interested actors can sign up for a time slot and fill out an application at www.westernplayhouse.com/2015-auditions.asp.

Western Playhouse is also seeking technicians for both productions. Visit www.westernplayhouse.com/technicians.asp to apply for a spot on the technical crew. The deadline for technician applications is March 21.

After it debuted on Broadway in 1987, “Into the Woods” won three Tony Awards, including Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical, and five Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical. The musical that weaves the plots of several familiar fairy tales has gone on a national tour, been revived on Broadway, produced in London and most recently was adapted for film in 2014.

“The Fantasticks” by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones is the longest-running musical in history, with more than 17,000 off-Broadway performances between 1960 and 2002. It was revived in 2006 and continues to run at the Snapple Theater Center in New York. Musical numbers include classics like “Try to Remember,” “They Were You” and “Soon It’s Gonna Rain.”

Western Playhouse was founded in 2012 as a unit of the Western Institute at Missouri Western. It is a resident summer theatre company utilizing professional actors.

Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.