Arts roundup

Cyrano's Theatre Company is looking for a "poster dog" for its production of "Bark! The Musical," opening Dec. 3. If you think you've got the most photogenic dog in town (and honestly, in a city full of dog owners, who among us does not think her own dog is the best-looking?), stroll Fido on over to Paw Prince in the City Center Mall (at the corner of Tudor Rd. and the Old Seward Highway) between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. next Saturday, Oct. 17. Pet photographer Randi Hirschmann will be taking photos (you will, of course, have the option to purchase prints), and the best-looking pooch will win a Paw Prince gift card, four tickets to the show, and a giant-sized souvenir poster -- not to mention all that exposure.

No dog? No problem. There are other ways to break into theater in this town. Anchorage Community Theatre is holding auditions this weekend and next for two upcoming productions, "Miracle on 34th Street" and "Heart." For "Miracle on 34th Street," the holiday classic about a too-convincing department store Santa Claus, ACT is casting for about 30 roles, including men, women and children. "Heart," a comedy about the "unexpected surprises and revelations" of middle age, has roles for 16 men and women in their 20s through early 60s. "Miracle on 34th Street" auditions will be held Saturday, Oct. 10 from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 11 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at ACT, 1133 E. 70th Ave. "Heart" auditions will be held Saturday, Oct. 17 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 18 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., also at ACT. Readings for both auditions will be selected from the scripts, so monologues are not required. "Heart" scripts may be available for early checkout; e-mail honeymooners@gci.net or call Kevin at (907) 440-0682.

If you're more interested in working behind the scenes, the Anchorage International Film Festival is already recruiting volunteers to do everything from promote films and decorate venues to hang out with filmmakers and "generally make the ninth annual festival a stunning display of story, truth, mayhem and independent thought," according to organizers. They're particularly interested in signing up some volunteers who have experience handling money, running projectors and/or handling public relations (although if you don't have any of those skills, they'd probably still be thrilled to have you). You can fill out a volunteer form at the festival's Web site or send a letter of interest to the volunteer coordinator at aiffvolunteer@gmail.com. The festival will be held Dec. 4-17 in Anchorage.

'The Big One' hits Valdez
No, not another oil spill -- playwright Dick Reichmann's dramatization of the Exxon Valdez oil spill is hitting the road, with a stop in Valdez this weekend. "The Big One," which has already enjoyed a full run at Cyrano's and made a quick trip to Homer, will be staged at the Valdez Civic and Convention Center this Saturday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. Tickets, $10, are available at the door. "The Big One" will complete its tour Oct. 24 in Seward.

Act now on Juneau Symphony tickets
The Juneau Symphony is moving to the new auditorium at Thunder Mountain High School for next weekend's season opener, which will feature violinists Paul and Linda Rosenthal performing Louis Spohr's Concertante No. 2 for Two Violins and Orchestra. The program will also include Sibelius's Symphony No. 2 and Haydn's "Lo Speziale" Overture. With 408 seats, the Thunder Mountain auditorium is considerably smaller than the symphony's previous performance space at Juneau-Douglas High School, so the symphony is encouraging patrons to purchase tickets in advance.