The company is auditioning mid‑September for the first play entitled “Love, Sex and the IRS,  A Farce” by Bill Van Zandt and Jane Millmore.

 Jon and Leslie are out‑of‑work musicians who room together. To save money, Jon has been filing tax returns listing the pair as married. The IRS informs the couple they are to be audited and Leslie masquerades as a housewife, aided by Jon’s fiancée, Kate. Complicating matters further, Leslie and Kate are having an affair behind Jon’s back. Jon’s mother drops by to meet her son’s ‘intended’ and Leslie’s ex‑girlfriend shows up demanding to know why she won’t see her anymore.

Founder and artistic director Michael Herst said he believes community theater is a cultural experience that should be shared by everyone. The educational curriculum is being structured such that the professionals who have the expertise and knowledge to move a person’s theatrical career forward will be brought in to teach. The Performing Arts Center at the Boulder Creek High School will be the home for these performances.

Located in the North Valley, the new theater company is an Arizona tax‑exempt corporation, whose primary mission is to develop the art and craft of acting, produce quality plays, musicals, revues, dramas, educational workshops and seminars in the production of stage plays.

“There is a need for more quality entertainment and education in the Northwest Valley that enhances the cultural value to everyone involved,” Herst said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. It’ll be fun for everybody.“

The organization officially became an Arizona nonprofit organization in July.

 The company commissions and produces new plays, original works and contemporary adaptations of classics, which combine the artistry of professional and community collaborators.

 CatNic is currently negotiating with a national organization to bring first‑read plays to the area that will be presented to the community free of charge as an added audience bonus.

Herst is a graduate of the Hollywood Film Institute as a director and line producer, an actor with seven feature films to his credit, numerous stage performances and various television commercials. He graduated from the Writers Boot Camp for Screenwriting in 2003.

Herst also created the only interactive film festival in the world as well as developed and produced the Las Vegas Screenwriters Conferences in Las Vegas for five years. His personal workshop, “In the Room, the art of pitching,” during the conferences, helped many screenwriters fine tune their pitching skills to help them get their screenplays recognized by industry power brokers.

He  currently holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and will enter Arizona State University to earn a master of arts degree in interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis on theater performance.

For audition information visit catnictheatre.com or call (623) 444‑2827.