The Shining, Benson Theatre's first major production, will be directed by Jason Levering from a script — approved by King — that was written by Levering and Aaron Sailors.

Advising the production are Tom Elkins, director of the film "The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia," and Kevin Lawler, producing artistic director of the Great Plains Theatre Conference and co-founder of the Blue Barn Theatre.

According to the play's official Facebook page, "'The Shining' was first released in 1977. It was Stephen King's third novel and his first hardcover bestseller, and it was the book that cemented King as one of the leading authors in the horror industry. Mr. King originally conceived 'The Shining' as a play – a tragedy in five acts – but it instead evolved into a novel with five parts. The story follows the gradual dismantling and eventual fall of the Torrance family at the hands of a sinister supernatural force, and it is rife with the intense drama and startling violence often found in Greek tragedies."

Tommy Wilson, Charlie Wagner and the team at JSAV will provide lighting, and Kit Gough will design the set.

The company's goal is to "acquire and restore the historic Benson Theatre at 6054 Maple Street in Omaha to serve as a shared community space for business education and artistic performance."

Auditions for The Shining are being held Jan. 9 and Jan. 11.

For more information, visit the production's Facebook page or BensonTheatre.org.