READ SCRIPT HERE

• Choreographed and written by Alexandria Davis
• February 14-22 / Fairchild Theatre

Important Dates

• First rehearsal: January 12th
• Tech rehearsals begin: February 6th
• Performances: February 14th-22nd
• Show Synopsis
  
  Echoes from the Banks of Red Cedar is an immersive evening of dance theatre created and
  choreographed by Alexandria Davis. The work is a postmodern exploration rooted in a series of
  investigative questions regarding William James Beal’s research and legacy, as well as the
  transformation from “Collegeville” to Michigan Agriculture College, into what we now know as
  Michigan State University.

  The performance interweaves various narratives and social commentary to examine the cultural
  foundations and values that have shaped MSU’s identity as a Land-Grant institution. Professor
  Beal’s groundbreaking seed experiment, which began in 1879 and is recognized as the world’s
  longest-running scientific experiment, serves as both a metaphor and inspiration for the
  performance, encouraging audiences to reflect on what lies dormant beneath the surface of our
  institutional and cultural landscapes.

  Casting Information
  
  18 – 20 dancers

  Audition Guidelines
  
  Echoes from the Bank of Red Cedar is a fusion of dance theatre and dramatic dialogue.
  Auditions for dramatic roles will take place in conjunction with Persuasion and Live Studio (oneminute contemporary comedic monologue) on Monday, October 27, in the Arena.

  Echoes from the Banks of Red Cedar is seeking 3 to 4 actors for the following dramatic roles:

  • Vocalist: One individual to sing MSU Shadows (Alma Mater) for the Prologue.
  • Actor: One actor to portray a 1950s student who ponders the significance of the first 10
  women to attend MSU in 1879.
  • Actor: One actor to portray a student who engages in dialogue with a futuristic manifestation
  of an AI.
  • Voiceover actor: One actor to voice the text of the futuristic manifestation of AI (Note this
  individual is also welcome to attend the dance solo audition on Wednesday for the
  performer who will physically embody the AI’s text).

  Auditions for Dance roles will take place on Wednesday, October 29, in Studio 60. Everyone is
  encouraged to attend, regardless of dance experience. The Dance Audition will be divided into two
  sections:

  1. Dance Ensemble Roles from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm for the following three pieces:

• Act One – Scene Two: Echoes from the Water
  • Casting Needs: 3 Dancers
• Act One – Scene Three & Four
  • Casting Needs: 8 – 10 Dancers
• Act Two – Scene Four
  • Casting Needs: 12 Dancers

Performers interested in joining the Dance Ensemble must sign up for a 30-minute audition slot
prior to the audition. Please arrive dressed in comfortable clothing that allows for clear visibility of
your body lines. Make sure to come properly warmed up and ready to learn a short phrase, which
will be performed barefoot.

Note: Some dance roles will be double cast based on performer availability.

2. Solo Dance Roles from 8:15 pm to 10:00 pm for the following three pieces:

• Act One, Scene One: The Experiment. This role represents a young Professor Beal in
  the early stages of planning the Beal Seed experiment.
  • Music: Homme Made by Lupe Fiasco, Kaelin Ellis, and Virgil Abloh.
• Act Two, Scene One: Echoes in the Bone. This character represents a
  modern/contemporary MSU student.
  • Music: Echoes In The Bone – Everything is Recorded, Rachel Zeffira.
• Act Two, Scene Two: Body in Mind. This role represents a futuristic AI/Android
  transitioning into a sentient entity aware of life’s boundaries and perceptions.
  • Music: also also also and and and by Moses Sumney.
    Performers interested in solo dance roles must sign up for a 5 – minute audition slot (one soloist per
    slot) and should come prepared to improvise to the associated music for one of the characters listed
    above.

Performers interested in solo dance roles must sign up for a 5 – minute audition slot (one soloist per
slot) and should come prepared to improvise to the associated music for one of the characters listed
above.

SCRIPT WILL BE UPLOADED AND AVAILABLE LATER.

A collaboration between the Department of Theatre, School of Journalism, and WKAR Public Media
March 25-29 / WKAR Studio A
Faculty Leads: Ryan Welsh, Alison Dobbins, Sarah Hendrickson 

Important Dates 

• First rehearsal: March 9th   
• Tech rehearsals begin: March 20th   
• Performances: March 25th-29th   

Show Synopsis

It’s the start of a new year for the Resident Advisors of Farley Hall – notoriously rowdy and the record holder for most visits by campus police – and Senior RA Ana Timpleton has made it her mission to turn Farley Hall and her ragtag group of fellow RAs into the best Hall on campus. But in order to do that, she’ll need to get rid of the smell on the second floor…and get that one new resident out from under the bed…and maybe try to stop the residents from tearing the whole place apart. All in a day’s work.

Casting Information

ANA: (early 20s) SERIES REGULAR. Senior RA of the first floor. She’s in the Honor’s College, a double major with two minors, and still finds time to head up four different student organizations. She’s dedicated, motivated, and the only person who can pull this group together – or at least she thinks so.

HARLEY: (early 20s) SERIES REGULAR. RA of the second floor. A chronic under-achiever with the dryest wit in the room. A genius with zero motivation. She is also running a new start up on the side of her RA gig. Ana’s best pal. The Thelma to her Louise. And Harley will make sure Ana doesn’t take herself too seriously.

DOUGIE: (early 20s) SERIES REGULAR. RA of the third floor. Good hair. Easy grin. Equal parts fratboy and fashion model. He may not be the brightest bulb in the box but he’s…well…he’s– he’s a bulb alright. Playful and fun loving with a heart of gold.

NELSON: (early 20s) SERIES REGULAR. RA of the fifth floor. Unreasonably intelligent and impossibly aloof. You might think he was a dick if you didn’t know he just can’t read a room. Speaks six languages and dreams in four of them. Well-travelled, and possibly wanted in Mexico…

LUNA: (early 20s) SERIES REGULAR. RA of the fourth floor. International student on full scholarship for academics. Eager to please, anxiety ridden, and ready to cut loose this year…if that’s okay…

GREGORY: (early 20s) SERIES REGULAR. RA of the sixth floor. He’s even tempered and easygoing. A voice of reason in a sea of chaos. He’d be a great addition to Farley Hall if everyone didn’t hate him for replacing American treasure and former 6th floor RA Ben Corsi.

HELEN H HISCOCK: (30s – 40s) RECURRING. Janitor of Farley Hall. Hiscock is probably the weirdest person you know, or will ever know, but has the gift of having zero f’s to give about what anyone thinks of her. She’s a sage to those who need an ear, a coach to those who need tough love, and she can get a floor clean in record time. She’s currently having relationship problems and should probably share a little less about that… but again, zero f’s. She might not know what having an ‘f’ to
give even means for that matter.

BOB: (40s-50s) RECURRING. Freshman in Farley Hall. Unconventional student. Recently divorced and ready to make new friends and start a new chapter in his life. Owns a plumbing business and will sometimes have to make a quick exit to deal with that. Unavoidably paternalistic and still probably living somewhere in the 1990s. Maybe even the 80s.

MO: (early 20s) RECURRING. Farley Hall’s resident stoner. If it sounds like a good time, he’s game. If it sounds like property damage, he’s probably involved. *CONTENT NOTICE: APPEARS IN A SPEEDO.

MILTON: (17) RECURRING. New student and just moved into Farley Hall. He was homeschooled and never ventured out much. In a desperate need to change things up, and in a moment of Mountain Dew fueled urgency, he committed to an out of state school on the other side of the country. Now, the safest space in this strange new land appears to be under his bed. Jittery. Nervous. Socially awkward.

OTHERS TBD

Audition Guidelines
Please prepare a one-minute contemporary comedic monologue. This will be in conjunction with Persuasion and Echoes on Monday, October 27th in the Arena.

Callback Guidelines
Sides for callbacks will be provided for preparation. This will be an on-camera callback. Callbacks will be held Tuesday, October 28th in Room 10.

Content information
The character of Mo wears a speedo

• First rehearsal: February 23rd   
• Tech rehearsals begin: April 6th
• Performances: April 14th-19th   

Show Synopsis

Featuring Jane Austen’s signature wit and charm, this adaptation of her last completed novel reflects
on matters of love, memory, and maturity. Persuaded in her youth to reject young Frederick
Wentworth’s marriage proposal, Ann Elliot has not yet found a more suitable match. As the only
truly sensible member of her immediate family, Anne shepherds her father and sisters through
financial difficulties and medical concerns amid much letter-writing and secret-sharing. When
Frederick returns as Captain Wentworth after achieving maritime success, he and Anne may have a
second chance at love. Will they take the leap?

Audition Guidelines

Please prepare a one-minute contemporary comedic monologue. This will be in conjunction with
Live Studio and Echoes on Monday, October 27th in the Arena.
Callback Guidelines
Sides for callbacks will be provided for preparation. Callbacks will be held Tuesday, October 28th in
the Arena.

Character Breakdown

CHARACTERS
9 women, 7 men. The cast should be diverse, and of a variety of ethnicities and body
types. [Roles will not be doubled in this production, but most of the cast will participate in two ensemble scenes.]

ANNE ELLIOT, 27; the middle daughter in a once wealthy family. Many believe her to
have missed her chance at marriage. Reticent, introspective, thoughtful toward others.

YOUNG ANNE, 19; Anne’s recollection of her younger self. Romantic, vibrant,
grounded.

YOUNG FREDERICK, 23; Wentworth as a young man. Idealistic, ambitious, sincere.

LADY RUSSELL, 40s/50s; a close friend of both Anne and her late mother. Elegant, well
intentioned, pragmatic.

SIR WALTER ELLIOT, 40s/50s; Anne’s father. Handsome, silly, conceited.

ELIZABETH ELLIOT, 29; Anne’s eldest sister, and the apple of her father’s eye.
Beautiful, haughty, disdainful.

MRS. CLAY, early 30s; Elizabeth’s companion and a widow whose father is in Sir
Walter’s employ. Opportunistic, designing, and a wee bit awkward.

MARY MUSGROVE, early 20s; the youngest of the Elliot sisters and, she is first to point
out, the only married one. She is a habitual snacker, often speaking with her mouth full.
Pleasant, oblivious, stubborn.

HENRIETTA and LOUISA MUSGROVE, 20 and 19; Charles’s younger sisters and the
best of friends. There is a parallel in personality between Henrietta and Young Anne
while Louisa is spirited, insistent, and crafty.

CHARLES MUSGROVE, 30s; husband to Mary, heir to Uppercross, brother to Louisa
and Henrietta. Cheerful, informal, care-free.

CAPTAIN WENTWORTH, early 30s; an old acquaintance of Anne’s; now he is a
successful naval officer and the most eligible bachelor in Somerset. Reserved, discerning,
constant.

MR. WILLIAM ELLIOT, early 30s; Sir Walter’s nephew and heir to Kellynch. It’s very
important that he be wholly sincere in all his interactions with Anne. Clever, self-preserving,
genteel.

CAPTAIN HARVILLE, 30s; Wentworth’s dear friend who was injured in the war and
now walks with a cane. Frank, unpretentious, very affable.

CAPTAIN BENWICK, early 30s; a good friend of Wentworth and Harville. Pensive,
melancholy, bookish.

MRS. SMITH, 29; Anne’s good friend from school who has been hit hard by life. She is
ill and often bedridden; she appears much older than her age. Sensible, warm, prudent.

First rehearsal: March 9th 
Tech rehearsals begin: April 20th 
Performances: April 23rd-26th  

Show Synopsis

Dandelion tells the poignant and uplifting story of Jane, a young woman who faces profound
questions of responsibility and sacrifice when she must decide between attending college in pursuit
of her lifelong dream or staying home to care for her mother – who is struggling with severe mental
illness and addiction.

Jane navigates the ups and downs of her senior year of high school while her father tries to lighten
the mood with his trademark dad jokes, her brother urges her to assert her own autonomy, and her
goofy best friend Gabbie Is always by her side to offer emotional support and wacky antics. At the
same time, Lilah faces her own inner demons – personified onstage as the Voices – as she loses
herself amid a sea of doctors’ appointments, prescriptions, and hallucinatory episodes.

When Jane leaves for a “Welcome Weekend” event at North College, Lilah’s illness reaches a self destructive turning point, forcing Jane to question whether her mother will be able to live alone safely without Jane, her little “Dandelion.” As family tensions and mounting pressures only worse,
and Lilah continually begs her to stay, Jane has to make the impossible decision to leave in the hopes
of making her dreams – and Lilah’s – come true.

Audition Guidelines

Please prepare a 16-32 bar contemporary dramatic musical theatre song. If you do not consider
yourself a singer, please prepare 16-32 bars of a song from your favorite artist. Please no Happy
Birthday. Initial musical auditions will be held Monday, October 27th in Studio 60. You may bring an
accompaniment track or sheet music. An accompanist will be available. Please have your sheet music
in a binder. If you are cast in Othello, please submit a self-tape audition video by midnight on
Saturday, October 25th. Videos can be uploaded for submission HERE.

Callback Guidelines

Callbacks will include scene, and song reads from the musical. Callbacks will be held on Thursday,
October 30th in Studio 60.

Content information

This show addresses the mental health crisis in the United States. The character of Lilah experiences
a mental breakdown at the end of act one that involves telling the story of an intentional overdose.

Character Breakdown

JANE, 20’s / Herself as a high school senior
LILAH, Jane’s mother, late 40’s
JORDAN, Jane’s brother, mid 20’s
DANIEL, Jane’s father, late 40’s
GABBIE, Jane’s best friend
YOUNG JANE, Jane at 8-12 years old

THE VOICES

DEPRESSION, A voice that Lilah sees and hears
(Also DOCTOR 1 / IMPROV DANCE LEADER / MELANIE /APATHETIC NURSE)
PARANOIA, A voice that Lilah sees and hears
(Also THERAPIST / DOCTOR 3 / CARLA / FRONT DESK / SOCIAL WORKER)
RAGE, A voice that Lilah sees and hears
(Also DOCTOR 2 / ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB / HELLA ACAPELLA BRO / ER DOCTOR)

3 understudies will be cast. There is not a guarantee for performance for the understudies.

Note: the role of Young Jane will ideally be cast by an MSU student that can play younger. If we do
not have anyone that fits this, we will hold auditions outside for a child actor.