In Emily's Words Cast List
Emily – Mel Dyk
Cathy – Rachel Vos
Charlotte – Kamryn Sarratt
Anne – Olivia Bath
Hindley – Zach Deande
Isabella – Grace Heemstra
Edgar – Andrew Brown
Francis Earnshaw/Lydia Robinson – Anna Yarnal
Mr. Earnshaw – Christopher Eastland
Ensemble: Featured step out roles for each ensemble member TBD
Sebastian Barnett
Michael Bolanos
Emilie Burkhart
Jhon Govaere
Chloe Kirchmeier
Mandy Marsili
Jameson Patrona
Caitlyn Sanders
Kelley Whitehouse
Mark Zum Mallen
A Hatful of Rain
Celia – Lane Straub
Johnny – Oscar Quiroz
Polo – Advait Rathi
Father – Andrew Seng
Mother – Henry Clise
Apple – Madison LeMieux
Chuch – Blaze Herdegen
Putski – Samantha Dobrowolski
Man/Swing – Josh Auten
Corktown, or Through the Valley of Dry Bones
Corner Prophet – Jewell Redman
Ty/Barista – Bobby Conlan
Cop – Joshua Sowers
Phylicia – Nakayla Morgan
Sherman – Michael Coffey
Atlas – Bashar Byrouthy
Reverend Johnson – Ural Grant
Bus Driver & Coffee Shop Owner – Reese Martin
Teach for American Girl – Samantha Stanton
Ellen – Kim Seabright Martin
Clarke – Ben Barber
Homeless Person – Alana Denard
For the Love Of (,or The Roller Derby Play)
Ensemble
Zoe Dorst
Maya Joyce
Brooke Scherer
Seray Sezgen
Ray Snively
Sydney St. Amour
Non-performing Understudy Andrea & Hot Flash – Maya Joyce
Non-performing Understudy Diaz – Sydney St. Amour
The Magnolia Ballet (at Williamston Theatre)
Z – Stefon Funderburke
Danny – Timothy Hackbarth
Rehearsal Dates: September 6 – 22
Description:
Character Descriptions:
Emily Brontë – mezzo/alto with strong mix; proficient pianist; ethnicity ANY
Cathy Earnshaw – mezzo/alto with strong belt; ethnicity ANY
Charlotte Brontë – mezzo/alto; ethnicity ANY
Anne Brontë – mezzo/alto; ethnicity ANY
Hindley Earnshaw – tenor; ethnicity ANY
Isabella Linton – soprano with strong high C and high D; ethnicity ANY
Edgar Linton – tenor with strong falsetto; ethnicity ANY
Ensemble – ethnicity ANY
Character List:
Johnny Pope—a veteran who struggles with PTSD, an addiction, and his family’s past. Trying but unable to do “the right thing.”
Celia Pope – Johnny’s wife who is pregnant and as Johnny disappears more often has found herself attracted to his brother. Wants to be a happy family but pushed to the brink.
Polo Pope—The younger brother who is trying to juggle family and personal issues as he is drawn closer to Celia. A kind-hearted and passionate young man.
John Pope, Sr.— The Pope family patriarch who sent his sons to an orphanage when his wife died and is now trying to reconnect with his sons.
Mother—The leader of a group of pushers/loan sharks who keeps johnny “hooked”
Church— Part of the group.
Apples—Part of the group
Putski— Part of the group.
Description:
Character Description:
Jackee – fourteen-year-old, then seventeen-year-old black male
Corner Prophet – black woman, timeless in age
Ty – teenage male, any ethnicity
Cop – white American male
Phylicia – seventeen-year-old, then twenty-year-old, black woman
Sherman – fifteen-year-old black male
Atlas – seventeen-year-old, then twenty-year-old black male
Reverend Johnson – black male
Bus Driver – woman, any ethnicity
Teach for American Girl – white American woman
Ellen – woman, any ethnicity
Clarke – white American man
Homeless Person – any ethnicity/gender/age
Intimacy Notice
Character List of Staged Intimacy:
Please read the following notice of staged intimacy carefully. There will be an Intimacy Director provided for the rehearsal period to work with the moments of intimacy. These moments will be choreographed and set during the rehearsal process. All boundaries will be considered during the staging of the intimacy, and consent practices will be utilized during the rehearsal process. If you have any further questions regarding the staged intimacy, please ask in the room or reach out to the director (Chamara Kwakye at chamara@msu.edu), the stage manager (Rachel Kramer krame132@msu.edu), the intimacy director (Alexis Black at blackal6@msu.edu ) or (Production Manager Abbie Tykocki at atykocki@msu.edu) via email.
The role of Jackee: Staged intimacy in the form of platonic touch with the character of Phylicia.
The role of Phylicia: Staged intimacy in the form of platonic touch with the character of Jackee. Staged intimacy in the form of the story of kissing and embraces with the character of Atlas.
The role of Atlas: Staged intimacy in the form of the story of kissing and embraces with the character of Phylicia.
Description:
Joy Ride: #88mph. Our protagonist. She’s stoic, and strong, radiates power even though she’s quiet. Can be a little bit of a dreamer. Black. Role contains staged intimacy.
*Additional speaking roles include Ensemble, the Commentator, Announcer.
Venue: Williamston Theatre
Artistic Director: Tony Caselli
Rehearsals Dates: September 20 – October 20
Performance Dates: October 21 – November 6
Description: What do we do with the ugly history of racial injustice in America? Do we put it on display or lock it away and hope to forget it? Do we embrace it or are we embarrassed of it? What happens if we decided to just burn it all to the ground, could we ever rebuild? Ezekiel is a Black teenager with a secret that threatens to destroy his already broken home. He’s haunted by the ghosts of racism, homophobia, and toxic masculinity–the same ghosts that have plagued men in Georgia for generations, including his emotionally distant father. But when he discovers a trove of forbidden love letters among his late grandfather’s belongings, Ezekiel begins to believe that the only way to fight these multi-generational ghosts is to burn everything to the ground. The Magnolia Ballet is a Southern Gothic fable that melds high drama, dance, poetry, and spectacle to explore masculinity, racism, and the love between a queer kid and his father.
Character Description:
Z- Black kid. 17. He’s not like the other boys, if you know what I mean. He just wants to be himself but is afraid. *** Role contains staged intimacy: simulated sex acts/the story of simulated sex will be portrayed with the character of Danny. See script for more specifics.
Danny- White Kid. 17. He grew up going fishing barefoot. Very close to his father. ***Role contains staged intimacy: simulated sex acts/the story of simulated sex will be portrayed with the character of Z. See script for more specifics.
Note: *Williamston Theatre rehearses 30 hours per week and is an AEA Theatre operating under an SPT-4 Contract.Student actors will receive a travel stipend and the opportunity to earn points toward their union membership in the Actors Equity Association. More information about the theatre can be found at williamstontheatre.org.
CASTING POLICIES
Casting shall be open to regularly enrolled and newly admitted MSU students who are or shall be working toward an MSU graduate or undergraduate degree. Audition notices shall be posted and shall include requisites for the specific audition. The Department shall make available any materials necessary for student preparation. Student eligibility shall be subject to the date of casting.
Exceptions:
– Emergencies: When a replacement performer is required, usually within a 96-hour period.
– When the requirements of a role precludes the casting of an MSU student. This decision is subject to faculty approval.
– When the Department has engaged a Guest Artist of accredited merit. This decision is subject to faculty approval.
– Summer programs.
– Classroom assignments, including plays, scenes, etc.
– The casting of Department faculty; subject to faculty approval.
– Special offerings, projects, programs sponsored by the Department.
– Any circumstances not mentioned above shall be subject to faculty approval.
No student shall be cast in a production that conflicts with a production in which the student has previously been cast. Any exception requires approval from a quorum of the Acting Faculty, in consultation with the directors.
Performers:
– May accept or reject a role within 24 hours of the posting of the Casting Notice (excluding BFAs).
– May be dismissed from a production at the request of the Director.
– May leave a production, without penalty, by agreement of the Director.
Policy Ramifications – This policy assumes:
– That the Department shall be responsible for casting in fulfillment of academic requirements for the MFA.
– That in order to support educational objectives, Department of Theatre MFA graduate students and undergraduate majors may be given preference.
– That Acting teachers shall advise Faculty Directors of individual MFA requirements prior to auditions.
– That Acting teachers shall be available for consultation.
– In accordance with the goals of Actors’ Equity Association, U/RTA, the University and the Department of Theatre and the desire of the Department to recognize the need for expanding the participation of women, performers with disabilities and all ethnic groups in the artistic process, the MSU Department of Theatre will encourage, to the best of its ability, a flexible and imaginative non-traditional casting policy.
– In keeping with this policy, all parts or roles shall be open to all performers and active solicitation of ethnic minorities, performers with disabilities, older actors, and women shall be evident in all notices in order to insure participation in the casting process.
– Non-traditional casting is encouraged for the purpose of increasing opportunities for actors of ethnic minority, with disabilities, older students, and women as allowed by the publisher’s contract.
– When an aurally impaired performer is needed for a part or when an aurally impaired actor wishes to audition, the Department of Theatre shall provide, during the audition, a qualified interpreter for the deaf (i.e., an interpreter qualified or certified in sign language or oral interpretation). In order for this to be carried out, the performer who wishes to use the services of an interpreter is required to inform the THR at least a week before auditions so that arrangements can be made.
– All audition material provided by the Department of Theatre shall be available to visually impaired performers, upon request, at a place to be designated by the Department of Theatre, at least 48 hours in advance of the audition. The request for such materials must be made no less than a week before auditions so that arrangements can be made.
– When auditions are held in premises that are not architecturally accessible, upon notification by a performer needing accommodation the Department of Theatre shall arrange for an accessible facility for the audition.
These policies are listed in the Department of Theatre Undergraduate Handbook, approved April 26, 2019.