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Trouble in Mind
By Alice Childress
O P E N A U D I T I O N S
AUDITION DATES & TIMES
Wednesday, April 24, 4:30 - 9:00 PM
Thursday, April 25, 5:00 - 8:00 PM
CALLBACKS
Callbacks will be by appointment.
Actors will only be called as needed.
LOCATION
Lehigh University
Diamond Theater, Zoellner Arts Center
DIRECTOR
Kashi Johnson
ABOUT THE PLAY
New York, 1955.
Alice Childress’ wise and stirring backstage comedy-drama Trouble in Mind is a too-often neglected American classic. A leading Black actress and a multiracial cast rehearse a challenging new Broadway play set in the South. Backstage rivalries and showbiz egos cause excitement of their own, but artistic differences between the cast and the White director soon bubble to the surface, revealing the truths that American drama covers over and the ways in which even well-meaning people can harm others under the guise of helping. The New York Times recently called Alice Childress’s groundbreaking Trouble in Mind “a rich, unsettling play that lingers in one’s memory long after its conclusion.”
ABOUT THE ROLES
WILLETTA MAYER
Black. Female identifying. Middle-aged actress; expansive personality. Wiletta has been an actor for 25 years, but never a star. Her strength and anger are rarely on the surface; but when she is pushed, her temper flares and we see a temper that could fight the world. Must be able to sing gospel / spirituals.
HENRY
White. Male identifying. A proud Irishman; the theatre’s doorman, 78 years old, slightly hard of hearing, nostalgic, great love of the theatre (used to be a theatre electrician), kind natured and mild-mannered but can flash to anger when provoked.
JOHN NEVINS
Black. Male identifying. Fresh out of college and eager; his training gives him a sense of superiority; feels the need to distance and distinguish himself from the other Black people in the room.
MILLIE DAVIS
Black. Female identifying. An experienced actress who is not afraid to speak her mind. Dresses to the nines but her taste for the finer things outweighs her income; opinionated and can use Mmm-hmm to mean thirty-five different things.
JUDY SEARS
White. Female identifying. Young actress fresh out of the Yale School of Drama; the girl next door type; eager and enthusiastic but nervous and still unsure of herself; a girl trying to be a woman.
SHELDON FORRESTER
Black. Male identifying. Older character actor. Like Wiletta he has learned from experience to keep his head down, get along and say the right thing. A simple man, uneducated but not stupid.
AL MANNERS
White. Male identifying. Early 40s; the director, a product of Hollywood; passionate; can be very likable but quick-tempered; touts himself the well-intended liberal, but doesn’t see his own blind spots; considerate and understanding after his own fashion, selfish and tactless after others. Calculating. Can’t take criticism.
EDDIE FENTON
White. Male identifying. The stage manager of "Chaos in Bellville," the play-within-a-play, eager and quick, but no matter how hard he tries cannot seem to avoid Al’s wrath.
BILL O'WRAY
White. Male identifying. A middle-aged seasoned and lauded actor. The only cast member who finds steady work. He is worried at all times, except when he’s performing.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Your audition will last 15 minutes.
Your audition will consist of cold readings from the script.
If you have a conflict with audition dates /times but would still like to audition, please email Kashi, the director: kkj2@lehigh.edu.
IMPORTANT DATES
Technical Rehearsals: September 25 – October 3, 2024
Performance Dates: October 4 - October 12, 2024
REHEARSAL SCHEDULE
- Rehearsals will run Monday - Friday, from 6:00 - 9:00 PM. Typically, you'll only be needed for a portion of that 3-hour window and you may not be called every day.
- You will receive a detailed rehearsal schedule at the start of the Fall '24 semester, so you can plan ahead and manage your time wisely. Our aim is to make this experience enjoyable and fulfilling for everyone involved.
ACADEMIC CREDIT
CREATIVE TEAM
Director: Kashi Johnson
Scenic Designer: Melpomene Katakalos
Lighting Designer: Will Lowry
Sound Designer: Andrew Nelson
Costume Designer: Kenisha Kelly
Media Designer: Joseph Amodei
THE BUZZ
“Feels just as fresh and maybe even shocking
as it must have been 67 years ago. The return
of Trouble in Mind couldn’t be timelier.”
—The San Diego Union-Tribune
“A very funny look at some serious topics.
This backstage comedy-drama is sure to have you
laughing and leave you thinking after you exit the theatre.”
—BroadwayWorld
“Remarkably fresh.
A first-class production.”
—San Diego Story