THE WHIPPING MAN - Carpenter Square Theatre Non Equity Auditions

THE WHIPPING MAN

2:00-5:00 p.m. Saturday, January 28, 2017 - Readings from script
2:00-5:00 p.m. Saturday, February 3 - Callbacks

THE WHIPPING MAN – a drama by Matthew Lopez

Winner! 2011 John Gassner New Play Award from the NY Outer Critics Circle
NOMINEE - 2011 Off Broadway Alliance Award, Best New Play

Directed by Linda McDonald

When:
2:00-5:00 p.m. Saturday, January 28, 2017 - Readings from script
2:00-5:00 p.m. Saturday, February 3 - Callbacks

Where: Carpenter Square Theatre’s rehearsal studio/office, located at 806 W. Main. Parking is free on the street, at Dagwell Dixie next door, and in nearby parking lots.

Hard copy perusal scripts will be available for a $10 refundable deposit. Please call CST at 405-232-6500 or email csttix@coxinet.net to make arrangements to check out a script. Call or contact Melinda before dropping by to make sure a script is available and someone is in the office to check it out to you.
Office Hours: Closed Mondays. Open Tuesdays through Fridays 1-6:00 pm.

Performance dates: March 31-April 1, April 7-8, 13-16, and 20-22, 2017. This show is part of CST’s Education Programs - Project MainStage & Project Discover. There will be two morning matinees for area high school students at 10:00 a.m. Friday, April 7 & 14. You must be available for all performances listed.

Rehearsals begin: Last week of February. Specific start date TBA at auditions. Most rehearsals will be scheduled Mon-Fri at 7 p.m. with Saturday or Sunday rehearsals scheduled if needed to accommodate week-night conflicts or inclement weather. 1st tech is the afternoon of Sunday, March 26.

Cast: 3 Men (2 African-American and 1 Caucasian).

SIMON (50s) Former slave in the DeLeon home in Richmond, Virginia.
CALEB (20s) The only child of the DeLeon family.
JOHN (20s) Former slave in the DeLeon home.

Synopsis:
The Whipping Man is an extraordinary tale of loyalty, deceit, and deliverance. It is April, 1865. The Civil War is over and throughout the south, slaves are being freed, soldiers are returning home, and in Jewish homes, the annual celebration of Passover is happening.

Into the chaos of war-torn Richmond comes Caleb, a young Confederate officer who is severely wounded. He finds his family’s home in ruins and abandoned, save for two former slaves, Simon and John, who wait in the empty house for the family’s return. As the three men wait for their city to come back to life, they wrestle with their shared past, the bitter irony of Jewish slave-owning, and the reality of their new world.

The sun sets on the last night of Passover, and Simon – having adopted the religion of his masters – prepares a humble Seder to celebrate the freeing of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt, noting with particular satisfaction the parallels to their current situation. But the pain of their enslavement will not be soothed by this tradition, and deep-buried secrets from the past emerge as the play comes to its shocking climax.

“A mesmerizing drama” – Peter Filichia, Newark Star-Ledger.
“Haunting, striking, and powerful” – Charles Isherwood, The New York Times.
“Fresh and compelling. Gripping.” – Joe Dziemianowicz, Daily News.
“...[August] Wilson-like with epic American issues of race, religion, and responsibility. Someone must succeed Wilson; it might as well be Lopez.” – Tim Gihring, Minnesota Monthly.