The South Carolina New Play Festival Reveals Cast For Upcoming Lineup

The South Carolina New Play Festival has announced casting for The Josh White Project by Donnetta Lavinia Grays directed by Tamilla Woodard, All the World’s a Stage by Adam Gwon directed Jonathan Silverstein with music direction by Andrea Grody, A Trip Around the Sun by Jake Brasch directed by Shelley Butler, The Dark Lady by Sophie Boyce and Veronica Mansour directed by Sarna Lapine with music direction by Anessa Marie, and Stuntboy by Melvin Tunstall III and Gregory Dean Borowsky directed by Banji Aborisade with music direction by Nick Wilders.

The festival will run August 8-11 starring Phillip Boykin (Broadway: Hadestown, The Music Man, Once on this Island, Sunday in the Park with George, Porgy and Bess), Chaundre Hall-Bloomfield (Broadway: Hamilton, TV: Kingdom Business, Luke Cage), Siri Howard (Broadway: Les Miserables, The Sound of Music), Jade Jones (Olney: Beauty and the Beast, TV: Chicago PD), Adam Kantor (Broadway: Rent, Fiddler on the Rood, The Band’s Visit), Mauricio Perez (Broadway: Jersey Boys), Michael Tacconi (Broadway: The Cher Show, West Side Story, TV: The Winchesters, Indoor Boys), Peter Van Wagner (Film: The Post, Arthur, Annie, TV: One Life to Live, Boardwalk Empire),Kuhoo Verma (Off-Broadway: Octet -Drama Desk Award, TV/Film: Insomnia, Plan B), Maria Wirries (Off-Broadway: Kinky Boots Broadway: Dear Evan Hansen, Off-Broadway: Kinky Boots) and Mimi Wyche (Broadway and National Tour: CATS)

Friday, August 09 will be Industry Day, where Theatre industry and insiders can connect. Panelists include Travis Ballenger (VP of Spoke Entertainment), Hugh Hayes (Tony-winning Producer), Jim McCarthy (Co-founder, former CEO of Goldstar, Stellar), Kent Nicholson (Senior Vice President of Broadway Licensing Global), Merri Sugarman (Broadway Casting Director), and Barbara Pasternak (Artistic Director of TheaterworksUSA).

The South Carolina New Play Festival is helmed by Executive Director, West Hyler, and Artistic Director, Shelley Butler.  Casting for the Josh White Project and The Dark Lady is by Merri Sugarman, C.S.A.

In addition to the new play line up, SCNPF is presenting an Outdoor Variety Stage, a Broadway Cabaret featuring Phillip Boykin and a one-day Insider Package.

All presentations are free with reserved seating. To reserve a seat or learn more about the South Carolina New Play Festival, visit www.southcarolinanewplayfestival.org. VIP seating available until July 11.

Donnetta Lavinia Grays’ THE Josh White PROJECT

Directed by Tamilla Woodward

The cast will be led by Chaundre Hall-Bloomfield playing Josh White, with Chip Egan, Breosha Jeter, Kirsten Brock, and Clark E Nesbitt in the ensemble.

Following the presentation there will be a Town Hall on the impact of Greenville on Josh White’s life and legacy with panelists Ruth Ann Butler, Gene Berger, Mary Duckett, and David Sims.  The Josh White Project is a commission by the SC New Play Festival of award-winning playwright, Donnetta Lavinia Grays. The work in development is inspired by the true-life story of prominent blues and folk musician Josh White, who rose to fame in the 1930s and 1940s as a recording star and a key figure in the civil rights movement before his career was negatively impacted by the House Un-American Activities Commission.

Adam Gwon’s ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE

Directed by Jonathan Silverstein

Music Direction by Andrea Grody

Adam Kantor (Ricky), Siri Howard (Dede), and Eliza Pagelle (Sam)

All the World’s a Stage was commissioned by Keen Theater Company, NYC (Jonathan Silverstein, Artistic Director). The show tells the story of closeted Math teacher Ricky Alleman and Sam, the high school senior who cajoles him into coaching her for the 1996 State Thespian Competition with a monologue from "Angels in America". Soon, Ricky has trouble navigating his carefully compartmentalized life, between his outspoken new boyfriend Michael, and Dede, the conservative secretary of the High School where he teaches. All the World’s a Stage is a funny and heart-wrenching new musical about being true to yourself in a polarized world.

Jake Brasch’s TRIP AROUND THE SUN

Directed by Shelley Butler

Mimi Wyche and Peter Van Wagner complete the cast of this powerful two-hander.

Trip Around the Sun is a dark comedy about a couple of Parrot heads in Florida planning the remaining time they have left on Earth.

Sophie Boyce and Veronica Mansour’s THE DARK LADY 

Directed by Sarna Lapine

Music Direction by Anessa Marie

Cast includes Lortel and Drama-Desk winning Kuhoo Verma (Emilia), Michael Tacconi (Will), Megan Colton (Kate), Maria Wirries (Viola), Abby Gilbert (Juliet), Jade Jones (Lady Macbeth), Mauricio Perez (Henry), and Lauren Madigan (Susan).

The Dark Lady is an electrifying synth-pop spectacle that uplifts the story of Emilia Bassano: a woman theorized by some to be the true, uncredited author of Shakespeare's works. Audacious and joyful with an effervescent wit, The Dark Lady brings this "what if" scenario to life in a gleefully subversive celebration of theatre. 

Melvin Tunstall III and Greg Dean Borowksy’s STUNTBOY

Directed by Banji Aborisade

Music Direction by Nick Wilders

Cast includes Wesley Hudson (Portico), Grace Hamashima (Zola), Kelseigh Redmon (Mrs Reeves), Guillermo Jemmott (Mr Reeves), and Garrett McCord (Herbert Singletary)

Stuntboy, a commission from Theatreworks USA, is based on the book “Stunt Boy in the Meantime” by Jason Reynolds and Raúl the Third, and used with permission of Pippin Properties, Inc. Stuntboy the Musical follows the middle-schooler, Portico Reeves, whose superpower is making sure his parents and two best friends stay safe from bullies. He lives in the biggest apartment building on the block, a building with fifty doors, all of which would be swell except for the secret that Portico’s parents are about to divorce. All this stress gives Portico “the frets”, which his mom calls anxiety. Plus, like all superheroes, Portico has an arch-nemesis determined to prove that there is nothing super about Portico at all.

OUTDOOR VARIETY STAGE

Saturday August 10 and Sunday August 11

3:00 PM- 8:00 PM | Reedy River Falls Park

SCNPF’s first outdoor variety stage will include internationally renowned performers making their first appearance in Greenville. The Real McCoy with Brent McCoy, Street Circus with Daniel and Kimberly Craig, and the NYC Yo-Yo Show with Brian Klimowski will perform in rotation in the Reedy River Falls Park, 32-acre park adjacent to downtown Greenville, South Carolina, in the historic West End district.

BROADWAY CABARET featuring Phillip Boykin

Sunday, August 13

7:00 PM |Greenville One Center

TONY-nominee Phillip Boykin, a native of Greenville, South Carolina, will share the story of how he went from Greenville to Broadway, with backstage tales from the Broadway productions of Hadestown, Porgy and Bess, and Music Man, among others and perform a selection of songs from the shows that made him famous. 

INSIDER SESSIONS

Friday, August 09

10:00 AM- 5:30 PM | Greenville One Center

Six hour-long “Insider Sessions” will feature theatrical industry leaders including Travis Ballenger (VP of Spoke Entertainment), Hugh Hayes (Tony-winning Producer), Jim McCarthy (Co-founder, former CEO of Goldstar, Stellar), Kent Nicholson (Senior Vice President of Broadway Licensing Global), Merri Sugarman (Broadway Casting Director), and Barbara Pasternak (Artistic Director of TheaterworksUSA) who will share professional insights from their expertise in areas of casting, play licensing, theatrical adaptations, and podcasting with a small group of no more than 50 people.

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