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Breakdown
2015-16 SEASON
UNEXPLORED INTERIOR
By Jay O. Sanders and Directed by Derek Goldman
1st reh: 9/28. Perfs: 10/26 - 11/29
Felicien: Rwandan Male, 70s, an old Tutsi storyteller, eloquent and wise, kind and generous. A soulful, teacherly presence whose colossal spirit hovers over the play and is a source of inspiration.
Raymond: Rwandan Male, 20s. Felicien’s Tutsi grandson, a young filmmaker, trained in the US. He has an easy, understated charisma and is determined and gifted. The engine of the play is his personal and artistic quest to come to terms with the legacy of his past, to find out what has become of his family members who are unaccounted for after the war, and to tell the story of Rwanda.
Alphonse: Rwandan Male, 20s. Raymond’s best friend since childhood, Hutu. He is charismatic, fierce, committed, more tightly coiled than Raymond, looking to belong. He turns on his lifelong Tutsi friend Raymond due to his Hutu convictions and Raymond no longer recognizes him.
*Boy: Rwandan Male, 10. A ghostly presence whose memory haunts General Dallaire.
Cat-reen Bunyanyezi: Tutsi, Female, mid-30’s. CAST
Larry the Hotel Bellman: White American, Male, 30-50s. An overeager, ignorant, sycophantic man and admirer of Dallaire. Doubles as:
White French Official/French Pilot: the white pilot of Habyarimana’s private jet/Belgian UNAMIR soldier, whom we meet in the throes of unspeakable events. He witnesses the death of his comrades, is traumatized, filled with rage, and at the end of his rope.
White Male Flight attendant: courteous and a picture of vocational civility.
General Romeo Dallaire: Canadian, White, Male, 50s. He is a peacekeeping commodore who is haunted by his failure to protect the Rwandan people. Doubles as:
Alan: white American filmmaker and NYU professor. He is a warm, generous mentor to Raymond and a committed activist. He is deeply knowledgeable and exudes an inspiring sense of passion about his work,
Mark Twain: Male, White, 70s. The great American writer. He is filled with extraordinary gusto, humor and wisdom, coupled with a sense of the mythic.
Kate: Female, Black, American, 40s. A teacher, married to Alan, who is erudite, kind, tough, sophisticated, and politically engaged. Through Raymond, she embarks on a life-changing personal journey of her own. CAST
Thomas Sibomana: Male, Hutu, 40s-50s. He is a historian and government minister who falls head over heels for Cat-reen, a Tutsi woman. He is very intelligent, charismatic, and smooth in voice and affect.
*DJ: Male, Rwandan, 25-45. Black disc jockey at RTLM, an extremist Hutu Radio Station. A large, angry persona who incites listeners with rousing propagandistic rhetoric. Doubles as:
Presidential Guard: 30s, elite Hutu government soldier, brutal and direct.
Man’s Voice: He presents himself as “Thomas’s friend” but proves to be desperate and rapacious. He cruelly threatens Cat-reen
Colonel Bagasora: Male, Rwandan, Hutu, 50s: Architect of the Genocide. He has been a military officer for many years and trusts no one. He is effortlessly murderous and cold with a crocodile grin; wields his power cruelly and constantly.
Innocent: Male, Hutu, 20s-30s: Refugee from Burundi who has lost his family and has hardened himself to become a fighter and killer for the cause and pulls Alphonse into this world too. Fierce and focused, he becomes the embodiment of Hutu pride.
*RPF Soldier (Jean): Male, Rwandan, 25-45. A member of the invading Tutsi Rebel army and part of an impressive, well-coordinated military entourage. Doubles as:
Dominique: employee at the French Embassy. He is practical but caught in the bureaucracy and unable to help Thomas.
Melvin Phillips: an American businessman. Bright, highly professional, and charismatic. A presentable young entrepreneur
Waiter in Kigali Cafe
*Movement and vocal strengths desirable in the ensemble for additional doubling.
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THE GOSPEL OF LOVINGKINDNESS
By Marcus Gardley and Directed by Jennifer Nelson
1st reh: 11/9. Perfs: 12/7 - 1/3/16
Mary: 40s. African American, mother of Manny. CAST
Manny: 18-25. African American. Must be an excellent singer, preferably tenor. This actor also plays:
Zach: a radio host
Noel: a young man who aspires to be a professional basketball star.
Joe: 40s. African American. Manny’s father and Mary’s ex-husband. This actor also plays:
Basketball Coach
Jude: a Congressman
Employer: a manager at Walmart
Baptiste: Noel’s uncle
Miriam: 40s. African American. Mother of Noel. This actor also plays:
Ida B. Wells
Martha: Mary’s best friend and co-worker
Female Officer
Mrs. Thomas: a neighbor
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ERETZ CHADASHA: THE PROMISED LAND
By Shachar Pinkhas and Shay Pitovsky and Directed by Michael Bloom
1st reh: 1/25/16. Perfs: 2/15 - 2/28
ACTOR 1 – Male, Israeli, 40-50s
Mayor: middle-aged Israeli. Beleaguered authority figure
Israeli Soldier
Menashe: Israeli
ACTOR 2 – Female, Sudanese, 12 years old
Nadak: 12 year old girl of Sudanese descent
ACTOR 3 – Male, Sudanese, Late 30s-Early 40s
Ali: Imprisoned Sudanese refugee, father, idealistic
Father: store owner
ACTOR 4 – Male, Late 20s-Early 30s
Israeli officer in jail/prison. Should be younger than Actor 3
Emmanuel: young boy, Sudanese
Israeli Soldier
ACTOR 5 – Female, 30-40s
Sudanese Mother in store, wife to Father and mother of Emmanuel
Mother to Nadak
ACTOR 6 – Female, Israeli, 20s
Leah: young Israeli woman
Other parts as assigned
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AFTER THE WAR
By Motti Lerner and Directed by Sinai Peter
1st reh: 2/22. Perfs: 3/21 - 4/17
Setting: August 28 - 30, 2006, two weeks after the end of the Second Lebanon War.
Joel: Male, 50. A pianist of international reputation who lives in the United States. During the play, Joel plays pieces from Beethoven’s piano sonata no. 8 opus 13, known as the Pathétique. CAST
Bella: Female, 73. Her hair is wild and gives the impression of not having been brushed for a long time. She is very tense and dramatic. She has asthma and uses an inhaler. She was once a great piano teacher. Widow of great history professor. Mother of Joel and Freddie.
Freddie: Male, 46. Brother of Joel, a business man. He wears a suit, carries a briefcase, smokes cigars. He is in great conflict with Joel over leaving Israel and having to be responsible for their parents. Having an affair with Trudy.
Trudy: Female, 38, Romanian by birth. Bella’s nurse and Bernard's former wife. Immigration to Israel meant loss of prestige and class. Sexual and mysterious. Looking for a way out.
Izzy: Male, 23, Joel’s son. In the army. Wounded. Angry at his Dad for leaving Israel.
Bernard: Male, 62, Trudy's ex-husband. Romanian by birth. Was a rich Doctor in Romania but is now a broken man and practically homeless. Wears a worn suit and shoes with holes. Tries to keep up appearances and manners. CAST
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WHEN JANUARY FEELS LIKE SUMMER
By Cori Thomas and Directed by Serge Seiden
1st reh: 4/18. Perfs: 5/16 - 6/12
Ishan/Indira (28): South Asian-American man. Was an accountant. Works in a Harlem convenience store. Mid-way through gender modification process. Wants to start a dating service.
Devaun Jenkins (20): African-American. Harlem street-smart but almost illiterate. He has a goofy self-confidence that's appealing. Works at Burger King. Very concerned about global warming. His ability to charm and seduce women is unsurpassed.
Jeron Smith (19): African-American. Devaun's friend. Bright. Also works at Burger King. His ambition is to create video games. Awkward with women.
Joe (40): African-American. Garbage man. Single; shy; romantic. Attracted to Nirmala. Had a wife who turned out to be a drug addict.
Nirmala Kumar (40s): South Asian-American. Sister of Ishan. Owns a Harlem convenience store. Traditional. Husband in vegetative state in hospital. Marriage was never consummated. Lonely.
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