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                           OPEN AUDITIONS NOTICE

 

40 Acres and a Mule Playhouse invites you to an audition for “What a wonderful revolution!” Susie King Taylor, a Savannah Black history play. Cold readings from the script provided.

 

When: Friday, November 15, 6-9 PM

Saturday, November 16, 2-5 PM

 

Where: 40 Acres and a Mule Playhouse

415 W. Boundary Street, Bay 5

Savannah

 

The play will premier on Friday, February 6th, 2026 and will be performed on Fridays (7 PM) and Saturdays (3 & 7 PM) throughout the year. All roles will be double cast. Payment is $45 per performance. Rehearsals begin on Friday, December 5th  and will be held on Fridays (6-9 PM) and Saturdays (2-5 PM). During tech week, Monday-Thursday (February 2nd-5th), rehearsals will be held 6-9 PM. (There may be additional rehearsals on some week day evenings.)

 

We are looking for actors to portray:

 

Susie King Taylor - 39, Black female. Confident, accomplished.

 

Susie Baker -  8-10, Black female, precocious.  Also plays young student; and a church member (sings).

 

Mrs. Grest - 30-40, neurotic white female with German accent. Also plays Mrs. Green, society lady, and Mrs. Turner, a distressed female.

 

Mr. Grest -  40-50, annoyed white male. Also plays working-class gruff policeman; Mr. O’Connor, gruff upper-class businessman; and Sam, clueless confederate soldier.

 

Dolly Reed - 40-60, wise Black matriarch, who sings in church. Also plays Mrs. Geary, alert rescuer and William Geary’s mother; and Emancipation Day attendee. These roles have been pre-cast.

 

Shakespeare - 40-50, Black man, bitter stagecoach driver, and close friend of Dolly. Also plays Leroy, a testy soldier, and another, unnamed soldier.  As Leroy, he is the lead singer in the Emancipation Day scene.

 

Susie Baker/King - 13-18, multi-faceted Black woman. Teacher, Union Army nurse, laundress and officer’s wife.

 

Richard Baker -  30-40, Black male who leads escape. Also plays amiable Pastor Houston, who leads the church choir; William Geary, rescuer of Susie King and others; and James, a soldier.

 

Susie King - 24-26, Black female, resolute laundress for Mrs. Green. Also plays Louise, Richard Baker’s wife; and church member (sings).

 

Charles Trowbridge - 28-38, white male.  Earnest Union officer and later veteran. Also plays policeman; and Petey, backwoods Confederate soldier.

 

Katie O’Connor - 14-16, white female, Susie Baker’s friend and tutor. Daring. Also plays Mrs. Walker, a soldier’s young wife; and a servant at a fundraiser.

 

Jesse - 16-20, Black male. A young, naïve soldier. Also plays Willie Baker, Richard and Louise’s son; 2 unnamed soldiers; and church member (sings).

 

Edward King - 24-28, Black male soldier and husband of Susie King. An educated, natural-born leader who becomes a Union sergeant. Also plays church member (sings).

 

Sally Jenkins -  8-10, Black female, bright and sensitive. Also plays Posey, a student; Mary Baker, who escapes with her family; and church member (sings).

 

Robert - 8-10, Black male student, impulsive but well meaning. Also plays Billy, a student; Frankie Baker, who with his family escapes to freedom ; and church member (sings).

 

Mrs. Winthrop - 50-70, white female. Society matron. Also plays Mrs. Seabrooke, a grieving passenger on a doomed yacht; and an off-stage woman in distress.

 

 

For further information, please contact:

 

Fritz Rumpel

(912) 659-4383

rumpel@40acresandamule.org

First Black nurse in American history

 

First teacher of freed Black children in the U.S.

 

Only Black woman to write a Civil War memoir

 

Her time is now

This play tells Susie King Taylor's epic story in two acts spread over 21 scenes and features a cast of 25 actors playing over 50 roles, including 4 as the lead character during different periods of her life. Won't you join the people and organizations below to bring back a show that should run as long as people want to learn the true story of one of Savannah's most singular hidden figures.

Thank You for Making Our 2022 Production Possible!

Galvan Foundation $10,000
Fritz and Lorrie Rumpel $7000
Hafemann, Magee & Thomas, LLC $1000
Tybee MLK Human Rights Organization $500
Integrity Auto Repair $500
The Reparations Project $500
Stein Accounting CPA $500
Willis Shellman $300
Underground Tours, LLC &
The Center for Jubilee, Reconciliation and Healing  $300
Marcia Johnson $250
St. Pius X School Reunion $200
Ray and Rosalyn Truitt $200
Abbie and Micah Sprunger $150
Mary and Doug Smith $150
John Novikoff $150
Beverly and Jim Flanagan $100
Brian Dennison $100
Fox and Fig Cafe $100
Dick and Elaine Scoggins $100
William and Betsy Boyd Strong $100
Michael Thurmond $100
Fox and Fig Cafe $100
Jane Pressly $100
Patt Gunn $100
Raymond King $100
Israel Small $100
Mary Shank $100
Racine Truitt $100
Edwin Williams $100
Patricia Lowe $100
Dream House $80
Cassandra Odom $50
Christopher Lowry $50
Meg Groeling $50
Dorothy Gutschenritter $50
Ben Toure $50
Randy Gunter $50
Charles Moore $50
Connie Cole $50
Dannette Berksteiner $50
Russell Walker $25
Felicia Brookes $25
Julie Windsor $20
Craig Campbell $20
Alexandra Forby $15
Rachel Perkins $15
Donna Bettis $10
Reosha Bush $10
Kenya Smith-Adams $10
40 acres and a lawnmower $10

To help us to present Susie King Taylor's story on a continual basis, please make a
donation. Thank you! 

 

© 40 Acres and a Mule Tour, LLC

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