40 Acres and a Mule
Tour
Bringing you the story of where the quest
for racial equity began in America
ONGOING 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.
Auditions are held at 40 Acres and a Mule Playhouse,
415 W. Boundary Street, Bay 5 in Savannah.
To arrange an audition appointment, please contact Fritz Rumpel at (912) 659-4383 or fritz@40acresandamule.org.
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. Additional rehearsals may be held on Mondays (6-9 PM). All roles will be double cast. Payment is $45 per performance. Rehearsals are held on Fridays (6-9 PM) and Saturdays (2-5 PM).
We are looking for actors to portray:
Susie King Taylor - 39, 54, 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.
Susie Baker prays for Divine intervention.
Susie King Taylor declares: "What a wonderful revolution!"
Scenes from the 2022 production
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