Can rivaling sisters Baneatta and Beverly bury their father without killing each other? This proves difficult when Beverly shows up to the chapel with her “blessings” on display. Meanwhile, Baneatta’s son brings his neurotic Jewish boyfriend along, knowing Baneatta disapproves, and Beverly’s nosy daughter keeps asking questions no one wants to answer. Baneatta’s pastor husband tries to mediate the family drama, but when a shocking family secret reveals itself at the pulpit, the two sisters are faced with a truth that could either heal or break them.
Production Dates: Rehearsals Begin: March 10th
Tech Begins: April 14th
Opening Night: April 19th
Closing Night: May 12th
Audition Dates: Saturday, January 6th, 12pm-3pm
Sunday, January 7th, 12pm-3pm
Monday, January 8th, 6pm-9pm
Callbacks: Tuesday, January 9th, 6pm-10pm
Performer Stipend:
$700.00
Audition Requirements: Actors will read from the script for initial auditions and callbacks; all sides attached.
Available Roles: BANEATTA MABRY- An upstanding and stern Christian woman. Mother to Kenny and Simone, and wife to Reginald. She’s overbearingly full of love, but quite uptight and stubborn in her religious ways. Late 40s-mid 50s, African American.
REGINALD MABRY- Baneatta’s faithful husband and the new pastor of their home church. He’s the peacemaker of the family. Reginald is a ball of love with a side of corny dad jokes. 50s, African American.
KENNY MABRY- Baneatta and Reginald’s youngest child. He’s proudly queer, but cowers in the presence of his mother. Kenny bites when he needs to, but at the end of the day he just wants to be loved. Mid-late 20s, African American.
LOGAN LEIBOWITZ- Kenny’s neurotic and dramatic Jewish boyfriend of four years. He often spins himself into a tizzy, but always wants to be there for Kenny. Logan’s weed pen is his crutch for tough times. Mid-late 20s, white.
BEVERLY JENKINS- Baneatta’s younger sister. The “fun aunt” who’s always in a push-up bra. But don’t mistake her vibrance for incompetence. She’s a savage, “classy,” not so boujee, but definitely ratchet when necessary. Early 40s-50s, African American.
LA’TRICE FRANKLIN- Beverly’s daughter. She’s nosy, loud, and in everyone’s business but her own. When not on her phone, she shows love-but in her own Gen Z way. Sarcasm is her love language. 15, African American.
SIMONE MABRY- Kenny’s older sister and Baneatta’ s favorite. She followed the “right path.” Though pulled, she can be shady. While fierce on the exterior, Simone is internally wounded from a recent failed engagement. 30s, African American
BRIANNA JENKINS- Baneatta and Beverly’s half sister through an affair. She didn’t know her father, but has come to his funeral to gather more details on him. She’s sweet, vulnerable, and collected. Early 40s-50s, African American.
Written by Douglas Lyons Douglas Lyons wrote the 2021 GLAAD nominated Broadway comedy CHICKEN & BISCUITS. As an actor, Broadway/NYC: Beautiful (Original Cast), Book of Mormon and Parade (NY City Center). Tours: Dreamgirls, Rent and Mormon 1st Nat’l. Regionally: Yale Rep, Hartford Stage Company, Huntington Theatre Company, 5th Ave Theatre, The Muny and more. As a writer: The Emmy nominated Fraggle Rock (Apple TV), Five Points (Theater Latte Da), Beau (Adirondack Theatre Festival and IndieFest (Best of Show 2022), and the 2018 Off-Broadway Alliance Award-winning musical, Polkadots. Douglas is currently developing television with Stoopid Buddy Stoodios and Sky Dance. @Chocolatehipster
Directed by Tomica S. Jenkins Tomica S. Jenkins is a Chicago-based director/actor/producer and is thrilled to be working with Omaha Community Playhouse. Currently a managerial staff member at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, Ms. Jenkins spent most of the pandemic teaching acting as a visiting assistant professor at Georgia Southern University in Savannah. As a director, her favorite productions include School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play (Georgia Southern), The Gospel at Colonus (ACT-Seattle) where she worked as assistant to Lee Breuer, Fourth Date (Chicago Dramatists), the world premiere of Lovin’ You Ain’t Easy (Attic Theatre-Los Angeles), and Clybourne Park (Concordia University Chicago). Last seen onstage in Boy Gets Girl (Beck) with Saltbox Theatre Collective, her favorite performances include Intimate Apparel (Mamie) and Diva Battle: The Last Audition – a self-penned, cabaret duo act, at Davenport’s Piano Bar & Cabaret. Professional acting credits include April Fools, Early Edition, Family Matters, Moesha and Undercover Brother: The Animated Series. Tomica earned her Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in theater and radio/television from Bradley University and an M.F.A. in directing from the University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts.
Appointments will be scheduled starting one month prior to audition dates.
Through upholding high ethical standards, demonstrating respect for all and consciously working to provide diverse representation, OCP is committed to creating an inclusive and safe environment in which all community members feel a sense of belonging and does not discriminate in casting practices on the basis of an individual’s ethnicity, age, gender, physical and cognitive ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, country of origin or other factors. Omaha Community Playhouse is committed to diverse and inclusive casting.
BECOME PART OF OUR COMMUNITY
Sign up for our newsletter to hear the latest on productions, classes, workshops and all that’s happening at Omaha Community Playhouse!