BLUESMAN: Never Get Out of These Blues Alive! By Michael Oatman Adapted from the graphic novel by Rob Vollmar and Pablo G. Callejo Auditions will be conducted at the Cleveland Treatment Center (1127 Carnegie Ave.) on two evenings: Monday, July 8 (5pm – 9pm) by appointment only. Tuesday, July 9 (5pm – 9pm) open call. To make an appointment for July 8 please contact Pierre Betts at pbetts@clevelandtreatmentcenter.org<mailto:pbetts@clevelandtreatmentcenter.org>. Sides for auditions will be available from Pierre Betts. For roles that sing, please prepare 12 bars of a blues song and be prepared to share all of your musical talents/skills. Please see the character breakdown below for information about the roles available. Equity and non-Equity contracts available. For questions, please contact Pierre Betts at pbetts@clevelandtreatmentcenter.org<mailto:pbetts@clevelandtreatmentcenter.org>. DIRECTOR: Eric Schmiedl FIRST REHEARSAL: October 20, 2019 OPENING: November 29, 2019 CLOSING: TBA THEATRE: Breen Performing Arts Center SETTING: Hope, a small town in rural Arkansas. TIME: May, 1929 CAST: LEMUEL “LEM” TAYLOR: Male. 20’s. African American Resourceful. Honest. Driven. Part preacher, part bluesman, Lem is gifted guitarist and singer with a heart as big as the horizon. He is on a divine mission to transform the world with his voice and his music. However, he must battle his own troubled past and the violence of the present. Must be able to sing and understand the blues. AVERY “IRONWOOD” TAYLOR: Male. 40’s – 50’s. African American. Charming. Gifted. Shrewd. A quintessential bluesman, Ironwood possesses the wisdom of a life spent on the road running from one juke joint to the next. He pours these experiences into his keyboard and his music. Must be able to sing and understand the blues. SHERIFF HAROLD BEASELY: Male. 30’s – 50’s. Caucasian American. Straightforward. Decent. Stubborn. A small-town law official, Sheriff Beasely believes in the power of rules and regulations. He thinks he has seen it all … until now. TARENE DAVIS: Female. 20’s – 30’s. African American. Bold. Confident. Sensual. Working in Shug’s juke joint, Tarene is ready to use her beauty as well as her skills to help her survive in a violent world. Should be able to sing and understand the blues. MAISEY ABRAMS: Female. 20’s – 30’s. African American. Sweet. Wise. Strong. Tarene’s cousin, Maisey knows too well the joy and pain of life in a small southern town. Should be able to sing and understand the blues. SHUG: Male. 30’s – 50’s. African American. Strong. Virtuous. Sensible. The owner of a small-town juke joint, Shug is guided by his strong moral compass. JACKSON BILYEU: Male. 40’s – 60’s. Caucasian American. Entitled. Violent. Ruthless. A man who has maintained control of communities through the use of fear and violence, he senses this power slipping and is ready to use all of his vicious resources to keep it. J.L. DOUGHERTY: Male. 40’s – 60’s. African American. Amiable. Bright. Pragmatic. A furniture shop owner in Little Rock, J.L. also works as a talent scout, ready to find and promote the next big blues artist. MRS. TULEY/SHIRLEY: Female. 40’s – 60’s. African American. Mrs. Tuley runs a small-town restaurant. She is passionate about food and religion. Shirley is J.L. Dougherty’s faithful secretary. LELAND / IRA DELDORF: Male. 20’s. Mixed racial background. Leland is a young man on the run. Ira is a young man of the 1960’s who is inspired by the culture and music of the blues. DORSEL / DODSON:Male. 20’s – 30’s. Caucasian American. Dorsel runs a small farm outside of Hope, Arkansas. Deputy Dodson assists Sheriff Beasely is maintaining order in Hope. WYATT BILYEU /LYNCHMAN: Male. 20’s – 30’s. Caucasian American. Wyatt is the unbalanced son of Jackson Bilyeu. Lynchman is one of Jackson Bilyeu’s henchmen.