Centre College has a cast - post by Mariele Fluegeman class of '15

Hey,

Lindsay and I are preparing to watch the first performance of In the Event of My Death at Ashland University in Ohio. I am excited to see the play fully realized in production and to meet the students who have worked so hard and shared themselves with us through the process. Prior to seeing the first show I receive an email report with Centre College's casting information. Seeing the names of the cast is a thrilling reminder that the 'opening' night of the production in Ashland is a major milestone, however, it is one step in the development process of this play.  Lindsay has a second ensemble of highly thoughtful artists ready to invest in her work.

Here is a report on the audition process from Mariele Fluegeman, class of '15, who will be the dramaturge for the production at Centre. We had the pleasure of working with Mariele during the workshop and I am grateful to have her voice continue to be part of the process.

Here is Mariele's report about the audition process:

It’s been months since that August weekend in New York when I first got to know all of the beautifully flawed characters of In the Event of My Death, but reading the latest draft was an open-armed return to their messy lives. To me, the magic of the play lies in the hopelessly disconnected people who become intimately and powerfully connected to the lives of those who read for and about them. They are in many ways the millennials—a nebulous term often used by previous generations to analyze and distance themselves from us in a seemingly inaccessible mix of Snapchat and hook ups—and yet a term that describes the immediacy of life my friends and peers experience everyday. This potential connection is what Patrick Kagan-Moore was searching for when we sat down in the audition room. We didn’t look for actors, per se—we looked for people whose own lives somehow plugged into these characters’ lives and lit up the room. It was a daunting task for those auditioning, I think,  for this reason. Patrick went after them, trying to strip through the layers of audition nerves and preconceptions of how acting should be—and we saw sparks. Many of them found something in that room that was deeply personal and echoed in the lives of the characters in surprising and new ways. We have a cast now—a cast I think is uniquely prepared to bare themselves and challenge themselves, each other, and their characters to grow and change in this next stage of the play’s development. 

I love her description of 'milennials' - and her understanding of the world of the play. Her voice, and director Patrick Kagan-Moore, will be wonderful for Lindsay as she steps into the next serious phase of development.

Here is the cast for Centre College's production:

As we prepare to see the opening at Ashland, who working with has been an incredibly experience, seeing the faces of the new cast is a great reminder that this project's purpose is the development of many artists and that it is an opportunity to build community through the development of a play. We welcome the new cast to the community. Excited to hear about your thoughts on the play and to have you join us on the journey.


Thank you Mariele for sharing the audition process with us.

Talk with you soon.

Padraic