THE SHADOW BOX explores the raw emotions three terminal patients experience faced with death. Their struggle is revealed through interactions with the loved ones they will leave behind. It’s sad. It’s funny. It’s real life on stage.
This provocative, Tony Award-winning drama comes to the historic Coleman Theatre in February 2016—an opportunity for actors to discover the true depth of their talent, and for local audiences to see the poignant material in vivid detail.
From the opening scene—a cabin in the forest—we meet Maggie, a woman in denial, and her son, Steve, a young musician unaware of his father’s prognosis. Joe has his illness. Steve has his guitar. Maggie brought a ham.
The second panel features Brian, a writer, trying to get out every last word while his current lover, Mark, and ex-wife, Beverly, clash over language and what it means when the party is over.
In the final set, Felicity is lost in her dementia, but her daughter, Agnes, is the one who endures the cold retreat of past memories.
Co-director Phillip Shamblin first became acquainted with The Shadow Box while a student at The School of the Arts in Williamsburg, Virginia.
“After sifting through several scripts in search of a monologue to take to the state acting competition,” Shamblin said, “I ran across The Shadow Box, and immediately connected with the Mark character.”
The play won its author, Michael Cristofer, a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and it scored two Tony Awards in 1977, one for Best Play.
Shamblin said, “From my first read, I hoped that someday I would have the opportunity to bring The Shadow Box to the local community in a way that would do the material justice.”
He asked Aaron Smith to co-direct. Shamblin and Smith worked together on DeathTrap the previous season.
“I was excited when Phillip asked me to co-direct The Shadow Box,” Smith said. “The show isn’t tech-heavy. Its success relies on the strength of the acting. We have discussed and brainstormed the show for over a year.”
Shamblin and Smith will be at the Miami Little Theatre building on Saturday, December 19th, between 10 am and 5 pm, with a selection of monologues from the play. Actors who want to familiarize themselves with the characters and storyline before auditions are encouraged to take advantage of these advance cut sheets.
Auditions are January 4th and 5th beginning at 7 pm at the MLT building, located at 117 North Main Street in Miami, Oklahoma. You may RSVP for auditions on Facebook.
The production calls for a cast of five men, including one teenage boy, and four women. A variety of ages and demographics are welcome.
“We want to find the right chemistry between the characters,” said Shamblin. “How the actors read together is more important than sticking to the exact ages in the script.”
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