ILYON WOO

Above: Michelle Mount (Eunice Chapman, JT Turner (James Champan and more), and Amy Sheridan (Mother Lucy, Mary Dyer), stars of the dramatic event at the Fruitlands Museum.

The next dramatic events will be held at the Brooklyn Historical Society, 3/31/11 and the Fraunces Tavern Museum, 5/19/11..

As part of my book tour, I will be organizing a series of dramatic readings featuring the voices of The Great Divorce: alternately weepy, raunchy, moving, frightening, but always authentic testimonials that guided me in the writing of this book.  These include Eunice Chapman’s tear-filled plea to lawmakers, James Chapman’s haunting farewell letter to Eunice, climactic passages from the legislative debates, and the Shakers’ impassioned pleas in their defense.  I am seeking actors in several cities to give voice to these characters.

The next dramatic reading will be at the Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts on Friday, September 24, 7:30 PM, and will be preceded by a Shaker-themed dinner and fundraiser.  The free public programming event calls for two actresses Eunice (30s) and Mother Lucy (50s), and one actor(40s-50) to play various parts, including James Chapman and Thomas Jefferson (see character descriptions below).

Practicalities

One rehearsal to be held on the day of the performance, Friday, September 24.  Performers will receive a small stipend; accommodations or mileage reimbursement may also be included.  Details to be arranged by the Fruitlands Museum.

To be considered….

Please send a resume or brief list of qualifications (please cut and paste into the body of an e-mail– no attachments please!) and a headshot–or a links to these materials– to iw [at] ilyonwoo [dot] com by SEPTEMBER 7.  Video clips will be considered as well.  A committee will review selections and announce results by September 15.

Character description for Eunice Chapman:

A fiery, history-making woman who fought with everything she had to recapture her missing children.  Eunice was an over-the-top character, who was was alternately praised as an “ornament to her sex” and derided as a dangerous woman who “mesmerized” men in power with her seductive stories, as well as her personal charms.

Seeking an actress in her 30s to capture the radically different sides of Eunice’s persona: the sentimental heroine who inspired tears and political action with her anguished pleas; the sexy “modern enchantress” (as she was called by the media); and the enraged mother who would stop at nothing, not even violence, to get her children back.

Other Characters in Brief:

James Chapman: The troubled, alcoholic, older husband of Eunice Chapman (40s-50), who abandoned his wife and children, expecting never to return… until he found God among the Shakers.

Mother Lucy Wright: The beautiful, talented, and savvy supreme leader of the Shakers (50s) who Eunice Chapman, for one, considered her central enemy in her fight for her children.