The Civilities Submissions

Set in a small town in Upstate New York in 1936 (the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War), The Civilities tells the story of Blessah Hart, a dynamic young Black graduate student of History and Anthropology at Cornell University, and M. Silas Jackson, an elderly white poet and Confederate army veteran who has resided in the North for 60 years. Conducting research for her graduate thesis on the narratives of surviving Confederates living in the North, Blessah and Silas form an unlikely connection. But their relationship is tested as Blessah’s perceptive nature leads her to “read between the lines” of Silas’s work. When Blessah travels to Silas’s hometown in the South to uncover the missing pieces of his story, her research uncovers a discovery linking them to a history of bondage, birthright and bloodshed, compelling a reckoning with the wounds of the past and the wrongs of the present.

• First rehearsal—July 21
• Opening—August 7
• Closing—August 23
• Contract—SPT, Tier IV: 5 shows/week, Thursdays–Sundays

The role of M. Silas Jackson is cast, but if you would like to submit an audition, in the event that a substitute is needed, you may record a contemporary monologue. Upload your video submission to YouTube, Vimeo, or your G-Drive, then click the SUBMIT AUDITION button to the right to access our Audition Portal to complete your submission.

Note: When submitting, upload headshot/resume as 1 PDF (not 2). Please submit only once.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties, please email casting@franklinstagecompany.org.

The role we are seeking is below:

Blessah Hart

Female, 20s. African American. A young graduate student studying the narratives of white confederates living in the North. Blessah is forthright, strong and opinionated. In spite of her youth, she is determined to get the answers she is seeking.

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