History of Arguable Consequence: The Undertold Stories of the American Civil War
Project Overview
INTRODUCTION
Hello, everyone! This casting call is for Season 1 of "History of Arguable Consequence: The Under-Told Stories of the American Civil War." From the same folks that brought you Dead Earth, Ugly Blue Hat is producing a podcast featuring articles, anecdotes, songs and stories written during the American Civil War. The podcast is part storytelling, part audio drama and part historical commentary (a la the podcast American Elections: Wicked Game). Much of the material comes from an open-source book called "The Civil War in Song and Story" (Click here for a sample of one of the vignettes in the podcast).
We're casting for a slew of voices to be used throughout the season. Folks cast for main roles will be asked to provide lines for additional, smaller roles not featured on CCC. If you're not cast for a main role, and your voice matches the tone of the show, we may ask you to provide lines for supporting roles in the production.
All roles are in the English language. Voice actors must be comfortable using the language/vernacular of the time (America, 1860-1865).
For main roles (+ additional lines for minor roles and retakes), we're paying between $15-$50 for the project. All payments are made through PayPal or Zelle.
We also showcase all of our voice actors on our website (for an example, see "Credits" on the Dead Earth page). The showcase includes voice actors photo, biography, contact information and links to a demo reel. Voice actors are also listed verbally in the credits of each show.
Our main roles include:
- Joe Parsons ($50): Lead/Male/Young Adult to Late-Middle-Aged. North American/American with a country Northern/Yankee accent. Voice actor needs to be able to switch to a country Southern accent for this role, as Joe Parsons pretends to be a rebel soldier for part of this story. Voice actor should also be comfortable with singing -- Joe Parsons sings the first few lines of "Bold Solider Boy." Voice should be a little innocent, naive, upbeat in the face of adversity. The character of Parsons is a real person, and you can read a little more about him here.
ABOUT THE ROLE: Joe Parsons is a Yankee soldier who lost his sight in battle. He enlists the aid of a rebel soldier, who was shot in the legs, for help getting off the battlefield (Joe becomes the legs, the rebel soldier becomes the eyes). A doctor runs across Joe in the hospital, and Joe recounts the story to him. Joe seems to exist in a place between optimism and shell shock,
For a preview of the song "Bold Solider Boy," visit this link. While we don't require a sample of the song for the audition, it would be immensely helpful in casting if you were to include the beginning of this song at the end of line three where Joe finishes the line and begins to sing.
Along with Joe Parsons, voice actor awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for one other major character (Henry) and several other minor characters (Cones and voice in a crowd).
Corporal Nelson Purdum ($40): Lead/Male/Young Adult to Late-Middle-Aged. North American/American with a Northern/Yankee accent. Voice actor needs to be able to switch to a country Southern accent for this role, as Purdham uses a Southern accent to retell his story. Purdum is a little cocky, a bit of a showman -- he can tell a great story, hold the audience in suspense. Though Purdum was a real person, we weren't able to drum up much information on him, except for his obituary. So, since Purdum became a politician later in life, we're going to portray him as charismatic, a bit devil-may-care and adventurous, a little rakish, at least while he's telling his tale. We'll leave it up to the listeners to decide if it's all bluster.
ABOUT THE ROLE: Purdum is in a bar, sharing with the crowd the story of his escape from Libby Prison.
Along with Purdum, voice actor awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for several other very minor characters (Sergeant, Donalson, and voice in a crowd).- Beau Hackett ($40): Lead/Male/Young Adult to Late-Middle-Aged. North American/American with a Northern/Yankee accent. Though Hackett was a real person, we weren't able to drum up much information on him, except that he was a reporter/humorist who was rumored to have been the next Mark Twain, before he was killed int he Civil War. We're going to portray him as a bit arrogant, incredibly sarcastic and witty, highly intelligent, a little superior, with a propensity for wordplay.
ABOUT THE ROLE: Beau Hackett is describing his interview with a Union officer to become a Zouave. In it, he takes several jabs at the Zouave's for being all show and no action.
Along with Hackett, voice actor awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for several other very minor characters (Yank, Ned, Ashby, General Negley, and voice in a crowd). - Captain Williams ($45): Lead/Male/Adult to Late-Middle-Aged. North American/American with a light Southern accent that can be thickened up to a heavy, country Southern and/or Louisiana accent. Williams was a real person, however there isn't much known about him. Based on his firsthand account of his escape from prison, and his recommendation by President Johnson for promotion, we've gleaned that Williams is professional, sharp, keen, but with a cheeky sense of humor. For a little more about Williams, visit this link.
ABOUT THE ROLE: Captain Williams is part of the 23rd Regiment of Kentucky Volunteers and was captured and imprisoned at Macon, Georgia, He recounts his multiple escape attempts, followed by his trek Northward to the Yankee pickets.
Along with Williams, voice actor awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for one other major character (Captain Carpenter of the Jessie Scouts) and several other very minor characters (Colonel, Captain and voice in a crowd). - Abraham Lincoln ($45): Lead/Male/Adult to Late-Middle-Aged. North American/American with a light country/mid-Western accent. This man should need no introduction, however, if you'd like to, you can read more about Abraham Lincoln here. There's been a lot of conversation about what Lincoln sounded like -- from a deep, booming and resonating voice, to the meeker voice popularized by Daniel Day Lewis in Lincoln. We're open to interpretation, and don't have a preference for one over the other, rather we'd prefer a voice actor who can capture Lincoln's intelligence, wit and conviction. We're also open to additional interpretations of this role. For instance, perhaps for the first bank of lines, you're Mary Todd, recounting Lincoln's first public address as a politician. For the second bank of lines, perhaps you're Joshua Speed, reading the letter you just received from Lincoln out loud. For the third bank of lines, perhaps you're William Herndon, an old friend of Lincoln's, remembering the farewell speech he gave from the back of a train as he left Springfield, IL for the White House.
ABOUT THE ROLE: Voice actor will be reading three pieces of Lincoln's writing, including his first speech, a letter to Joshua Speed regarding state's rights and the Missouri Compromise, and a farewell address given in Springfield, Illinois upon his departure for the White House.
Frederick Douglass ($45): Lead/Male/Adult to Late-Middle-Aged. North American/American with a light Southern accent. Another man that should need no introduction, however, you can read more about Frederick Douglass here. Frederick Douglass was as powerful a speaker as he was a writer -- for this role, we need a voice that is deep, soulful, resonating, booming -- commanding attention.
ABOUT THE ROLE: The speech we're featuring from Douglass was one of his first, given in New York City at a church, one week before the publication of his first book, Narrative of the Life. The speech centers around some of the same images and themes as Narrative, including his life as a slave in Maryland. The imagery is brutal and hard to stomach. Douglass admits at the beginning of the speech that he's nervous, and that should show in the voice acting; however, by the end of the speech, Douglass should be convicted, motivated, impassioned. - J. Stanley ($25): Lead/Male/YoungAdult to Late-Middle-Aged. North American/American with a light Midwestern accent. We don't know anything about J. Stanley, except that he was probably a member of the Young Men's Literary Association, and/or a parishioner at Bethel Church in Chicago. He is intelligent, articulate and highly moved by his message, which centers around the ability and contribution of black soldiers, and the abolition of slavery. We're flexible with casting for this role -- because we know so little about J. Stanley, we can cast from young adult to senior. The most important thing to have here is conviction and passion -- to be able to deliver these lines from your gut.
ABOUT THE ROLE: Stanley is at Bethel Church in Chicago, giving a tribute to Joseph D. Wilson, a sergeant in the 54th Massachusetts Regiment Volunteer Infantry after Wilson was killed at the charge on Fort Wagner.
Along with Stanley, voice actor awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for other minor characters (fifer, voice in a crowd). - Francis E.W. Harper ($25): Lead/Female/Young Adult to Late-Middle-Aged. North American/American with a light Midwestern or Southern accent. Harper was a prominent African-American poetess and orator, best known for championing abolition, civil rights, women's rights, and temperance. She lectured across America during a time when women rarely spoke in public. She helped organize and held office in several national advocacy organizations. For more about Harper, read this. For this role, we're looking for a young adult to middle age, a voice that's hopeful and optimistic. Can be soft, but should also be strong.
ABOUT THE ROLE: We're looking for an actress willing to tackle Frances E.W. Harper's poem "Then and Now." There are a lot of prominent historical figures mentioned in the poem, such as Wendell Phillips, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Beecher Stowe, to name a few. Read more about the Read the full text of Then and Now.
Along with Harper, voice actress awarded this part may also be asked to perform lines for other minor characters (voice in a crowd). - Belle Boyd ($15): Lead/Female/Young Adult to Adult. North American/American with a slow and proper Southern accent. Maria "Belle" Boyd, a notorious spy for the Confederates, was from a prominent family in West Virginia -- several of which were also convicted of being spies. Her exploits were widely known in the North, and Union newspapers gave her a slew of nicknames, including: "La Belle Rebelle," "the Siren of the Shenandoah," "the Rebel Joan of Arc," and "Amazon of Secessia." You can read more about Belle Boyd here. For this role, we're looking for a voice young adult to middle age, with a slow and proper Southern accent -- demure but defiant and strong-willed. We're looking for a performance that is at once coquettish, graceful and sweet, yet strong.
ABOUT THE ROLE: In this piece, Belle recounts one particular escapade, in which she listened in on a Union war council, made notes on what she overheard, and swept those notes away to a Confederate general a few miles past a Union blockade. In the process, Boyd was almost shot.
Along with Boyd, voice actress awarded this part may also be asked to perform lines for other minor characters (voice in a crowd). - Sojourner Truth ($25): Lead/Female/Adult to Late-Middle-Aged/Senior. North American/American with a light Dutch, Midwestern or Southern accent. Truth was best known as an abolitionist and women's rights activist. Though both of her parents were from Africa, she was a slave in a NY household where the first language was Dutch; it wasn't until after Truth was sold to another NY family later in life that she learned English. Truth was one of the first black women to sue a white man and win -- in a case where her 5-year-old son was illegally sold to a man in Alabama. Truth's full story is truly amazing, and worth the read here. We need a strong and slow voice for this role. A bit of a Dutch accent would be preferable, but Midwestern or Southern would be wonderful, too.
ABOUT THE ROLE: We're looking for an actress willing to tackle Sojourner Truth's famous "Ain't I a Woman." The speech was delivered off the cuff at a Women's Rights Convention in 1851. It's full of bare language and powerful imagery. You can read the entire speech (or two versions of the speech) here.
Along with Truth, voice actress awarded this part may also be asked to perform lines for other minor characters (voice in a crowd). - Sullivan Ballou ($25): Male/Young Adult to Late-Middle-Aged. North American/American with a Northern/Yankee/Rhode Island accent. Ballou was from a prominent Rhode Island family, highly educated, a lawyer and a member of the House of Representatives. He volunteered to join the war efforts immediately after the bombardment of Fort Sumter in April, 1861, and was killed three months later, at the Battle of Bull Run in July, 1861. The letter her wrote to his wife, Sarah, just one week before the battle, is considered one of the most romantic pieces of writing from the Civil War. The letter was never actually sent to Sarah, rather was found in his belongings after he was killed. Read this for more on Sullivan Ballou. For this role, we need a Northern/Yankee/Rhode Island accent -- highly educated, proper, refined. We need the voice actor to be able to convey a depth of sadness, regret, emotion when reading some of the more romantic parts of the poem (really let loose!)
ABOUT THE ROLE: Ballou is narrating the famous letter to his wife Sarah. The full transcript of the letter can be read here.
Along with Ballou, voice actor awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for several other very minor characters (Narrator and voice in a crowd). - Middle-Age/Adult to Senior Female Voice ($15): Middle-Age/Adult to Senior Female. North American/American with a light Midwestern or Southern accent. Possibly a light Irish accent. Older, more mature voice. Strong, powerful. There is no one outstanding character associated with this voice, rather multiple bit parts, so it would be perfect if the actress had a bit of range, or could change up her voice slightly depending on the role. We are not looking for anything specific here -- your own interpretation of these characters, based on the lines provided, is perfect.
We need this voice actress to fill multiple bit parts where an older or more mature female voice is required. The voice should be strong, clear, loud and powerful. The voice actress awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for Mother, Mrs. Mitchell and Old Lady. - The Little Drummer ($15): Male/Young. North American/American, Yankee/Northern accent. Possibly light Midwestern or light Southern accent. There is no particular character here, rather "Little Drummer" is a description of the voice we need to do the narration for an R.H. Stoddard poem called "The Little Drummer" (click on the link for the full text). For the greatest emotional effect, we'd like it to be read by a very young man, around the age of 12 (pre-voice changing). However, if you read the lines and feel inspired to show us a different interpretation, we're open for it!
ABOUT THE ROLE: This role is part narration, part character acting, and we're open to interpretation. The one thing we're really wanting from this audition is an emphasis on the end line of each verse -- the rat-tat-too. We'd like this to be read as if you're verbalizing an actual drum beat -- the words should be spoken sharply, as if your voice is the strike of the drum. For even greater effect, as the tone and tempo of the poem becomes more comber, the rat-tat-too should become a little slower, as if the dying drummer is losing his energy to beat the drum.
Along with the Little Drummer Boy, voice actor awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for several other very minor characters (drummer, young boy and voice in a crowd).- Female Narrator ($15): Female/Young. North American/American, Yankee/Northern accent or light Southern accent; possibly a light Irish or Scottish accent. There is no particular character here, rather this role is strictly Narration. We need someone who can read slowly, clearly, and is a strong story-teller -- lyrical and full of expression, rather than a dispassionate third-party.
ABOUT THE ROLE: The Female Narrator will be narrating the story of Ann Manley, a Baltimore gang lord who saved a group of Yankee musicians from a mob of supporters of the Confederacy. We're looking for storytelling capabilities -- a strong but lyrical voice to take listeners through the tale.
Along with the Female Narrator, voice actress awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for several other very minor characters (voice in a crowd). - Correspondent ($15): Male or Female/Young to Middle-Aged/Adult. North American/American, Yankee/Northern accent, possibly light Midwestern, Souther or Irish/Scottish accent. While the Correspondent was a real person, we have no details about his name, origins, etc, and so this role is open for some interpretation. Overall, we'd like to portray him/her as bright, lively, curious, and incredibly interested in the stories Carpenter has to tell (perhaps they'd like to have been a Jessie Scout themself...?)
ABOUT THE ROLE: The role of the Correspondent is part narration, part audio drama. After retelling the story or Captain Carpenter of the Jessie Scouts (Narration), the Correspondent finalizes his/her article with an interview from Captian Carpenter (Interview with Carpenter/audio drama).
Along with the Correspondent, voice actor awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for several other very minor characters (voice in a crowd). - Irish-American Soldier ($30): Lead/Male/Middle-Aged. Irish Accent. This role is actually three different roles from three different vignettes, and we may end up liking the auditions so much that we break this into two or three different parts. For now, however, we've decided to combine the roles, because two of the vignettes are relatively small (one is only a single line!). Because the character of the Irish-American Soldier isn't named in any of the literature, there's some room for interpretation. The one thing we'd like from the voice actor is a sense of humor -- all of these lines have a certain airiness and comedy amidst the tragedy, and we need a light-hearted delivery, with a lot of lyricism, showmanship and charisma, with a thick Irish accent.
ABOUT THE ROLE: There are three stories about Irishmen in the American Civil War; one about how an Irishman was saving his flask of whiskey and decided to take back the Union flag as well, another incredibly animated story about an Irishman sparring with a rebel soldier the size of a freight train; another an Irishman cleverly arguing with a rebel soldier about loyalty and patriotism. The parts are relatively small, so we'd like to cast one person who can add a little variation to the different voices in the different roles (though this may change, depending on what we see for auditions). For this, we also need a GREAT storyteller. One of the stories is incredibly vivid and needs a very lively presentation.
Along with the Irish-American Soldier, voice actor awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for several other very minor characters (voice in a crowd). - Traveler ($15): Male/Young - Middle-Aged. North American/American, Yankee/Northern accent or very slight Southern accent. We don't know the living person the narrator/traveler is based on, but we're guessing by the quality of writing that he's a Walt Whitman type -- part idealist, part realist -- someone who is tuned in equally to the beauty and the ugly of the world, or else someone who seems to be clinging to the beauty he finds amidst the devastation of the Tennessee countryside. For this, we'd like to hear a slow and thoughtful delivery, a little curious. Our Traveler is at heart a social scientist and an optimist.
ABOUT THE ROLE: The Traveler is roaming through Eastern Tennessee, commenting on the way the Civil War has affected life there. This piece is meant to convey the intermingling of Union/Confederate feeling in border states like Kentucky and Eastern Tennessee, where allegiances were split, sometimes even within the same family. In two places, the script breaks out of narration and very briefly dips into audio drama.
Along with the Traveler, voice actor awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for several other very minor characters (Narrator, Garrison, Surgeon, voice in a crowd).
- Female Narrator ($15): Female/Young. North American/American, Yankee/Northern accent or light Southern accent; possibly a light Irish or Scottish accent. There is no particular character here, rather this role is strictly Narration. We need someone who can read slowly, clearly, and is a strong story-teller -- lyrical and full of expression, rather than a dispassionate third-party.
- Young Lady ($15): Female/Young - Middle-Aged. North American/American, Yankee/Northern accent or very slight Southern accent. Though we don't know the exact real-life figure this young lady is based on, we believe she existed and that this story is drawn from real life. The Young Lady is a bit unrefined, obstinate and brutish, but with an underlying sweetness to her, a sense of romance. For the voice, we'd like a touch of a country accent -- a toughness about her, rough around the edges -- and a romantic, in a Natural Born Killers/Bonnie and Clyde sort of way. If you feel inspired by the lines and the story, we're open to additional interpretations. The delivery here should be angry and unapologetic.
ABOUT THE ROLE: A man dear to the Young Lady has been brutally killed by Confederate sympathizers, and she in turn vows to kill them. She just manages to pull it off, with zero remorse or regret. This is her recounting of events, and also her confession.
Along with the Young Lady, voice actoress awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for several other very minor characters (Emily, voice in a crowd).
PODCAST OVERVIEW
"History of Arguable Consequence: The Under-told Stories of the American Civil War" is an anthology podcast that features articles, anecdotes, songs and stories written during the American Civil War. The stories will be produced like an audio drama, with atmosphere and sound effects (click here for an example). Each episode will have three "vignettes," with historical commentary in between.
DEADLINES AND AUDITIONS
The deadline for auditions is April 27th, 2020. There are currently no plans to extend this deadline, as the full Season 1 script is ready to release to voice actors. We'll notify voice actors who have been cast in roles by April 29th and send scripts to voice actors by May 1st. We need to receive all lines back from voice actors by May 13th. This is a hard deadline. If you are unable to record between May 1st - May 13th, please do not audition.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Expect to be warmly greeted by Jules and Blake, the folks that put together Ugly Blue Hat. At this point, you'll be part of our UBH family, where you'll get to interact with other voices actors from around the globe, all of whom offer a wealth of experience and knowledge.
We communicate primarily through Discord and WhatsApp. If you are unfamiliar with either of these applications, you can still audition, however, we strongly, strongly recommend participation through Discord so that you can collaborate with your fellow voice actors. We've used Discord and WhatsApp with other projects and it has been of immense value.
WHAT WE ASK OF YOU
- First and foremost, have fun -- we take pride in bringing together talents in different mediums to create something truly phenomenal, but none of it means anything if the people involved aren't passionate about their craft.
- Please submit clean recordings on prosumer mics (no air conditioners in the background, no fans -- we don't mind performing noise reduction on your files, however too much clean-up reduces the quality of your voice). And speaking of clean-up -- please let us handle the post-production. Don't add effects to your lines -- leave that to our audio geniuses :)
- Feel free to cut your lines to your best/favorite takes. Three is the gold standard. We have a few voice actors that would rather give us more takes, and that's okay, too. However please at least remove the takes you don't want to be featured on the podcast.
- Please submit your recordings as one .wav file to our company email address, which will be provided to you after casting. If a file is too large to submit via email, we prefer to use WeTransfer.
- We do occasionally ask for line re-dos, but we do this sparingly and only after great consideration - we realize your time is valuable, and we won't ask for anything we can't work around in edits.
- Lastly, since we are planning on multiple seasons of History of Arguable Consequence, we 'd like to cast people who will be able to stick with us for a while. We're incredibly proud of the acting troupe we've formed over the years, and when starting a new project, we frequently return to voice actors we've worked with in the past.
WHO ARE WE?
Ugly Blue Hat is an organization/experiment of one jackass and one smartass who strives to bring together artists from different mediums to create new and unique stories.
Read more at UGLY BLUE HAT PRODUCTIONS
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Joe Parsons ($50): Lead/Male/Young Adult to Late-Middle-Aged. North American/American with a country Northern/Yankee accent. Voice actor needs to be able to switch to a country Southern accent for this role, as Joe Parsons pretends to be a rebel soldier for part of this story. Voice actor should also be comfortable with singing -- Joe Parsons sings the first few lines of "Bold Solider Boy." Voice should be a little innocent, naive, upbeat in the face of adversity. The character of Parsons is a real person, and you can read a little more about him here.
ABOUT THE ROLE: Joe Parsons is a Yankee soldier who lost his sight in battle. He enlists the aid of a rebel soldier, who was shot in the legs, for help getting off the battlefield (Joe becomes the legs, the rebel soldier becomes the eyes). A doctor runs across Joe in the hospital, and Joe recounts the story to him. Joe seems to exist in a place between optimism and shell shock,
For a preview of the song "Bold Solider Boy," visit this link. While we don't require a sample of the song for the audition, it would be immensely helpful in casting if you were to include the beginning of this song at the end of line three where Joe finishes the line and begins to sing.
Along with Joe Parsons, voice actor awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for one other major character (Henry) and several other minor characters (Cones and voice in a crowd).
I'm very thankful I'm alive, sir. It might ha' been worse, yer see…. I was hit, and it knocked me down. I lay there all night, and the next day the fight was renewed. I could stand the pain, yer see, but the balls was flyin' all round, and I wanted to get away. I couldn't see nothin', though. So I waited and listened; and at last I heard a feller groanin' beyond me.
'Hello!’ says I.
[Deep southern accent] 'Hello yourself,' says he.
'Who be yer ?' says I — 'a rebel?'
[Deep southern accent] ‘You're a Yankee.' says he.
'So I am,' says I ; 'what's the matter with yer?'
[Deep southern accent] 'My leg's smashed,' says he.
'Can't yer walk? '
[Deep southern accent] 'No.'
[glibly] That's so, but I can't help it, you notice. I did my dooty — got shot, pop in the eye — an' that's my misfort'n, not my fault — as the old man said of his blind hoss. But — I'm a bold soldier boy,' [cheerily renewing his song…]
Corporal Nelson Purdum ($40): Lead/Male/Young Adult to Late-Middle-Aged. North American/American with a Northern/Yankee accent. Voice actor needs to be able to switch to a country Southern accent for this role, as Purdham uses a Southern accent to retell his story. Purdum is a little cocky, a bit of a showman -- he can tell a great story, hold the audience in suspense. Though Purdum was a real person, we weren't able to drum up much information on him, except for his obituary. So, since Purdum became a politician later in life, we're going to portray him as charismatic, a bit devil-may-care and adventurous, a little rakish, at least while he's telling his tale. We'll leave it up to the listeners to decide if it's all bluster.
ABOUT THE ROLE: Purdum is in a bar, sharing with the crowd the story of his escape from Libby Prison.
Along with Purdum, voice actor awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for several other very minor characters (Sergeant, Donalson, and voice in a crowd).
Many appeared surprised at seeing us, and I could hear them saying, "Is them Yankees?" One old woman came running out and asked me if we were really Yankees. I told her we were, "but as we had come from the West, and were younger ones than those in the East, our horns had not yet appeared."
There were handkerchiefs, pocket knives, finger rings, combs, buttons, spoons, knives and forks, and everything a soldier could find about his person was offered for bread. “Bread!" "Bread!" was the cry, and indeed it was a sorrowful sight to see men of all grades of society, from the college professor down to the ignorant and unlettered, all brought to the verge of starvation by the inhuman barbarity of their captors.
We had gone but a short distance, when, just ahead of us, we saw a squad of cavalry coming. There was no time to lose; so, bounding into the woods, we ran as fast as we could for about half a mile; but finding they were not following us, we ceased running. After that we did not venture on the road, but kept in the woods all the time, occasionally going to a negro cabin to find the way; and we always found them willing to aid us in any way that they could.
Beau Hackett ($40): Lead/Male/Young Adult to Late-Middle-Aged. North American/American with a Northern/Yankee accent. Though Hackett was a real person, we weren't able to drum up much information on him, except that he was a reporter/humorist who was rumored to have been the next Mark Twain, before he was killed int he Civil War. We're going to portray him as a bit arrogant, incredibly sarcastic and witty, highly intelligent, a little superior, with a propensity for wordplay.
ABOUT THE ROLE: Beau Hackett is describing his interview with a Union officer to become a Zouave. In it, he takes several jabs at the Zouave's for being all show and no action.
Along with Hackett, voice actor awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for several other very minor characters (Yank, Ned, Ashby, General Negley, and voice in a crowd).
My father was a hero of the revolution, having been caught once in a water-wheel, and whirled around rapidly a number of times. Others of the family have also distinguished themselves as military men at different periods, but their deeds of courage are too well known to need repetition.
The following is a recitation verbatim et literatim et wordim of most of the questions propounded to me, and the answers thereto, which my intimate acquaintance with the Army Regulations and the report of the Committee on the Conduct of the War enabled me to answer readily and accurately. My interrogator was a little man in Federal blue, with gold leaves on his shoulders. They called him Major, but he looked young enough to be a minor.
I can shoulder arms, and bear arms, and carry arms, (if they are not too heavy,) and reverse arms, and support arms, (ordinarily my arms support me,) and I can order arms better than I can pay for them after they are ordered.
Captain Williams ($45): Lead/Male/Adult to Late-Middle-Aged. North American/American with a light Southern accent that can be thickened up to a heavy, country Southern and/or Louisiana accent. Williams was a real person, however there isn't much known about him. Based on his firsthand account of his escape from prison, and his recommendation by President Johnson for promotion, we've gleaned that Williams is professional, sharp, keen, but with a cheeky sense of humor. For a little more about Williams, visit this link.
ABOUT THE ROLE: Captain Williams is part of the 23rd Regiment of Kentucky Volunteers and was captured and imprisoned at Macon, Georgia, He recounts his multiple escape attempts, followed by his trek Northward to the Yankee pickets.
Along with Williams, voice actor awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for one other major character (Captain Carpenter of the Jessie Scouts) and several other very minor characters (Colonel, Captain and voice in a crowd).
July 4. — [Be a little glib here, like Williams’ knows he’s clever] We made a Declaration of Independence, and came near gaining our freedom in the following manner :
During the day one of our number feigned sickness. At night when the doors were opened for the purpose of changing water, our sick man stole into an empty cell and his place in our cell was filled with a stuffed pair of pants and shirt.
Sometime before my escape I contrived to get hold of a confederate uniform, upon which I sewed two bars which indicated, in the rebel army, a first lieutenant. Five miles from the city I obtained a first-rate breakfast, for which they refused pay, thinking that I was what I represented myself to be, [thicken the Southern/Louisiana accent] "Lieutenant J. R. Brown, Fourth Louisiana Battalion Volunteer Infantry."
[The following bit is from the audio drama portion of the role -- you are responding to an old rebel who is suspicious of why and where you're traveling. The light Southern accent should be thickened through this part). WILLIAMS: My friend, if you do your duty you do well; but when you go beyond that, it is unbearable. I am a confederate officer, and expect to be treated as such. I have given you enough proof to satisfy any reasonable man; and if you were an old soldier you would have been satisfied with half the questions answered by me. I have to be in Forsyth on Monday next, in order to go to the front. If I go with you, I will have to come back tomorrow to Middlebrook's, and then I cannot reach Forsythe in time.
Abraham Lincoln ($45): Lead/Male/Adult to Late-Middle-Aged. North American/American with a light country/mid-Western accent. This man should need no introduction, however, if you'd like to, you can read more about Abraham Lincoln here. There's been a lot of conversation about what Lincoln sounded like -- from a deep, booming and resonating voice, to the meeker voice popularized by Daniel Day Lewis in Lincoln. We're open to interpretation, and don't have a preference for one over the other, rather we'd prefer a voice actor who can capture Lincoln's intelligence, wit and conviction. We're also open to additional interpretations of this role. For instance, perhaps for the first bank of lines, you're Mary Todd, recounting Lincoln's first public address as a politician. For the second bank of lines, perhaps you're Joshua Speed, reading the letter you just received from Lincoln out loud. For the third bank of lines, perhaps you're William Herndon, an old friend of Lincoln's, remembering the farewell speech he gave from the back of a train as he left Springfield, IL for the White House.
ABOUT THE ROLE: Voice actor will be reading three pieces of Lincoln's writing, including his first speech, a letter to Joshua Speed regarding state's rights and the Missouri Compromise, and a farewell address given in Springfield, Illinois upon his departure for the White House.
I am humble Abraham Lincoln. I have been solicited by many friends to become a candidate for the legislature. My politics are short and sweet, like an old woman's dance. I am in favor of a National Bank. I am in favor of the internal improvement system, and a high protective tariff. These are my sentiments and political principles. If elected, I shall be thankful; if not, it will be all the same.
I say it was conceived in violence, because the destruction of the Missouri Compromise, under the circumstances, was nothing less than violence. It was passed in violence, because it could not have passed at all but for the votes of many members in violence of the known will of their constituents. It is maintained in violence, because the elections since clearly demand its repeal; and the demand is openly disregarded.
now leave, not knowing when, or whether ever, I may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon Washington. Without the assistance of that Divine Being, who ever attended him, I cannot succeed. With that assistance, I cannot fail.
Frederick Douglass ($45): Lead/Male/Adult to Late-Middle-Aged. North American/American with a light Southern accent. Another man that should need no introduction, however, you can read more about Frederick Douglass here. Frederick Douglass was as powerful a speaker as he was a writer -- for this role, we need a voice that is deep, soulful, resonating, booming -- commanding attention.
ABOUT THE ROLE: The speech we're featuring from Douglass was one of his first, given in New York City at a church, one week before the publication of his first book, Narrative of the Life. The speech centers around some of the same images and themes as Narrative, including his life as a slave in Maryland. The imagery is brutal and hard to stomach. Douglass admits at the beginning of the speech that he's nervous, and that should show in the voice acting; however, by the end of the speech, Douglass should be convicted, motivated, impassioned.
[Begin speech humbly, self-effacing, on the side of meek, growing in passion, strength and tenor] I do not know that I can say anything to the point. My habits and early life have done much to unfit me for public speaking, and I fear that your patience has already been wearied by the lengthened remarks of other speakers, more eloquent than I can possibly be, and better prepared to command the attention of the audience. And I can scarcely hope to get your attention even for a longer period than fifteen minutes.
We had on the plantation an overseer, by the name of Austin Gore, a man who was highly respected as an overseer proud, ambitious, cruel, artful, obdurate. Nearly every slave stood in the utmost dread and horror of that man. His eye flashed confusion amongst them. He never spoke but to command, nor commanded but to be obeyed. He was lavish with the whip, sparing with his word. I have seen that man tie up men by the two hands, and for two hours, at intervals, ply the lash. I have seen women stretched up on the limbs of trees, and their bare backs made bloody with the lash.
While you continue in the Union, you are as bad as the slaveholder. If you have thus wronged the poor black man, by stripping him of his freedom, how are you going to give evidence of your repentance? Undo what you have done. Do you say that the slave ought not to be free? These hands are they not mine? This body is it not mine? Again, I am your brother, white as you are. I’m your blood kin. You don’t get rid of me so easily. I mean to hold on to you. And in this land of liberty, I’m a slave.
J. Stanley ($25): Lead/Male/YoungAdult to Late-Middle-Aged. North American/American with a light Midwestern accent. We don't know anything about J. Stanley, except that he was probably a member of the Young Men's Literary Association, and/or a parishioner at Bethel Church in Chicago. He is intelligent, articulate and highly moved by his message, which centers around the ability and contribution of black soldiers, and the abolition of slavery. We're flexible with casting for this role -- because we know so little about J. Stanley, we can cast from young adult to senior. The most important thing to have here is conviction and passion -- to be able to deliver these lines from your gut.
ABOUT THE ROLE: Stanley is at Bethel Church in Chicago, giving a tribute to Joseph D. Wilson, a sergeant in the 54th Massachusetts Regiment Volunteer Infantry after Wilson was killed at the charge on Fort Wagner.
Along with Stanley, voice actor awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for other minor characters (fifer, voice in a crowd).
When the Commonwealth of Massachusetts sent her agents to Illinois to recruit men for her colored regiments, Joseph Wilson was the first to enroll his name for the gallant Fifty-fourth. Need I tell you, fellow-citizens, that the Fifty-fourth have won for themselves and their race imperishable honor? Need I tell you they have forever settled the question that colored men can and will fight?
Imagine you see the commanding general placing to the right and advance of the column a regiment of colored men that has never seen service nor stood in front of an enemy? Why was such an honor conferred upon black men? And why were they selected from among the thousands of their white companions in arms, who had fought on many a field of battle? What motive prompted General Gilmore to place Colonel Shaw’s command where death and destruction awaited them? . . .
On many a bloody field, at the head of many a desperate charge, in many a hazardous venture, their regiments have done deeds that white men, with all their boasting, might envy. Their true heroism is as much in their mercy and forgiveness of centuries of intolerable outrage and injury as in their readiness to encounter a new and more infernal slavery, the torture of the whip and switch, and a lingering and cruel death in defense of the right.
Francis E.W. Harper ($25): Lead/Female/Young Adult to Late-Middle-Aged. North American/American with a light Midwestern or Southern accent. Harper was a prominent African-American poetess and orator, best known for championing abolition, civil rights, women's rights, and temperance. She lectured across America during a time when women rarely spoke in public. She helped organize and held office in several national advocacy organizations. For more about Harper, read this. For this role, we're looking for a young adult to middle age, a voice that's hopeful and optimistic. Can be soft, but should also be strong.
ABOUT THE ROLE: We're looking for an actress willing to tackle Frances E.W. Harper's poem "Then and Now." There are a lot of prominent historical figures mentioned in the poem, such as Wendell Phillips, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Beecher Stowe, to name a few. Read more about the Read the full text of Then and Now.
Along with Harper, voice actress awarded this part may also be asked to perform lines for other minor characters (voice in a crowd).
And, like a vision fair and bright
The new world broke upon their sight.
Men grasped the prize, grew proud and strong,
And cursed the land with crime and wrong.
The Indian stood despoiled of lands,
The Negro bound with servile bands,
Oppressed through weary years of toil,
His blood and tears bedewed the soil.
To-night we would bring our meed of praise
To noble friends of darker days;
The men and women crowned with light,
The true and tried in our gloomy night.
To Lundy, whose heart was early stirred
To speak for freedom an earnest word;
To Garrison, valiant, true and strong,
Whose face was as flint against our wrong.
Freedom your native land to bless
With peace, and love and righteousness,
As dreams that are past, a tale all told,
Are the days when men were bought and sold;
Now God be praised from sea to sea,
Our flag floats o'er a country free.
- Belle Boyd ($15): Lead/Female/Young Adult to Adult. North American/American with a slow and proper Southern accent. Maria "Belle" Boyd, a notorious spy for the Confederates, was from a prominent family in West Virginia -- several of which were also convicted of being spies. Her exploits were widely known in the North, and Union newspapers gave her a slew of nicknames, including: "La Belle Rebelle," "the Siren of the Shenandoah," "the Rebel Joan of Arc," and "Amazon of Secessia." You can read more about Belle Boyd here. For this role, we're looking for a voice young adult to middle age, with a slow and proper Southern accent -- demure but defiant and strong-willed. We're looking for a performance that is at once coquettish, graceful and sweet, yet strong.
ABOUT THE ROLE: In this piece, Belle recounts one particular escapade, in which she listened in on a Union war council, made notes on what she overheard, and swept those notes away to a Confederate general a few miles past a Union blockade. In the process, Boyd was almost shot.
Along with Boyd, voice actress awarded this part may also be asked to perform lines for other minor characters (Emily, voice in a crowd).
The council prolonged their discussion for some hours; but I remained motionless and silent until the proceedings were brought to a conclusion, at one in the morning. As soon as the coast was clear I crossed the courtyard, and made the best of my way to my own room, and took down in cipher everything I heard which seemed to me of any importance.
Fortunately, I had about me some passes which I had from time to time procured for Confederate soldiers returning South, and which, owing to various circumstances, had never been put in requisition. They now, however, proved invaluable; for I was twice brought to a standstill by the challenge of the Federal sentries, and who would inevitably have put a period to my adventurous career had they not been beguiled by my false passport.
Upon getting home I unsaddled my horse and “tuned in” -- if I may be permitted the expression, which is certainly expressive rather than refined -- just as Aurora springing from the rosy bed of Tithonus, began her pursuit of the flying hour; in plain English, just as the day began to break.
Sojourner Truth ($25): Lead/Female/Adult to Late-Middle-Aged/Senior. North American/American with a light Dutch, Midwestern or Southern accent. Truth was best known as an abolitionist and women's rights activist. Though both of her parents were from Africa, she was a slave in a NY household where the first language was Dutch; it wasn't until after Truth was sold to another NY family later in life that she learned English. Truth was one of the first black women to sue a white man and win -- in a case where her 5-year-old son was illegally sold to a man in Alabama. Truth's full story is truly amazing, and worth the read here. We need a strong and slow voice for this role. A bit of a Dutch accent would be preferable, but Midwestern or Southern would be wonderful, too.
ABOUT THE ROLE: We're looking for an actress willing to tackle Sojourner Truth's famous "Ain't I a Woman." The speech was delivered off the cuff at a Women's Rights Convention in 1851. It's full of bare language and powerful imagery. You can read the entire speech (or two versions of the speech) here.
Along with Truth, voice actress awarded this part may also be asked to perform lines for other minor characters (voice in a crowd).
I have heard much about the sexes being equal; I can carry as much as any man, and can eat as much too, if I can get it. I am as strong as any man that is now. As for intellect, all I can say is, if women have a pint and man a quart - why can’t she have her little pint full?
May I say a few words? I want to say a few words about this matter. I am a woman’s rights. I have as much muscle as any man, and can do as much work as any man.
The poor men seem to be all in confusion, and dont know what to do. Why children, if you have woman’s rights, give it to her and you will feel better. You will have your own rights, and they wont be so much trouble.
Sullivan Ballou ($25): Male/Young Adult to Late-Middle-Aged. North American/American with a Northern/Yankee/Rhode Island accent. Ballou was from a prominent Rhode Island family, highly educated, a lawyer and a member of the House of Representatives. He volunteered to join the war efforts immediately after the bombardment of Fort Sumter in April, 1861, and was killed three months later, at the Battle of Bull Run in July, 1861. The letter her wrote to his wife, Sarah, just one week before the battle, is considered one of the most romantic pieces of writing from the Civil War. The letter was never actually sent to Sarah, rather was found in his belongings after he was killed. Read this for more on Sullivan Ballou. For this role, we need a Northern/Yankee/Rhode Island accent -- highly educated, proper, refined. We need the voice actor to be able to convey a depth of sadness, regret, emotion when reading some of the more romantic parts of the poem (really let loose!)
ABOUT THE ROLE: Ballou is narrating the famous letter to his wife Sarah. The full transcript of the letter can be read here.
Along with Ballou, voice actor awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for several other very minor characters (Narrator and voice in a crowd).
I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how strongly American Civilization now leans on the triumph of the Government and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and sufferings of the Revolution. And I am willing — perfectly willing — to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this Government, and to pay that debt …
Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me unresistibly on with all these chains to the battlefield.
But, O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the gladdest days and in the darkest nights … always, always, and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath, as the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by. Sarah, do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again …
Middle-Age/Adult to Senior Female Voice ($15): Middle-Age/Adult to Senior Female. North American/American with a light Midwestern or Southern accent. Possibly a light Irish accent. Older, more mature voice. Strong, powerful. There is no one outstanding character associated with this voice, rather multiple bit parts, so it would be perfect if the actress had a bit of range, or could change up her voice slightly depending on the role. We are not looking for anything specific here -- your own interpretation of these characters, based on the lines provided, is perfect.
We need this voice actress to fill multiple bit parts where an older or more mature female voice is required. The voice should be strong, clear, loud and powerful. The voice actress awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for Mother, Mrs. Mitchell and Old Lady.
ANN MANLY: You are perfectly safe here, boys.
MOTHER: Edward Lee. [Pause as she places her hand upon the captain arm] Captain, if he is not killed [here her maternal feelings overcame her utterance,
and she bent down over her boy and kissed him upon the forehead. As she arose, she observed] Captain, you will bring him back with you, won't you?
MRS. MITCHELL: My dear, where did you come from? And how did you get here?
The Little Drummer ($15): Lead/Male/Young. North American/American, Yankee/Northern accent. Possibly light Midwestern or light Southern accent. There is no particular character here, rather "Little Drummer" is a description of the voice we need to do the narration for an R.H. Stoddard poem called "The Little Drummer" (click on the link for the full text). For the greatest emotional effect, we'd like it to be read by a very young man, around the age of 12 (pre-voice changing). However, if you read the lines and feel inspired to show us a different interpretation, we're open for it!
ABOUT THE ROLE: This role is part narration, part character acting, and we're open to interpretation. The one thing we're really wanting from this audition is an emphasis on the end line of each verse -- the rat-tat-too. We'd like this to be read as if you're verbalizing an actual drum beat -- the words should be spoken sharply, as if your voice is the strike of the drum. For even greater effect, as the tone and tempo of the poem becomes more comber, the rat-tat-too should become a little slower, as if the dying drummer is losing his energy to beat the drum.
Along with the Little Drummer Boy, voice actor awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for several other very minor characters (drummer, young boy and voice in a crowd).
'Tis of a little drummer,
The story I shall tell.
Of how he marched to battle,
And all that there befell.
Out in the West with Lyon
(For once the name was true),
For whom the little drummer beat
His rat-tat-too.
His comrades dropped around him
By fives and tens they fell.
Some pierced by minie bullets,
Some torn by shot and shell;
They played against our cannon,
And a caisson's splinters flew;
But still the little drummer beat
His rat-tat-too!
The ball had spent its fury:
" A scratch," the surgeon said,
As he wound the snowy bandage
Which the lint was staining red,
“I must leave you now, old fellow."
" O, take me back with you.
For I know the men are missing me,
And the rat-tat-too!
Female Narrator ($15): Female/Young. North American/American, Yankee/Northern accent or light Southern accent; possibly a light Irish or Scottish accent. There is no particular character here, rather this role is strictly Narration. We need someone who can read slowly, clearly, and is a strong story-teller -- lyrical and full of expression, rather than a dispassionate third-party.
ABOUT THE ROLE: The Female Narrator will be narrating the story of Ann Manley, a Baltimore gang lord who saved a group of Yankee musicians from a mob of supporters of the Confederacy. We're looking for storytelling capabilities -- a strong but lyrical voice to take listeners through the tale.
Along with the Female Narrator, voice actress awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for several other very minor characters (voice in a crowd).
The band of the Sixth Regiment that left Boston in April, 1861, consisted of twenty-four persons, who, together with their musical instruments, occupied a car by themselves from Philadelphia to Baltimore. By some accident, the musicians' car got switched off at the Canton Depot, so that, instead of being the first, it was left in the rear of all the others, and after the attack had been made by the mob upon the soldiers, they came upon the car in which the band was still sitting, wholly unarmed, and incapable of making any defense.
The Amazon directly proceeded to wash and bind up their wounds. After having done this, she procured them food, and then told them to strip off their uniforms, and put on the clothes she had brought them, a motley assortment of baize jackets, ragged coats, and old trousers. Thus equipped, they were enabled to go out in search of their companions, without danger of attack from the Plug Uglies and Blood Tubs, who had given them so rough a reception.
... this degraded woman took them under her protection, dressed their wounds, fed them at her own cost, and sent them back to safety to their homes. As she is too notorious in Baltimore not to be perfectly well known by what we have already told of her, it will not be exposing her to any persecution to mention her name. Ann Manley is the name by which she is known in the city of Blood Tubs, and the loyal men of the North, when they march again through its streets, should remember her for her humanity to their countrymen.
Correspondent ($15): Male or Female/Young to Middle-Aged/Adult. North American/American, Yankee/Northern accent, possibly light Midwestern, Souther or Irish/Scottish accent. While the Correspondent was a real person, we have no details about his name, origins, etc, and so this role is open for some interpretation. Overall, we'd like to portray him/her as bright, lively, curious, and incredibly interested in the stories Carpenter has to tell (perhaps they'd like to have been a Jessie Scout themself...?)
ABOUT THE ROLE: The role of the Correspondent is part narration, part audio drama. After retelling the story or Captain Carpenter of the Jessie Scouts (Narration), the Correspondent finalizes his/her article with an interview from Captian Carpenter (Interview with Carpenter/audio drama).
Along with the Correspondent, voice actor awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for several other very minor characters (voice in a crowd).
The secret history of any military campaign would be of absorbing interest; much more the secret story of our war. In all camps there are men whose occupation it is to gain for the commanding general information of the enemy's force, positions, and movements. Much depends on this, and the most successful generals have always been the best informed.
Probably no man in this war has lived through as many exciting and desperate adventures as Capt. Carpenter, who was leader of the "Jessie Scouts." He was originally one of " John Brown's men,'' and participated in the attack on Harper's Ferry', where he escaped by crawling through a long culvert, or covered drain, which led from the famous engine-house to the river. The Captain does not love the slave lords; he has notions about the crime of claiming ownership in men which to some would seem extreme, and he certainly thinks almost anything good enough for a man-selling aristocrat who rebels against the Union.
The writer of this passed a few quiet hours with Capt. Carpenter lately, while the latter was an invalid from a severe wound received last fall in Western Virginia. Some of the campaigning stories then heard will interest the reader, and will attract the sympathy of all who admire daring, skill, and invention — especially where, as in this case, all these faculties are sharpened and vivified by a single-hearted and fiery devotion to liberty and the Union. Capt. Carpenter boasts, in a quiet way, that no army for which he has scouted has ever suffered from a " raid " in its rear, or has ever been surprised.
Irish-American Soldier ($30): Lead/Male/Middle-Aged. Irish Accent. This role is actually three different roles from three different vignettes, and we may end up liking the auditions so much that we break this into two or three different parts. For now, however, we've decided to combine the roles, because two of the vignettes are relatively small (one is only a single line!). Because the character of the Irish-American Soldier isn't named in any of the literature, there's some room for interpretation. The one thing we'd like from the voice actor is a sense of humor -- all of these lines have a certain airiness and comedy amidst the tragedy, and we need a light-hearted delivery, with a lot of lyricism, showmanship and charisma, with a thick Irish accent.
ABOUT THE ROLE: There are three stories about Irishmen in the American Civil War; one about how an Irishman was saving his flask of whiskey and decided to take back the Union flag as well, another incredibly animated story about an Irishman sparring with a rebel soldier the size of a freight train; another an Irishman cleverly arguing with a rebel soldier about loyalty and patriotism. The parts are relatively small, so we'd like to cast one person who can add a little variation to the different voices in the different roles (though this may change, depending on what we see for auditions). For this, we also need a GREAT storyteller. One of the stories is incredibly vivid and needs a very lively presentation.
Along with the Irish-American Soldier, voice actor awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for several other very minor characters (voice in a crowd).
Well, you see, the fact of the matter is, Lieutenant Cobb, I ain't much of a scholar; I can't argue the question with you; but what would my mother say, if I desarted my colors? Oh, the divil a give-in I'll ever give in, now, and that's the end of it. I tried to run away once, a few weeks after enlistin', but a man wouldn't be missed thin. It's quite different now, Lieutenant, and I'm going not to disgrace naither iv my countries.
'Bad luck to ye, ye thief o' the world,' says I, 'what are ye trying to shoot me for? Sure I never done nothing to yez;' and then I aimed straight between his eyes, and fired at him; but the murtherin' ball didn't touch a hair of his head that I mist. ' Be gorra,' sez I to meself, ‘now I'll take ye a prisoner, anyhow;' and I put meself across the river as hard as ever I could. I jumped up the bank, and lookin' mighty fierce at 'im, I said, ' Surrender, ye devil, or I'll blow yer brains out.' The fun of it was, I'd forgot, in me charge upon the spalpeen, to load me goon at all, at all, and the bloody thief must have knew it, for he made at me with his bayonet, like a two-legged locomotive.
As he was coming down, lapin' several fate at a time, says I to meself, ‘Pat, me boy, mind yer eye; now's yer time to keep wide awake, or you'll have a gimlet hole through yer valuable bowels, and Biddy Mullooney will be a widow.' Bad luck to the drillin', sure it's meself forgot to come to the charge. So I took me goon by the middle, just as ye would hold a good old-fashioned black-thorn shillaly, and balanced meself fur 'im.
Traveler ($15): Male/Young - Middle-Aged. North American/American, Yankee/Northern accent or very slight Southern accent. We don't know the living person the narrator/traveler is based on, but we're guessing by the quality of writing that he's a Walt Whitman type -- part idealist, part realist -- someone who is tuned in equally to the beauty and the ugly of the world, or else someone who seems to be clinging to the beauty he finds amidst the devastation of the Tennessee countryside. For this, we'd like to hear a slow and thoughtful delivery, a little curious. Our Traveler is at heart a social scientist and an optimist.
ABOUT THE ROLE: The Traveler is roaming through Eastern Tennessee, commenting on the way the Civil War has affected life there. This piece is meant to convey the intermingling of Union/Confederate feeling in border states like Kentucky and Eastern Tennessee, where allegiances were split, sometimes even within the same family. In two places, the script breaks out of narration and very briefly dips into audio drama.
Along with the Traveler, voice actor awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for several other very minor characters (Narrator, Garrison, Surgeon, voice in a crowd).
In Dry Valley lived the Methodist preacher named Dugan, (of Brownlow notoriety,) weighing some two hundred and fifty pounds, that these devils incarnate arrested for his loyalty to the Government, making him walk some ten miles through the hot sun, and riding in his buggy themselves. The poor old man fainted time and again on the journey, but there was no relenting with them. They told him they would sweat the Lincoln fever out of him.
They struggled, fell; their life-blood stained,
The cruel murderer's hand;
They clasped their country's flag, and cried,
“God and our native land!"
Let angels spread their wings above;
Let flowers forever bloom ;
Let bays, green bays, spring forth to mark
The martyr's sacred tomb.'
They hurrahed for Old Abe, and we rode on. We travelled this lonesome road a few miles farther, and came at last to the crest of the hill, some five hundred feet directly overlooking the valley. There it lay at our feet, extending north as far as the eye could reach, and at least three miles in width — dotted with neat farm-houses, and just below us Mouse Creek Station, with its dozen or more neat white cottages, and one large brick mansion.
- Young Lady ($15): Female/Young - Middle-Aged. North American/American, Yankee/Northern accent or very slight Southern accent. Though we don't know the exact real-life figure this young lady is based on, we believe she existed and that this story is drawn from real life. The Young Lady is a bit unrefined, obstinate and brutish, but with an underlying sweetness to her, a sense of romance. For the voice, we'd like a touch of a country accent -- a toughness about her, rough around the edges -- and a romantic, in a Natural Born Killers/Bonnie and Clyde sort of way. If you feel inspired by the lines and the story, we're open to additional interpretations. The delivery here should be angry and unapologetic.
ABOUT THE ROLE: A man dear to the Young Lady has been brutally killed by Confederate sympathizers, and she in turn vows to kill them. She just manages to pull it off, with zero remorse or regret. This is her recounting of events, and also her confession.
Along with the Young Lady, voice actoress awarded this part will also be asked to perform lines for several other very minor characters (Emily, voice in a crowd).
Major Clift, According to promise I now attempt to give you a statement of the reasons why I killed Turner, and a brief history of the affair. Dr. Sadler had, for two years previous to his death, seemed equally as near and dear to me as a brother, and for several months nearer than any person, — my parents not excepted. If he had not, I never would have done what I did, promise to be his.
Now, for this, I resolved to have revenge. Peteet and Gordenshire being dead, I determined to kill Turner, and to seek an early opportunity of doing it. But I kept that resolution to myself, knowing that if I did not I would be prevented. I went prepared but never could get to see him.
They asked me what I did that for. My response was, " You know what that man did the 13th of December last, — murdered a dear friend of mine. I have been determined to do this deed ever since, and I never shall regret it." They said no more to me, but commenced hallooing and blowing a horn. I got my horse out and started home, where I shall stay or leave when I choose, going where I please, and saying what I please.
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