History of Arguable Consequence: The Undertold Stories of the American Civil War
holographicVA for Joe Parsons
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…]
