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Thursday, April 30, 2009 10:21 AM Actors in rehearsal for 'Miss Firecracker' Several talented actors have traveled from outside of North Carolina to take up residence in Wilson this week as they begin rehearsals for Theater of the American South's comedy "The Miss Firecracker Contest." Three of the actors live in New York City; another has just completed a graduate program in Virginia. Theater of the American South opens May 14 and runs through May 31. The actors -- Jessica Howell, Kelly Levander, Christopher Scheer and Ariana Seigel -- were cast by director Donna Shannon through the Unified Professional Theatre Auditions, an annual set of auditions held in Memphis, Tenn., that draw actors and theater companies from all over the United States. Shannon saw literally hundreds of actors over several days, called back 60, and cast only these four. "We wanted to ensure that we had the best actors available for our festival," said Theater of the American South's managing director, Gary Cole. "While North Carolina is a great source of acting talent -- and the cast of 'The Miss Firecracker Contest' includes two in-state actors -- participating in the UPTAs enabled us to see some of the finest young actors in the country." "The UPTAs were a very intimidating experience," said actress Kelly Levander. "It was a huge 'cattle call,' with more than a thousand actors auditioning. I had only 90 seconds to do a monologue and song and try to make an impression on all these theater companies. "After the stress of the audition, Donna Shannon did a wonderful job of enabling me to relax in the callback," she said. "I was thrilled to learn Donna had cast me." Jessica Howell was raised in Dallas and graduated from the University of Tulsa. After a prestigious internship with the Actors Theatre of Louisville, one of the nation's leading theater companies, she headed to New York, where she has appeared at Cherry Lane Studio and other companies. In "The Miss Firecracker Contest," Howell plays the role of seamstress Popeye Jackson, who sews a stunning outfit for beauty pageant contestant Carnelle Scott. Kelly Levander, a Tennessee native, recently completed a master's of fine arts degree at Regent University in Virginia. She has appeared on the Discovery Channel in "The Haunting" at Hampton Roads Shakespeare Festival and in Colonial Williamsburg's "An Idea of America." Levander plays the glamorous Elain Rutledge, a former Miss Firecracker whose marriage is tottering. Christopher Scheer grew up on a farm on Long Island in New York. After graduating from Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania, he also earned an internship at the Actors Theatre of Louisville. He has appeared in New York City with New York Circus Arts and the Mekka Collective. Scheer's role in "The Miss Firecracker Contest" is Elain's eccentric brother Delmount Williams, who has recently been released from a mental institution. Ariana Seigel hails from Tampa, Fla. She is a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, rated among the finest performing arts programs in the country. She works in New York as an actor and sketch comedy writer. As co-founder of The People's Sketch Association, she has written, directed and produced shows at Times Square Arts Centre and other venues. Seigel plays Carnelle, who tries to overcome her questionable past and become Miss Firecracker. While in Wilson, Howell, Scheer and Seigel are staying with Robin and Carl Stokes. Levander is staying with Beverly Wells. Tickets for "The Miss Firecracker Contest," "The Last Flapper" (a compelling one-woman show about jazz age icon Zelda Fitzgerald) and other Theater of the American South events are available by phone at 291-4329, ext. 10, online at www.theateroftheamericansouth.org, or in person at the Arts Council of Wilson box office at 124 Nash St. SW. Theater of the American South receives major support from the Wilson County Tourism Development Authority and Cornerstone Bank. Sponsors of festival plays are BB&T and the Wilson medical community. |
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