UCRJ presents a staged reading of The Turnaway Play, in partnership with The Station Theatre and the Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, directed by Christiana Molldrem Harkulich. Sponsored in part by an Urbana Arts & Culture Grant.The Turnaway Play is about what really happens when people are denied access to abortion.
The play is inspired and informed by the groundbreaking Turnaway Study, conducted by Dr. Diana Greene Foster, a 2023 MacArthur Fellow and researcher at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Foster followed 1,000 women from across the country for ten years and obtained the first scientific results on the consequences people face when either having or being denied an abortion. The main finding of the Turnaway Study is that receiving an abortion does not harm the health and wellbeing of women, but in fact, being denied an abortion results in worse financial, health and family outcomes.
Characters in the play are based on Turnaway Study subjects and members of the research team. The play uses the words and experiences of these real people to bust myths and reduce abortion stigma. Drama, humor, and audience participation make it an engaging and thought-provoking theatrical event.
Performances:
Sat, Nov 8th: 7:30pm at The Station Theatre
Sun, Nov 9th: 1:30pm at the Spurlock Museum of World Cultures
*Sunday's performance may be live-streamed
AUDITION INFORMATION:
We are seeking 10 actors to perform a rehearsed but not memorized reading. Actors should be available for ALL rehearsals and performances. Conflicts may result in not getting cast.
Auditions (you only need to attend one day):
Sat, Nov 1st: 1-4pm at The Station Theatre, 223 N Broadway Ave, Urbana
Sun, Nov 2nd: 11am-3pm at Channing-Murray Foundation, 1209 W Oregon St, Urbana
Sign up for an audition here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E49AAA72CA1FD0-59233738-auditions#/
Audition form required: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScbSCjQJlBoU7WMRTM2GxrW-6QxJPD_nebPodUTh8x_F_4g5Q/viewform
Rehearsals:
Mon, Nov 3rd: 6:30-9:30pm - Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign (UUCUC), 309 W Green St, Urbana
Tues, Nov 4th: 6:30-9:30pm - UUCUC
Thurs, Nov 5th: 6:30-9:30pm - UUCUC
Fri, Nov 6th: 6:30-9:30pm - Station Theatre
Sat, Nov 7th (full run through): 4:00pm
*PLEASE NOTE: Actors may not be called every day for the entire time, but with so few rehearsals, we need actors to be available for all sessions. Therefore conflicts may result in not getting cast.
Readings/Performances:
Sat, Nov 8th: 7:30pm at The Station Theatre
Sun, Nov 9th: 1:30pm at the Spurlock Museum of World Cultures
*Sunday performance may be livestreamed
Actors will each receive a $100 stipend for participation.
More info about the Turnaway Play can be found here: https://www.theturnawayplay.com/
Character sides: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ndaqd9IlHqYBQqlvZZ0OkQO8Zyhn9-m1?usp=drive_link
Here is a character breakdown for those auditioning:
THE RESEARCHERS:
DR. FOSTER: Demographer and professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco and lead researcher of The Turnaway Study, 50 years old. A great communicator and mentor, Dr. Foster is heartfelt in her convictions but can see all sides of an argument. She has a great sense of humor.
LUISA: A Mexican American woman from Texas, Luisa is 22 years old. The newest member of the Turnaway Study team, she is young but ambitious and actively figuring out her life plan. She is caught between her family's expectations and finding her own path. (The actor cast in this role should be Latine and speak Spanish.)
SERENA: A Black woman from North Carolina in her late 20s-early 30s, Serena has worked as an interviewer for the Turnaway Study for three years and is in charge of the office. Before this, she worked as a counselor at an abortion clinic. Serena is a great person to work with: kind, empathetic, funny, and clear about the work. (The actor cast in this role should be Black.)
RHONDA: A researcher on the Turnaway Study for the past two years in her mid-20s, Rhonda is outspoken and has a great sense of humor. She loves to tease. She and Serena have a great rapport.
THE WOMEN OF THE STUDY:
(Real women who participated in the Turnaway Study. Their words are taken verbatim from study interviews conducted at the end of the study, five years later.)
AMY: 28 years old and six weeks pregnant when she had an abortion. A middle class Texan, she is family-centered and religious.
ANGELA: 17 years old and 24 weeks pregnant when she was denied an abortion. From Illinois, she is desperate for independence and able to make tough decisions.
BRENDA: 24 years old and 24 weeks pregnant when she was denied an abortion. A low income New York City native, she struggles with substance abuse and violent relationships. She is smart and angry but not self-pitying--a badass!
KIARA: 26 years old and 13 weeks pregnant when she received an abortion. From Kentucky, she escaped an abusive relationship and is now happily married. She has inner strength and conviction; decisive.
MARTINA: 22 years old and nine weeks pregnant when she had an abortion. An Arizona native, she is independent, athletic, and adventurous.
SOFIA: 19 years old and 26 weeks pregnant when she was denied an abortion. She grew up poor in California. She has a great reserve of inner strength and perseverance, but her dreams have been deferred.
NOTES ON CASTING
It is important that the actor who plays Serena identifies as Black and the actor who plays Luisa identifies as Latine and speaks Spanish. The other characters can be of any race or ethnicity.
Sign up for auditions here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E49AAA72CA1FD0-59233738-auditions#/
Event Venue
Station Theatre & Channing Murray, 223 N Broadway Ave, Urbana, IL 61801-2706, United States
Tickets
