submitted by chamberh@augsburg.edu
My name is Halle Chambers. For a little over a year now, I have been writing a historical fiction play called “Passage” about Swedish immigration to Minnesota in the late nineteenth century. This semester, I will be presenting a staged reading of my play for theatrical honors. I am currently looking for anyone who might be interested in being a part of the project.
In “Passage,” we follow a small Swedish family from beginning to end of their journey to America. The story mostly centers on the son, Björn, who acts as the main narrator, chronicling the family’s journey in a journal. Many characters are double-cast for effect:
BJÖRN: Son. Early teens. Main Narrator. Also KIM
LYDIA: Mother. Also SOLVEIG
JACOB: Father.
CAROLINA: Daughter. 6-8 years old
KRISTINA: LYDIA’s younger sister. Left Sweden in earlier wave. Lives in Minnesota . Family’s connection in America. Also EMMA
LARS: Good Samaritan. Also DOCTOR/DRAGON
KIM: BJÖRN’s great-grandson. Also BJÖRN
EMMA: KIM’s older cousin and BJÖRN’s great-granddaughter. Also KRISTINA.
SOLVEIG: KIM and EMMA’s grandmother, and BJÖRN’s granddaughter. Also LYDIA
TEACHER: Strict authoritarian educator. Historically, likely male. Also NÄCKEN
NÄCKEN: “male water spirits who played enchanted songs on the violin, luring women and children to drown.’” Also TEACHER
DOCTOR: Helps family in emergency. Also LARS/DRAGON
VOICE: offstage voice. Also reads stage directions
DRAGON: Figure of CAROLINA’s imagination. Also LARS/DOCTOR
Currently, I’m just looking for people who might be interested, but will need firm commitment ASAP. This will be a staged reading, and will have less time commitment than a full play. I’m especially interested in anyone who might want to play BJÖRN/KIM, as well as anyone who could direct the project, as my main focus will be on playwriting. If you are interest, my email is chamberh@augsburg.edu