Actress Lali Haines, an Indian woman with a cartoon flower in her wavy locks, sings confidently as Sandy the Squirrel. Photo Credit Jeff Heimbach.
Audition for THE PROM School Edition
Auditions for THE PROM School Edition will be December 9, and 11. Time and location to be announced in October. If you would like to hear of upcoming auditions, please email us at info@opendoortheater.org to join our mailing list.
Characters
Emma– shy and warmhearted high school senior simply wishing to dance with her girlfriend at the prom. She struggles to follow her heart against community pressures*
Alyssa Greene– Emma’s love interest who’s caught between her feelings for her girlfriend and the pressures of letting her mom know the truth of who she really is.*
Dee Dee– TONY® winning actress desperately trying to increase her celebrity and publicity by tackling Emma’s cause. Dee Dee discovers that true charity can outshine celebrity.
Barry- self-involved Broadway actor eager for celebrity activism to promote his career. Barry finds a kindred spirit in Emma and guides her to be true and proud of herself.*
Trent– A “Julliard Trained,” yet struggling, actor who utilizes his small television celebrity to teach the students larger lessons about tolerance.
Angie– Experienced and knowledgeable Broadway musical veteran who champions Emma’s cause and teaches Emma how to live life with Zazz!
Mr. Hawkins– concerned principal of the school and star-struck Broadway fan trying to create a prom for everyone while educating Dee Dee in self-sacrifice.
Sheldon- Broadway publicist working his skills and connections to build his clients’ celebrity status and create an audience for Emma’s message
Mrs. Greene-Alyssa’s mother and president of the PTA who’s committed to maintain a “traditional” prom. She’s too caught up in her own cause to realize her daughter’s desire to reveal who she loves.
Teens and Parents– Indiana high schoolers whold struggle together to create a place for everyone at the dance and concerned parens swayed by Mrs. Greene’s traditional arguments yet ready to follwo their children’s guidance.
Quotes from the Cast
Becca Yelle, Open Door Actor since 2018“Being a member of the cast in Open Door Theater makes me feel proud of myself and proud of all the other cast members. I love dancing and being on stage and I have made a lot of new friends.”
An actor with Autism clashes swords with an actor with Down syndrome while other knights cheer them on.
Myla Haan, Second Generation Open Door since 2005“From going to rehearsals with my mom and wishing to be up on that stage when I finally turned 9, to getting involved in any way I can just to be with Open Door people, this group has always been like a second home to me. Because the Dragonfly Theater is named in memory of my mom, her legacy shines out every time Open Door Theater puts on a show. It radiates through all the huge smiles on everyone’s faces, the support and respect shown to every individual, and the utter joy from experiencing the magic of ODT together.”
Emily Harvey Lacroix, Open Door since 2015In 2015 I had a very tearful phone call with President Sam Gould when I called to inquire about Open Door. At that time, I thought I’d never be able to do theater again because my disability is unpredictable and my needs change so much day to day. She calmly told me to show up as I was each day for rehearsal, wheelchair, crutches, cane or whatever, and we’d choose what made the most sense closer to the show like it was absolutely no big deal. And it was great!
Showing up, however I was, at Open Door from 2015 to 2020 has been critical to creating the good disabled life I’m living now. I’m calmly asking for my accommodations and accepting that I have some limitations to work around. I’m proud of the support, creativity, and resilience of the disability community. I know that I am still awesome and have lots to give. I don’t think I would have found this pride and peace in who I am without Open Door Theater.