TRIAL PRACTICE ACTING GIG Spring 2018!
Use your acting and improvisational skills, have fun, help students and get paid at the same time!
RE: State v Edward Taylor Hard
RIVERWALK THEATRE is once again looking for actors who are interested in playing the defendant and witnesses in mock trials for the MSU College of Law Trial Practice Institute. If you are interested in an unusual acting gig where you will be taking case materials, building a character consistent with those materials and playing that character in the highly improvisational environment of a civil court case, this gig is for you! There is a stipend for the work, the amount of which varies depending on the role and the number of trials in which you participate.
The current mock trial case arises out of a barroom fight between Bruno Summers and Ed Hard at the Garage Tavern, two patrons with a history both between them and with the law. (Bruno was a Neo-Nazi, Ed had numerous arrests and felony convictions). Both men had been drinking at the Garage Tavern and prior to their respective arrivals at the tavern. The altercation concluded with Ed Hard shooting Bruno Summers. Bruno Summers went to the hospital and at first seemed to be recovering from the gunshot wound. However, he contracted pneumonia and died.
There are two Trial Practice I classes this Spring. Each class will be organized into two trials, for a total of 4 trials. In order to cast the mock trials, Riverwalk is seeking 5 men and 5 women to play the various roles. Actors, except for those playing Edward Hard and Deborah Summers, need to be available and prepared to testify in all four trials, which occur over two days. Hard and Summers need to be available for two trials, one each day.
Actors would need to be available on ALL of the following dates:
• Saturday, February 3, 10- 11 am – Actor meeting with Mock Trial Professors
• Saturday, February 24, 9 am – 1 pm -- Witness interviews
Tuesday Evening, March 20 and Wednesday Evening, March 21, 6-9 pm - Preliminary Exams
• Saturday, April 21 and Sunday, April 22, 8:30am-3pm – Trials
THE CHARACTERS, their approximate ages, and a brief explanation of their roles in the trial are listed below.
WITNESSES FOR PROSECUTION:
Deborah Summers – 2 actors needed (Bruno Summers’ widow, ex-girlfriend of Ed Hard) 21 years old. Deborah is the widow of Bruno Summers. She claims she saw Ed Hard confront Bruno and saw the shooting. Bruno and Ed were three feet apart at the time of the shooting. Since the shooting and Bruno’s death Deborah has suffered from sleeplessness, nervousness and inability to eat.
Roberta Montbank (Patron at the Garage tavern on September 3rd) 78 years old. She is a retired school teacher. She presently lives in a retirement home. She is a regular patron at the Garage tavern. She overheard Ed Hard threaten Bruno Summers. She saw Ed Hard pull a handgun from his jacket, shoot Bruno Summers and leave the tavern.
Tom Donaldson (Bartender on September 3rd) Tom was also tending bar on August 20 when Bruno and Ed got into a fight. He told them both to leave the bar. On the day of the shooting, Tom heard Ed say that “That Nazi (Bruno) better not get close to me again.” He did not see the shooting, but saw Ed run from the bar immediately afterward.
Detective R. Tharp (Homicide Detective) 40-50 years old. Detective Tharp was in charge of the investigation of the shooting of Bruno Summers.
WITNESSES FOR DEFENDANT:
Edward Taylor Hard – 2 actors needed (Shot Bruno Summers, DEFENDANT), 27 years old. Hard claimed shot Bruno Summers “by accident” and fear of his life. Hard told his attorney, “[W]hen I saw Bruno Summers go for his knife, I reached for the gun in my jacket pocket, drew the gun and simultaneously cocked it. I was going to aim away from him to scare him, but it went off.” Hard thought Bruno was going to cut him with a knife. Ed Hard’s breathalyzer test at 11 p.m. on September 3rd indicated .16. Hard claimed he was not intoxicated.
John Gooding (A friend of Ed Hard), 28 years old. John Gooding works at a copy center. He attended high school with Ed Hard. He was with Ed Hard during a previous altercation at the Garage and has heard Bruno threaten Hard’s life. John Gooding was present on September 3rdat the Garage tavern and saw Bruno Summers enter the bar area of the tavern. He did not see the shooting. He is familiar with the reputation of Bruno Summers because of conversations with Rebecca Karr. He will state that Bruno was a member of a neo-Nazi survivalist group and was dangerous and aggressive. He will also state that Ed Hard has a good reputation for “peacefulness” and “truthfulness.”
Rebecca Karr (A friend of Ed Hard), 27 years old. Rebecca Karr is employed as a secretary in a construction company She went to the Garage tavern on September 3rd with John Gooding. She did not see the actual shooting on September 3rd. In her opinion, Ed Hard was not intoxicated. She believes Bruno was intoxicated. She also is familiar with the neo-Nazi activities and reputation of Bruno Summers and believes he is dangerous and aggressive.
Betty Frank, RN (Head Nurse at Mercy Hospital), 43 years old. She discovered the knife in Summers' jacket pocket and heard his utterance regarding his plans to use the knife on Hard.
If you are interested in playing any of these characters or obtaining further information, please contact TOM FERRIS at [email protected], by FRIDAY, January 26. Please include a photo (If you have not participated previously) , your acting age range, contact information (email, phone and home address) and any information you believe might be helpful to us, including the role(s) in which you are interested.
_________________
Use your acting and improvisational skills, have fun, help students and get paid at the same time!
RE: State v Edward Taylor Hard
RIVERWALK THEATRE is once again looking for actors who are interested in playing the defendant and witnesses in mock trials for the MSU College of Law Trial Practice Institute. If you are interested in an unusual acting gig where you will be taking case materials, building a character consistent with those materials and playing that character in the highly improvisational environment of a civil court case, this gig is for you! There is a stipend for the work, the amount of which varies depending on the role and the number of trials in which you participate.
The current mock trial case arises out of a barroom fight between Bruno Summers and Ed Hard at the Garage Tavern, two patrons with a history both between them and with the law. (Bruno was a Neo-Nazi, Ed had numerous arrests and felony convictions). Both men had been drinking at the Garage Tavern and prior to their respective arrivals at the tavern. The altercation concluded with Ed Hard shooting Bruno Summers. Bruno Summers went to the hospital and at first seemed to be recovering from the gunshot wound. However, he contracted pneumonia and died.
There are two Trial Practice I classes this Spring. Each class will be organized into two trials, for a total of 4 trials. In order to cast the mock trials, Riverwalk is seeking 5 men and 5 women to play the various roles. Actors, except for those playing Edward Hard and Deborah Summers, need to be available and prepared to testify in all four trials, which occur over two days. Hard and Summers need to be available for two trials, one each day.
Actors would need to be available on ALL of the following dates:
• Saturday, February 3, 10- 11 am – Actor meeting with Mock Trial Professors
• Saturday, February 24, 9 am – 1 pm -- Witness interviews
Tuesday Evening, March 20 and Wednesday Evening, March 21, 6-9 pm - Preliminary Exams
• Saturday, April 21 and Sunday, April 22, 8:30am-3pm – Trials
THE CHARACTERS, their approximate ages, and a brief explanation of their roles in the trial are listed below.
WITNESSES FOR PROSECUTION:
Deborah Summers – 2 actors needed (Bruno Summers’ widow, ex-girlfriend of Ed Hard) 21 years old. Deborah is the widow of Bruno Summers. She claims she saw Ed Hard confront Bruno and saw the shooting. Bruno and Ed were three feet apart at the time of the shooting. Since the shooting and Bruno’s death Deborah has suffered from sleeplessness, nervousness and inability to eat.
Roberta Montbank (Patron at the Garage tavern on September 3rd) 78 years old. She is a retired school teacher. She presently lives in a retirement home. She is a regular patron at the Garage tavern. She overheard Ed Hard threaten Bruno Summers. She saw Ed Hard pull a handgun from his jacket, shoot Bruno Summers and leave the tavern.
Tom Donaldson (Bartender on September 3rd) Tom was also tending bar on August 20 when Bruno and Ed got into a fight. He told them both to leave the bar. On the day of the shooting, Tom heard Ed say that “That Nazi (Bruno) better not get close to me again.” He did not see the shooting, but saw Ed run from the bar immediately afterward.
Detective R. Tharp (Homicide Detective) 40-50 years old. Detective Tharp was in charge of the investigation of the shooting of Bruno Summers.
WITNESSES FOR DEFENDANT:
Edward Taylor Hard – 2 actors needed (Shot Bruno Summers, DEFENDANT), 27 years old. Hard claimed shot Bruno Summers “by accident” and fear of his life. Hard told his attorney, “[W]hen I saw Bruno Summers go for his knife, I reached for the gun in my jacket pocket, drew the gun and simultaneously cocked it. I was going to aim away from him to scare him, but it went off.” Hard thought Bruno was going to cut him with a knife. Ed Hard’s breathalyzer test at 11 p.m. on September 3rd indicated .16. Hard claimed he was not intoxicated.
John Gooding (A friend of Ed Hard), 28 years old. John Gooding works at a copy center. He attended high school with Ed Hard. He was with Ed Hard during a previous altercation at the Garage and has heard Bruno threaten Hard’s life. John Gooding was present on September 3rdat the Garage tavern and saw Bruno Summers enter the bar area of the tavern. He did not see the shooting. He is familiar with the reputation of Bruno Summers because of conversations with Rebecca Karr. He will state that Bruno was a member of a neo-Nazi survivalist group and was dangerous and aggressive. He will also state that Ed Hard has a good reputation for “peacefulness” and “truthfulness.”
Rebecca Karr (A friend of Ed Hard), 27 years old. Rebecca Karr is employed as a secretary in a construction company She went to the Garage tavern on September 3rd with John Gooding. She did not see the actual shooting on September 3rd. In her opinion, Ed Hard was not intoxicated. She believes Bruno was intoxicated. She also is familiar with the neo-Nazi activities and reputation of Bruno Summers and believes he is dangerous and aggressive.
Betty Frank, RN (Head Nurse at Mercy Hospital), 43 years old. She discovered the knife in Summers' jacket pocket and heard his utterance regarding his plans to use the knife on Hard.
If you are interested in playing any of these characters or obtaining further information, please contact TOM FERRIS at [email protected], by FRIDAY, January 26. Please include a photo (If you have not participated previously) , your acting age range, contact information (email, phone and home address) and any information you believe might be helpful to us, including the role(s) in which you are interested.
_________________
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