The Spaight Stanly Duel is one of the most intriguing episodes in New Bern History. The North Carolina History Theater will bring it to life in Honour, The Musical next spring and this is your chance to take part. Auditions will be held Thursday, Nov. 18 from 3 – 5 p.m. and from 7 – 9 p.m.; and Saturday, Nov. 20 from 12 noon – 2 p.m. at Orringer Auditorium at Craven Community College. The NCHT is looking for adults of all ages and 2 boys, one to play the son of Richard Dobbs Spaight, age 5 – 8; and an African American child age 8 – 12. Both children have speaking roles.
Those who audition should be prepared to perform 3 things: A memorized one-minute monologue of your choice, a short early-American folk song of your choice, and a cold reading from the play. Everyone is encouraged to audition. No roles will be automatically recast but those who held roles previously will be given consideration.
Honour, The Musical, was written by Bill Hand, with music by Simon Spalding. It is about one of New Bern’s most compelling stories, the Spaight-Stanly duel. Within that is the story of Sarah Rice, a favored enslaved servant in the home of the Spaights who had a child by John Stanly.
Honour, The Musical will be co-directed by Bill Hand and Michelle Roys. Honour premiered in January of 2020. Co-director and writer Bill Hand is excited to bring it back. “We hope this will be the centerpiece of our North Carolina History Theater offerings. I’m thrilled to be able to bring it back, and hope we are able to offer it to wider and wider audiences.” Michelle Roys is delighted to be sharing the director mantel with Hand. She reminds folks as they audition, that they will be “asked to list all potential scheduling conflicts for weekday evenings, all day Saturday, and Sunday afternoon and evening so that we will best be able to schedule rehearsals.
Performance dates are April 21 – 24, and April 30 – May 1, 2022.
Submitted by Kathy Morrison, North Carolina History Theater