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Alabama Story

by Kenneth Jones

 

September 19 - 28, 2025

Bean Brown Theatre

Directed by 

Kenyatta "Ya Ya" Browne 

Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones; An illustration featues a black rabbit putting yellow flowers in a white rabbit's hair in a pastoral setting.

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Set in Montgomery in 1959, this play delves into the heart of Alabama's history, exploring themes of belonging, identity, and the fight to protect one's home and heritage. When a state senator discovers The Rabbit’s Wedding, a children’s picture book, is about a black rabbit and a white rabbit getting married, he sets out to fire the state librarian protecting it. Meanwhile, a chance meeting between childhood friends, one white and one black, forces them to recall, confront, and reconcile their complicated past.

Performance & Tickets

Performances & Tickets

Tickets are currently available exclusively with season tickets.​​​​

Flex Season Tickets may be redeemed

for this show starting Tues., Aug. 12, 2025.

Individual tickets for this show go on sale to the public

on Tues., Aug. 19, 2025.

  • Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025 - 7:30 p.m. - Pay-What-You-Can Preview

  • Friday, Sept. 19, 2025 - 7:30 p.m. - Opening Night

  • Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025 - 7:30 p.m.

  • Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025 - 2:00 p.m. 

  • Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025 -  2:00 p.m.

  • Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025- 7:30 p.m. 

  • Friday, Sept. 26, 2025 - 7:30 p.m.

  • Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025 - 2:00 p.m.

  • Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025 - 2:00 p.m.

Production Credits

Production Credits

Director - Kenyatta "Ya Ya" Browne

Stage Manager - Averie Bonneville

Scenic Design - Therrin Eber

Costume Design - Jeanette Waterman

Lighting Design - Lyndell McDonald

Characters/Roles Available

Auditions / Characters / Roles

Open auditions will be held:

Wednesday & Thursday July 30 & 31, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.

in the Wilson Carr Rehearsal Hall at

Shelton State Community College

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Sign Up to Audition: Please click here to fill out and submit our online audition form on TheaterForms and make an appointment for your audition in advance. Have your calendar handy and be prepared to enter rehearsal conflicts. You will be asked to upload a headshot (a JPEG file) and a theatrical résumé (a PDF file) if you have one. If you don’t have either of these files, you can still submit the form and audition.

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NOTE: A perusal copy of the script is available in the Theatre Tuscaloosa management office during regular business hours (M-Th 9am-3pm; F 9am-Noon). You are encouraged to read the script ahead of your audition.

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Click here to read our audition tips.

GARTH WILLIAMS : 50ish or older, a white writer and illustrator from the East Coast. Frisky, sardonic, dry, funny, deadly serious, and omnipresent, when practical. Requires a charismatic chameleon actor with range and gravitas. He could also assume several small roles  depending on the number of actors cast:

  • BOBBY CRONE: 60s-80s, white male Alabama State Representative. Pronounced Southern accent. Aged, sickly, irritable, avuncular, wise.

  • HERSCHEL WEBB: 30s-50s, white male Montgomery newspaper reporter. Sincere, fair, liberal-leaning. Pronounced Southern accent.

  • HENRY BRANCH: 30s-50s, fiery white male segregationist columnist from the Deep South. Pronounced Southern accent.

  • a folky RADIO ANNOUNCER

  • and two silent WHITE PASSERSBY

  • COFFEE CART SERVER: White adult male or female (non-speaking role; could also be played by same performer as PASSERBY and ANOTHER PASSERBY).


LILY WHITFIELD: 32, a white woman from small-town Alabama privilege. Genteel Alabama accent. Politically unversed, she is the product of (and enjoys the benefits of) a racist system and has not questioned it. Sheltered, ashamed, loyal, religious, garrulous, charming, unhappily married, sentimental, all façade, ready to blossom.


JOSHUA MOORE: 32, upwardly mobile middle-class African-American man who left Alabama years ago, settling in the north after serving in the Army. Purposely subtle and suppressed Alabama accent, which becomes pronounced when agitated. He is politically active, aspirational, loyal, kind, worldly, happily married, slow to boil, susceptible to nostalgia without getting lost in it, a disciple of Dr. King.


SENATOR E.W. HIGGINS: 50ish or more, a white Alabama State Senator. Pronounced Alabama accent. He is an active racist, a charmer, a bully, a bull, a poisoner, a politician. Most of what he says is rhetorical or performative. Not as smart as he thinks he is, but influential. He is never sorry. An extrovert.


EMILY WHEELOCK REED: 50ish or more, a white female librarian, the State Librarian of Alabama, born in North Carolina and raised in Indiana. No Southern accent. She has no sense of humor, she does not suffer fools, she is all-business. When cornered, fallible. When her vulnerability is accessed and her heart unlocked, a person of good character is revealed. An introvert.


THOMAS FRANKLIN: 28, a white male reference librarian, Emily's assistant. Pronounced Alabama accent. Buttoned-up, genteel, educated, officious, efficient, slightly uncomfortable in his own skin. Neutral and objective when conveying information. The kind of man you want as your colleague, or your son.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the running time of the production?
    Approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes

  • Will there be an intermission?
    Yes, there will be one 15-minute intermission

  • Should I bring the kids?
    Alabama Story deals with historical and social themes, including racism, segregation, and political conflict, in the Deep South of 1959. While there is no graphic violence or explicit content, the play explores mature topics that may require parental guidance. It is comparable to a PG-13 film in terms of subject matter.

  • What themes are explored in the play?
    The play explores themes of: censorship and the power of literature, racial segregation and civil rights, political influence and social justice, nostalgia, memory, and personal transformation.

  • Does the play’s text contain offensive language?
    There is some strong language, particularly in racial and political discussions, as the play reflects the social tensions of the time.

  • Does the play contain violence?
    There is no physical violence, but verbal confrontations and racially charged rhetoric contribute to the dramatic tension.

Performance & Tickets
Characters/Roles
Production Credits
FAQs
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