Bright Star by North Cedar Drama Department
in Clarence, Iowa

Available Roles

• Alice Murphy Alice is portrayed both as a late teenager in the 1920s and an older version of herself in the 1940s As a young woman, she constantly works to create her own powerful voice despite being stifled by gender norms in her town In her thirties, she is hilariously blunt and honest, demanding respect both because of her intellectual capacity and confident attitude She is more reserved than her romantic younger self, but she still retains her caring spirit and adventurous side
• Jimmy Ray Dobbs Jimmy is a late teenager in the 1920s and an adult in the 1940s As a teenager, Jimmy Ray is eager to explore the world, learn, and find something meaningful to do with his life He is confident and witty, matching Alices adventurous spirit as their love for each other grows In the 1940s, Jimmy Ray still has his confidence and playfulness but is filled with guilt and a fear that he cant fix what has been broken in his life
• Billy Cane Billy is a young man who has just returned home from World War II He is filled with an energetic optimism and youthful passion for life, determined to see beauty in the world despite the hardships he faced in the war At times naive and idealistic, Billys energy propels him to follow his aspirations He is self-assured and remains hopeful that his eloquent writing can contribute something important to the world
• Margo Crawford Margo is a young woman in Hayes Creek who runs her own bookstore She is kind, clever, supportive, and hard-working She is always there for Billy when he needs her and strives to be someone that others can lean on She values the community around her, which she finds both in her own bookstore and in Billy Margo at times struggles with the balance between remaining hopeful and being realistic, but she grounds herself through her work and connections with others
• Mayor Josiah Dobbs Mayor Dobbs is a powerful man consumed by his ideas of tradition and structure He wants the best for his son, Jimmy Ray, and believes in the power of consistency, however, he is willing to do anything to keep the image of his perfect life He acts as a counterpoint to Alices core beliefs and the messages of the show, demonstrating how societal pressures can infringe upon doing whats best for loved ones
• Daddy Murphy Alices father In the 1920s, he struggles between his love of tradition and social standards and his love for his daughter While Alice forges her own individual path, Daddy Murphy looks to the Bible to gain clarity, but he later realizes how he failed to account for his daughters needs In the 1940s, Daddy Murphy begins to understand his daughters view of the world and wishes to repair what has been broken
• Mama Murphy Alices mother More so than Alice, she has been forced into the gender roles presented by the small town of Zebulon However, she fights as best as she can for Alice and what she believes is right She takes immense care to protect her daughter however she can, attempting to do so in the frame of her towns social standards
• Daddy Cane Daddy Cane is incredibly kind and faithful He raises Billy to be strong and optimistic Daddy Cane comes from a humble background, but he wants the best for Billy, who is his whole world, and does all he can to make sure Billy can live the life he wants
• Lucy Grant Lucy is a young woman who works for Alice at the Asheville Southern Journal With her witty lines and lively nature, she is often a source of much needed levity, and lights up the room whenever present An uncompromising modern woman, she is unapologetic in her convictions, giving her a magnetism that draws others to her
• Daryl Ames Daryl works for Alice at the Asheville Southern Journal He is often drily sarcastic, but is always ready to let loose and party Being a formidable editor, he is hard on Billys writing, but also harbors insecurities about his own work which he pens in pseudonym and hopes will one day earn the respect of Alice
• Stanford Mayor Dobbs lawyer He is very professional and hard-working He is caught up in the same societal expectations as Mayor Dobbs, enforcing every one of the Mayors wishes The community in Zebulon is very important to Stanford, and he feels strongly about upholding its standards and traditions Role may be double cast
• Florence Florence works at Margos bookstore She is a very supportive friend to Margo, always willing to help out She is a romantic and often gets caught up in dreams May be double cast
• Edna Edna works at Margos bookstore as well She is energetic, hard-working, and optimistic Along with Florence, Edna is an essential part of the strong community surrounding Margo May be double cast
• Max A young resident of Zebulon who frequents the bookstore Hes naive and very earnest His blossoming relationship with Edna displays a sense of community and continuity in the town beyond the main plot May be double cast
• Dr Norquist As Alices doctor in Zebulon, Dr Norquist values the picture of a perfect community and, along with Mayor Dobbs, tries to preserve Zebulons image At times valuing that preservation above Alices own wellbeing, Dr Norquists influence on Alice displays an important conflict in the show May be double cast