(Also seeking Stage Managers!)
Made up of three individual plays, Advance Man, Blast Radius, and Sovereign, The Honeycomb Trilogy tells the story of an alien invasion of earth over the course of 20 years, yet all three plays are set in the same living room. This epic story primarily follows two siblings, Ronnie Cooke and her younger brother Abbie Cooke, and chronicles a primal conflict – at once intimate and global – that will redefine the nature of the human race. First produced in 2012 by Gideon Productions in NYC as individual plays throughout their season, they produced them again in 2015 in rep, including “Binge Days” on Saturdays and Sundays when audiences could buy a ticket to see all three epic parts in one day. (Read a collection of reviews of both productions HERE) To my knowledge they have never been produced in rep outside of that 2015 production in NYC.
For this reason, I am incredibly grateful and ecstatic to announce that the City of Houston, through the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and the Houston Arts Alliance, have awarded me a $15,000 grant to produce all three plays in rep in Houston this summer! Yep, that means that we’re going to produce all three simultaneously, and will have “Binge Days” on the weekend just like the 2015 production. Epic sci-fi theatre for the win!!
For this reason, I have begun assembling the team of 40+ individuals that will be needed to make this a reality, including 3 assistant directors, 3 stage managers, 2 production managers, costume, lighting, set, and prop designers, intimacy and fight choreographers, and twenty-six actors. I’ll be announcing the whole production team when I have everyone on board, but I am excited to announce that Sloane Teagle, Michelle Sosa, and Brenda Palestina will be joining me as Assistant Directors for this project!
(Also, while this posting is primarily about actors, I am also still seeking a lighting designer and 2 additional stage managers; please reach out to me directly if you are interested in either of those roles at andrew.roblyer@gmail.com)
To aid us in this MASSIVE casting project, we are asking actors to express their interest in being considered for this project by February 1st, 2023. You can express your interest by filling out the form linked below, but please take a moment to read a bit more about the logistics of the production.
Logistics
Rehearsals will begin mid-May and each show will rehearse approximately 3 times per week until July 24th when we will move into Matchbox 1. The shows will run July 29-August 13 at the MATCH.
This is a passion project, and thus the pay is about what you’d expect. However, I have budgeted in such a way that I am confident in offering a $300 stipend to everyone who participates in the company regardless of the size of role. Likewise, 100% of any profit the show makes will be evenly divided between the entire company. (We’re all going to be getting paid peanuts, so I don’t see the point in spending our time figuring out who gets 1/4 a peanut and who gets 1/3) That includes me - I will make no more money from this than anyone else.
Once we have collected the actor interest submissions, by February 1st, my directing team and I will reach out with next steps. If we are familiar with your work we will likely not need you to submit a video audition. If we are unfamiliar with your work or need to see a different style of work from you, we may ask you to submit a short taped audition that will not need to be memorized.
Callbacks will take place on a rolling basis in early to mid-February, and we hope to have the project completely cast by mid-to-late February.
Please note that we are truly open to considering actors of all ethnicities, races, genders, body types, and disabilities, so if this interests you and there’s a role you fit the age-range for and think you could be great at, please consider submitting an interest form.
To express your interest, please fill out the following form. Please note that you will be asked to upload a headshot (professional headshot not required) and either list your theatrical experience or upload a theatrical resume. To aid you in your understanding of the trilogy, summaries of each part and a full cast breakdown are listed below. At this time, no roles have been cast.
At this time, actor submissions for The Honeycomb Trilogy have closed. Thank you to the over 100 actors who submitted!
Summaries and Cast Breakdown
Advance Man: Part One of the Honeycomb Trilogy
Astronaut Bill Cooke returns from the first manned mission to Mars bearing secrets and illicit cargo. Now his wife and teenage children are all that stand between Bill and a shocking action that will alter not only their lives, but also all of humanity.
Bill Cooke, male, 40s, Black/African American. An astronaut and leader of a mission to Mars that recently returned. Outspoken and charismatic. Protective of his family, and a strong believer in doing what's right, even when it means lying...to everyone, including his family.
Amelia Cooke, female, 40s, Black/African American. Focused, determined, and deeply in love with Bill. An excellent homemaker, mother, and wife who is trying to hold her family together, despite her son’s bullies, her daughter’s teenage-ness, and a husband who hasn’t touched her in a very long time. The same actress will portray Amelia in Advance Man and Blast Radius.
Ronnie Cooke, female, 18, Black/African American. Her mom would likely describe her as rebellious (a moniker Ronnie would wear with pride) and she’s not afraid to stand up to her parents or her brother’s bullies. She often presents as surly and angry, but there is another side to her that she doesn’t let most people see. This role appears in all three parts. One actor will portray her in Advance Man, while another will portray her in Blast Radius and Sovereign.
Abbie Cooke, male, 15, Black/African American. A withdrawn outcast/misfit teenager, Abbie isn’t comfortable in his skin. His strong artistic abilities help him see the world in a way many others don’t. This role appears in all three parts. One actor will portray him in Advance Man, while another will portray him in Blast Radius and Sovereign.
Conor, male, 30s-40s, any race/ethnicity. A member of Bill’s astronaut crew who suffered a stroke – or that’s what they say. Has severe speech and motor impediments combined with hypersensitivity to touch. He has been living with the Cooke family for two years while they help to rehabilitate him. The same actor will portray Conor in Advance Man and Blast Radius.
Valerie, Female, 40s, any race/ethnicity. A member of Bill’s astronaut crew. A smooth talker and good at schmoozing.
Belinda, Female, 30s, any race/ethnicity. A member of Bill’s astronaut crew. The “mom friend” of the group.
Raf, Male, 30s, Latino. A member of Bill’s astronaut crew. Rough around the edge, blunt, and harbors a lot of doubt about the group’s plan. Drinks a lot.
Kip, Male, 40s-60s, any race/ethnicity. Bill and crew’s primary financial investor. Well meaning, if a bit out of touch and easy to manipulate.
Lynn, Female, 30s-50s, any race/ethnicity. Private investigator hired by Amelia to look into whether Bill is cheating on her. Professional and very focused until things get weird…then all bets are off.
Blast Radius: Part Two of the Honeycomb Trilogy
Picking up twelve years after the events of Advance Man, Blast Radius follows a sister and a brother at mortal odds in an Earth radically changed by an alien occupation. Ronnie leads a desperate human insurgency that might have finally found the weapon that will turn the tide – at a terrible cost. Abbie, who has allied himself with the conquering alien race, may have found a chilling solution that will end human resistance for good. Action-packed and emotionally charged, Blast Radius is the story of a family and a world at war with itself.
Ronnie Cooke, female, 30, Black/African American. She has become the primary force behind the human resistance in her community. Outspoken and blunt, she is willing to do things few other are in service of freedom. Deeply in love with Peck. This role appears in all three parts. One actor will portray her in Advance Man, while another will portray her in Blast Radius and Sovereign.
Abbie Cooke, male, 27, Black/African American. Gone is the withdrawn, misfit; replaced by a confident liaison to The Honeycomb and a high ranking enforcer. See the Honeycomb as saviors of humanity, putting him at direct odds with his sister. In a romantic and sexual relationship with Conor. This role appears in all three parts. One actor will portray him in Advance Man, while another will portray him in Blast Radius and Sovereign.
Conor, male, 40s-50s, any race/ethnicity. Now well-spoken and very in control of his body, Conor is a Honeycomb mind in a human body. Fascinated by humanity, he seeks out knowledge through banned books and the like. Deeply in love with Abbie and cares strongly for Amelia and Ronnie. The same actor will portray Conor in Advance Man and Blast Radius.
Amelia Cooke, female, 50s, Black/African American. Very ill and near death, she wants nothing more than the reconciliation of her children. The same actress will portray Amelia in Advance Man and Blast Radius.
Peck, male, 20s-40s, any race/ethnicity. Ronnie’s significant other. Big, strong, and no-nonsense.
Shirley, female, 50s-60s, any race/ethnicity. Midwife and matriarch of House One, where the pregnant come to be cared for and give birth. Tough as nails, but with a gentle touch.
Clem, female, 20s, any race/ethnicity. Pregnant woman in House One, she is perhaps the most intelligent human in the community. Protective of her unborn child and not afraid to stand up to Ronnie. In a relationship with Dev.
Fee, female, 20s, any race/ethnicity. Pregnant woman in House One. She does what she needs to in order to care for herself and her child. Less than thrilled about it, but in a relationship with Jimmy. The same actress will Fee in Blast Radius and Sovereign.
Jimmy, male, 20s, any race/ethnicity. Fee’s significant other. Very horny and not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed.
Dev, male, 20s, any race/ethnicity. Clem’s significant other. Not afraid to fight, but cares for Clem. Knows how smart Clem is and how smart he’s not.
Willa, female, 20s-30s, any race/ethnicity. A pregnant woman brought into House One by Abbie and Conor after an explosion. Similar speech and movement impediments as Conor in Advance Man at first, but recovers more quickly and develops into a blunt straight-talker who is mission-focused.
Tash, 20s-30s, any race/ethnicity. Another pregnant woman in House One who loses her baby.
Sovereign: Part Three of the Honeycomb Trilogy
Picking up eight years after the events of Blast Radius, Sovereign completes the story of a sister and a brother at mortal odds in a radically changed Earth. The alien race that has ruled the Earth has fallen to Ronnie’s rebellion, with the few remaining survivors on the run. The human race is slowly rebuilding all over the world. Ronnie is now the battle-scarred governor of what used to be Florida; everyone’s hero and no one’s friend. Until one night, when Ronnie’s soldiers smuggle into her office the greatest war criminal in the world: her brother Abbie, the foremost human ally of the extraterrestrials. When dawn comes, the people of Ronnie’s settlement will certainly discover him and rip him to pieces. As Ronnie grapples with an awful decision about what to do with the man she hates and loves in equal measure, Abbie makes one last desperate move, forcing a confrontation that will forever change the future of the human race.
Ronnie Cooke, female, 38, Black/African American. Now the Governor of what was once Florida, she has lost almost everything except her burning desire for humanity to regain what it has lost. She has power and she knows it. Walks with a limp. This role appears in all three parts. One actor will portray her in Advance Man, while another will portray her in Blast Radius and Sovereign.
Abbie Cooke, male, 35, Black/African American. Now on the run, Abbie is captured and brought before Ronnie. Still just as intelligent and just as committed to the survival of The Honeycomb, he knows how to manipulate a situation to his advantage. This role appears in all three parts. One actor will portray him in Advance Man, while another will portray him in Blast Radius and Sovereign.
Fee, female, 30s, any race/ethnicity. Now Ronnie’s friend, caretaker of Ronnie’s child, and a notetaker for Ronnie’s new government, Fee has become much more outspoken and willing to go toe to toe with Ronnie. The same actress will Fee in Blast Radius and Sovereign.
Zander, male, 40s, any race/ethnicity. A bureaucrat and official of the new government. Verbose, but well-spoken, and less afraid to stand up to Ronnie than others in the government.
Tanya, female, 20s, any race/ethnicity. A young woman who knows nothing about the “before times” except what she has read, but has taken it upon herself to “speak for” those brought before Ronnie for judgement. Whip smart, a bit naïve, but well-meaning and caring.
Claret, female, 20s-40s, any race/ethnicity. A Transitioned human, she is a Honeycomb mind in a human body. A studier of the human race and possibly carrying a child she conceived with Abbie. Innocent and not good at politics or strategy.
Sharp, male, 30s-40s, any race/ethnicity. A soldier and leader of Ronnie’s Bug Hunters. All the machismo that goes along with that; honor is perhaps his number one priority.
Wilkie, male, 30s-40s, any race/ethnicity. A soldier with just as much, if not more, machismo than Sharp. In a relationship with Ronnie and unafraid to be sexual about it.
Budeen, male, 20s-40s, any race/ethnicity. A defendant on trial before Ronnie at the beginning of the play. Might be described as a red-neck good ol’ country boy without a whole lotta thinkin’, but he knows his work and he knows what’s right.