In a small Midwestern town, a tornado touches down on prom night, leaving devastation in its wake—and a third of the town gone. Appearing amidst the rubble is a stranger—who identifies only as "8." 8 communicates through a unique gestural language and begins to acquire English by reading novels like The Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies and The Grapes of Wrath. But when the students start to learn 8's language, they threaten to unearth a dark secret that the town's adults would rather keep buried. Past sins and future hopes collide in this musical about the parts of ourselves we alienate to get by—and the parts we risk for a chance to connect.
All characters can be played by any race/ethnicity.
Casting against perceived “type” is also encouraged.
Students
HAYLEY - Female. Straight-A student.
EMILY – Female. Bit of a goth.
ANNA - - Female. Daughter of Pastor Warren/Janet, Abby’s older sister.
ETHAN - Male. A bit of an internet conspiracy theorist.
ZACH – Male. Whatever his sexuality is, he hasn’t figured it out yet.
ALEX/ABBY DANCER – Any gender. Presents female, still considered a newbie at school
8 – 8 is genderless. The character of 8 may be played by an actor of any gender, or by multiple actors trading scenes. In previous workshops and productions, 8 has been played by a single actor, two actors and eight actors.
Adults
TANNER – Female. Literature teacher. Well-liked by the students.
BRASFIELD – Male. Guidance counselor. Tries to do the right thing.
PASTOR WARREN – Male. The moral compass of the town of Festial.
JANET WARREN - Female. Warren’s wife & Anna’s mom.
RAY BERRY – Male. Zach’s father, used to be a semi-famous rock star.
LINDA FOSTER - Female. Principal of Festial High.
Ensemble (Actors can be cast in multiple roles)
MAYOR – Adult, any gender
CHIEF - Adult, any gender
BEN - Adult, male
SUZANNE – Adult, female
COACH WEBER - Adult, any gender
SANDERS - Adult, any gender
WALTER – Adult, male
CLARA - Adult, female
Piano 1: Piano, Bass 1: Electric Bass (mostly), occasional upright bass if possible. Cello 1: Cello. Violin 1: Violin. Percussion 1: Drum kit. Guitar 1: Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar.
