Jennifer Rich-Neal
Published: October 11, 2006
The casting of “South Pacific” has ended and rehearsals are now underway.
“The auditions were very competitive and we had to turn away many,” Rodney Whatley, director of theatre, said of the casting process.
A total of 65 hopefuls turned out to audition for parts in “South Pacific” and the final casting was rounded out with 39. The auditions were made by many PJC students, UWF theatre students, and others members of the community.
Whatley is satisfied with the cast, describing them as a “good bunch with a lot of bonding and hard work.” The plot of “South Pacific” called for four main characters.
Leading this production of music and dance are Bill Whalen, playing Emile; Jessica Jensen, portraying nurse Nellie Forbush; Justin Hall, playing Lt. Joe Cable; and Lindsey Blanton, portraying Liat.
The plot in “South Pacific” follows parallel love stories of two couples that are plagued by the issue of racism. This ingredient is implied throughout the play when examining the issues that occur in these two relationships.
“The war is a metaphor for the conflict of racism,” Whatley said. “The play celebrates America’s victory against bigotry writ large in the push for ethnic cleansing that was the root of WWII. The path to world peace begins within each individual’s heart, in that when we learn to accept each other as equals, then it follows that whole countries can learn to co-exist peacefully as well.”
The main characters face trying to finding happiness in relationships that are doomed by racial differences. Lt. Joe Cable falls for Liat, a Tonkinese girl on the island through the matchmaking of his mother, Bloody Mary. Sadly, Cable is a racist and this keeps him from marrying Liat.
In the same regard, Nellie Forbush falls for Emile, but will not marry him because he has biracial children.
Jessica Jensen, a UWF student playing Nellie, has personal experience to draw on to help her get into her role.
“I’m from Alabama so I’ve experienced growing up [where it is] behind in the times in comparison to larger cities,” Jensen said. “I’ve seen the way that some people can treat other people.”
Jensen adds, “Drawing upon these experiences and how horrible it made me feel to see my friends being treated different ways because of their races is something that can help me try and grasp the way they feel.”
Though Nellie’s character is a racist, Jensen feels that her experiences growing up have helped her to understand the underlying issue implied throughout “South Pacific.”
“South Pacific” will open on Nov. 9 at Ashmore Auditorium. The musical score for the production includes a perky rendition of “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair” and “There is Nothin’ Like A Dame.”