PAID ACTING GIG - MOCK TRIAL SPRING 2019!
Use your acting and improvisational skills, have fun, help students
and get paid at the same time!
RIVERWALK THEATRE and the MSU College of Law are looking for actors who are interested in playing the plaintiff, the defendant, and the witnesses in mock civil trials for the MSU College of Law Trial Practice Institute. There are 4 trials, all using the same case study over 2 days. We are looking for a total of 3 actors --2 actors to play the defendant, (one for each trial day) and other actors to play the witnesses for both parties in all 4 trials. There is a small stipend for the gig depending on the role and the number of trials in which you testify.
This semester’s case is a criminal case - State v. Donaldson. Summary: On the day of her death, six-month-old Cara O’Neil lived with her mother and step-father, Theresa and Stephen Donaldson. Theresa states Cara was awake that day at 5:30 a.m. but was back asleep in her crib by 7:30 a.m. when Theresa went to work, leaving Cara in the sole care of Stephen. According to Stephen, at noon he removed Cara from her crib, but found her unresponsive, which caused him to call his friend Jan Arnold. Arnold arrived within minutes and shortly thereafter Cara was taken to the hospital where she was declared DOA at 12:31 p.m. An autopsy, performed at 4:00 p.m. the same day, found indicia of trauma to Cara’s forehead, chest, arms, and buttocks, among other injuries. The autopsy findings concluded that Cara was likely battered, suffering trauma to her head, which caused her to die of a subdural hemorrhage with cerebral edema. Defendant Stephen Donaldson is now on trial, charged with the second-degree murder of Cara. The prosecution specifically alleges that Donaldson acted with the intention of causing injury to Cara, which led to her death.
Actors would need to be available on all of the following dates:
WITNESS LIST (The number of actors needed for each role is in parentheses.)
PROSECUTION WITNESSES:
1. GARY O’NEIL (1 male 25-35, father of Cara) – Mr. O’Neil lived with Ms. Donaldson for approximately two years prior to moving away for college. When he returned after college “didn’t work out,” her refused to marry Ms. Donaldson and no longer cohabited with her. He visited Cara every two weeks after her birth and the day before she died he played with Cara, including tossing her up into the air and chasing the other girls while holding Cara in his arms. He believes Ms. Donaldson was a good mother and loved Cara “dearly.”
DEFENSE WITNESSES:
1. STEPHEN DONALDSON, Defendant (2 male actors 25-35) - Defendant Donaldson was with Ms. Donaldson when she was pregnant and gave birth to Cara and never objected to sitting for her. He says that on the date Cara died, he arose with Ms. Donaldson at 5:30 a.m. when she gave Cara a bottle and diapered her. After Ms. Donaldson left for work at 7:30 a.m., he checked on Cara multiple times and she was asleep in her crib. Around noon, he found Cara sitting up in a slumped position with her head against the side of the crib. When he picked up Cara and placed her on the couch to dress her, she whimpered slightly and then became unresponsive, as if she was in a stupor and not breathing properly. He called his friend Jan Arnold, who arrived without a car, so Arnold called for an ambulance. He never observed any bruises on Cara other than a small bump on her forehead.
If interested, please contact Tom Ferris at tjferris49@gmail.com by Friday, February 15.
Please include a brief resume and headshot.
This semester’s case is a criminal case - State v. Donaldson. Summary: On the day of her death, six-month-old Cara O’Neil lived with her mother and step-father, Theresa and Stephen Donaldson. Theresa states Cara was awake that day at 5:30 a.m. but was back asleep in her crib by 7:30 a.m. when Theresa went to work, leaving Cara in the sole care of Stephen. According to Stephen, at noon he removed Cara from her crib, but found her unresponsive, which caused him to call his friend Jan Arnold. Arnold arrived within minutes and shortly thereafter Cara was taken to the hospital where she was declared DOA at 12:31 p.m. An autopsy, performed at 4:00 p.m. the same day, found indicia of trauma to Cara’s forehead, chest, arms, and buttocks, among other injuries. The autopsy findings concluded that Cara was likely battered, suffering trauma to her head, which caused her to die of a subdural hemorrhage with cerebral edema. Defendant Stephen Donaldson is now on trial, charged with the second-degree murder of Cara. The prosecution specifically alleges that Donaldson acted with the intention of causing injury to Cara, which led to her death.
Actors would need to be available on all of the following dates:
- Saturday, March 9, from 10 am to Noon for a coaching session with the class professors.
- Saturday, March 16 from 10 am to 1 pm-9 pm, for interviews with the student lawyers
- Saturday, April 13 and Sunday, April 14, 8:30 am – 4 pm for the trials
WITNESS LIST (The number of actors needed for each role is in parentheses.)
PROSECUTION WITNESSES:
1. GARY O’NEIL (1 male 25-35, father of Cara) – Mr. O’Neil lived with Ms. Donaldson for approximately two years prior to moving away for college. When he returned after college “didn’t work out,” her refused to marry Ms. Donaldson and no longer cohabited with her. He visited Cara every two weeks after her birth and the day before she died he played with Cara, including tossing her up into the air and chasing the other girls while holding Cara in his arms. He believes Ms. Donaldson was a good mother and loved Cara “dearly.”
DEFENSE WITNESSES:
1. STEPHEN DONALDSON, Defendant (2 male actors 25-35) - Defendant Donaldson was with Ms. Donaldson when she was pregnant and gave birth to Cara and never objected to sitting for her. He says that on the date Cara died, he arose with Ms. Donaldson at 5:30 a.m. when she gave Cara a bottle and diapered her. After Ms. Donaldson left for work at 7:30 a.m., he checked on Cara multiple times and she was asleep in her crib. Around noon, he found Cara sitting up in a slumped position with her head against the side of the crib. When he picked up Cara and placed her on the couch to dress her, she whimpered slightly and then became unresponsive, as if she was in a stupor and not breathing properly. He called his friend Jan Arnold, who arrived without a car, so Arnold called for an ambulance. He never observed any bruises on Cara other than a small bump on her forehead.
If interested, please contact Tom Ferris at tjferris49@gmail.com by Friday, February 15.
Please include a brief resume and headshot.
