ABOUT THE SHOW

DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE | The (M)others
By Nikki Yeboah
Directed by Eryn Perkins (‘25)

The (M)others explores the stories of four women brought together by the unimaginable experience of losing a loved one at the hands of police. This documentary performance weaves together their interviews to explore the traumatic effect of the event on their lives. Through their memories, we are introduced to a young man with dreams of playing professional football, a new father just getting to know his son, a former addict on the brink of turning his life around, and a sixteen-year-old boy shot just a day before his seventeenth birthday. The (M)others brings their untold stories to the stage. Content Warnings: Mentions of death, violence, alcohol and drug use, police brutality, use of racial slurs.

Stanford TAPS seeks to build a diverse cast for this production and encourages members of any race, gender identity, and ability to audition. If any accessibility accommodations are needed please email tapsinformation@stanford.edu for assistance.

In addition to its scheduled performances, this production may be live-streamed or recorded for public viewing.

ABOUT AUDITIONS

Auditions will be held as 10-minute individual timeslots. If you are unable to attend auditions in person, please email tapsinformation@stanford.edu to explore alternatives.

WHAT TO PREPARE

We encourage individuals to read the rehearsal script, available in the right-hand column under “Important Resources.”  Auditions will consist of cold-readings of sides pulled from the show and provided in the audition room by the director. All Stanford Students are eligible to audition and the director is looking to cast all the roles called for in the script.

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN

DIONNE, a charismatic, working-class Black woman in her early 50s. She lives in Stockton, CA, but was born in the South. Sometimes the accent faintly creeps up. She is the mother of James Rivera Jr., who was shot and killed by the police on July 22nd, 2010. Dionne’s lines are verbatim and emerge from an interview conducted with her in 2017.

KIMBERLY, a youthful, middle-class multiracial (Filipina, White, Black) woman in her early 50s. She was born and raised in San José, CA. She is the mother of A.J. Philips, who was shot and killed by the police on August 10th, 2015. Kimberly’s lines are verbatim and emerge from an interview conducted with her in 2018.

LAURIE, a dynamic, working-class Mexican-American woman in her early 50s. She was born and raised in San José, CA. She is the mother of Josiah and the partner of Antonio Guzman Lopez, who was shot and killed by the police on February 21st, 2014. Laurie’s lines are verbatim and emerge from an interview conducted with her in 2017.

SHARON, a soft-spoken, middle-class Black woman in her early 50s. She lives in San José, CA, but was born in Chicago. She is the mother of Philip Watkins, who was shot and killed by the police on February 11th, 2015. Sharon’s lines are verbatim and emerge from an interview conducted with her in 2017.

ASSISTANT POSITIONS