SSCC Theatre Company invites students and community members to audition for its summer production of Fire in the Night Season: The Trial of Philip Partridge, a docudrama celebrating the freedom fighter spirit in all of us. As part of the America 250 Celebration in Highland County, Rainee Angles and Susan Banyas retell the story of the trailblazing County Engineer, Philip Partridge, who stood trial for burning down the Lincoln School in Hillsboro, Ohio. Auditions will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 9, in the Edward K. Daniels Auditorium at Southern State Community College’s Central Campus, 100 Hobart Drive, Hillsboro.

In May of 1954, the Brown v. Board of Education ruling declared racial segregation of public schools was unconstitutional. In Hillsboro, the white children went to Washington or Webster elementary, while the Black children attended the Lincoln School, a school badly in need of repair and improvements. However, voters had passed a levy to upgrade the two white schools, and this motion placed integration on the back burner indefinitely. Enter Philip Partridge, July 5th 1954. At 2:00am, he lit the match that forced integration in this small, rural town.

Those interested in auditioning and telling this story will be asked to cold read from the script during their audition. Those interested in working on available crew positions will be asked to complete an interview during the audition.

If interested in auditioning, but unavailable to attend the audition date, please contact Director Rainee Angles (rangles@sscc.edu) to schedule an alternate audition date prior to May 9.

Fire in the Night Season: The Trial of Philip Partridge will be presented for free with a one-night-only performance on July 17^th at 7:00 p.m., in the Edward K. Daniels Auditorium, Southern State Community College, Hillsboro Ohio. This production is being presented in part by the generosity of the Paul and Mae Jane Pence Trust Patron of the Arts Fund through the Southern State Foundation and the America 250-Ohio Commission. Fire in the Night Season kicks off Highland County’s weekend celebration of America’s 250th anniversary of our independence. 

For more information about auditioning and the rehearsal schedule, click here.