Show Info

Title 

salt tongue 

Playwright  

Eli Campbell 

Director 

Kayla Adams 

Stage Manager 

Reed Davis 

Category 

New Play Festival, Production 

First Rehearsal 

April 3rd 

Load In/Tech /Dress 

May 6th, 7th  

Performances 

May 8th  (2 Performances 5:30pm & 9:00pm)

Roles to be cast 

Age (Presentation) 

Gender (Presentation) 

Description 

Rossa (ruh-suh) 

18 - 30 

Male 

Of the sea 

Niamh (neeve) 

18 - 30 

Female 

Of the land 

Donal (dah-nuhl) 

18 - 30 

Male 

A sheep farmer 

Maire (moy-ruh) 

40 - 60 

Female 

Niamh’s Mother 

Fintan (fin-tan) 

40 - 60 

Male 

Niamh’s Father, a fisherman 

Synopsis 

It's 1615 on an island off the coast of Ireland, and Fintan has caught the last fish in the sea. When he finds a man washed ashore that same day, he assumes Rossa must be a shipwrecked sailor and takes him home to recover. But things turn strange the longer Rossa stays, and soon the family that's adopted him must decide whether they've made the right decision. 

Notices 

  

Important Dates/Holidays 

3/30 Ougadi/Ugaadi, 3/30 Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)*, 4/4 Qing Ming Jie, 4/6 Ram Navami, 4/10 Mahavir Jayanti, 4/12-4/20 Passover*, 4/13 Theravada (New Year), 4/18 Good Friday,  4/18 Good Friday (Orthodox), 4/20 Easter, 4/20 Easter (Orthodox),5/1 Beltane-Samhain, 5/5 Cinco De Mayo, 5/11 Mother's Day, 5/12 Vesak- Buddha Day, 5/12-16 Spring Finals, 5/17 Commencement, 5/17 Armed Forces Day, 5/26 Memorial Day (Observed), 5/29 Ascension Day, 5/31 Duan Wu Jie, 6/1-3 Shavuot*, 6/8 Pentecost, 6/14 Flag Day, 6/15 Father's Day, 6/19 Juneteenth (Fed. Observed), 6/20 Summer Solstice-Litha, 6/23 Pentecost (Orthodox) 

 

Fight Choreography Breakdown  

Page  

Stage Directions/ Planned Action  

Character(s)  

Notes  

16 

Fintan enters with Rossa propped up on his shoulder, Niamh helping on the other side. 

Fintan, Rossa, Niamh 

 

16 

Fintan grabs Rossa’s face, slaps it a bit. 

Fintan, Rossa 

 

71 - 74 

Rossa rubs Maire’s feet and legs. Suddenly, Maire wrenches her leg back. Maire watches him closely as he retrieves the towel. He bends and starts drying of her legs. Rossa’s grip tightens. Maire hisses in pain. His grip tightens further. Maire cries out. Rossa twists Maire’s leg. Rossa releases her leg and gets to his feet. Maire heaves, bent over and in pain. 

Rossa, Maire 

 

83 

As Donal recites the prayer, he attempts to wrestle Niamh to the ground. In the struggle, Niamh scrambles, claws at him, shoves him, and just as she’s about to be pinned, she reaches out to grab the abandoned fiddle, then smashes it over Donal’s head. Niamh rushes to her feet. As Donal blearily tries to grab at her ankles, she raises the fiddle again. She brings it down on him over and over, until he is a bloody and bruised thing beneath her. 

Niamh, Donal 

 

86 - 87 

He throws the net over Niamh. She struggles. Fintan drags the net, and Niamh with it, towards the fire. Fintan pulls the net close to the bonfire, Niamh thrashing. 

Niamh, Fintan 

 

89 

Rossa waits until Fintan is out of sight, then bends over and untangles Niamh, helps her stand. Niamh wrenches herself out of Rossa’s arms, stumbles backward. 

Niamh, Rossa 

 

92 

Rossa gentles, softens. He approaches Niamh, who steps back at first, but then allows Rossa to reach up and take her face. He thumbs across her silvered scales, touches the soft fins in her hair, ghosts fingers across her lips. She presses her forehead to his. Rossa brings his hands down to Niamh’s neck. Rossa digs his thumbs into Niamh’s neck, and a bloody set of gills are formed. Niamh gasps, clutching at her neck. She stumbles. Just as Niamh realizes she’s having trouble breathing, Rossa pushes her of the clif and into the sea. 

Niamh. Rossa 

 

 

Intimacy Choreography Breakdown  

Page  

Stage Directions/ Planned Action  

Character(s)  

Notes  

 39 

 Fintan drops to his knees and rests his head in Maire’s lap, hands curling in her dress. Startled, Maire drops a hand in Fintan’s hair. Fintan presses his face deeper into her lap. 

 Fintan, Maire 

 

65 

Niamh kisses Rossa. It is quick, brutal. She pulls away. 

Niamh, Rossa 

 

66 

Rossa holds her, comforting. 

Niamh, Rossa 

 

68 

Niamh rubs Maire’s feet. 

Niamh, Maire 

 

79 

She takes his face in her hands, all business, and plants a kiss on his lips. 

Niamh, Donal 

 

Callback List

Callbacks Schedule:

Thursday, March 27th:  Callbacks, Times TBD, ranging from 6:30pm – 11:00pm

Friday, March 28th:  Callbacks, Times TBD, ranging from 6:30pm – 11:00pm

Saturday, March 29th:  Callbacks, Times TBD, ranging from 10:00am – 5:00pm

Further information will be posted following the auditions on Wednesday, March 26th.

Cast List

Cast Lists will be posted by noon on Sunday, March 30th.

Contact

Stage Manager: Reed Davis - reed-davis@uiowa.edu

NPF Production Stage Manager: savanha-moore@uiowa.edu