Let's face it, I'm going to ask a whole lot of the twenty actors cast in TREASURE ISLAND.

There will be hours and hours of intensive rehearsals--read-throughs, blocking, acting, technical. There is the physical conditioning I will require--weight room and heavy cardio. And vocal rehearsals--standard British dialect. Have I mentioned perfection on the lines? How about care of props and costumes.

I think it's fair to say that the experience that lies before each member of our cast will be unlike anything faces by any J.L. Mann cast in over a decade...maybe ever.

I like to work on a play as if it were my last...as if the future of civilization depended on its outcome. Obviously, it's not that important. Or is it?

What if you took a thrilling experience as a cast member in TREASURE ISLAND with you throughout your life? How might that affect you? How might it's memory affect others you know?

Audition only if you are willing to commit to one of the most thrilling adventures of your life. To expect less, isn't worth it.

The casting of 45 roles with 20 students will be the second critical step in making TREASURE ISLAND a success.

The first critical step was collecting a top-notch Production Team.

DANIEL COOPER is a senior at Mann who has developed his leadership skills in our school's JROTC program. Coop has zero theatre experience, but is a tireless, efficient worker. I like him a lot, and I trust him with the "keys" to the production.

GENNA BUCKNER is a freshman who I met in Drama I this year. She is deceptively quiet and calm...shy...like I was in ninth grade. She loves the theatre and would some day like to teach Drama in a high school.

KATE WITOWSKI is a senior who is new to J.L. Mann this year. She may be the absolute coolest kid at our school, but to hang out with her you'd never know it; she's far too nice. I like her fearless attitude and unbridled creativity.

JAY BRIDGEMAN is one of those guys, a junior, who I would have been best friends with in high school. Not only is he hilarious, he can make or fix anything. Anything. He's going to be Master Carpenter--helping build the set, and maintaining it throughout the run.

GREG JONES may be our Most Valuable Player when this is all said and done. He's a freshman at Clemson (a Wade Hampton grad) who's going to help us engineer and build J.L. Mann's most ambitious set ever.

BRENNAN WEST is going to be famous someday. Try to meet her now, while she's designing costumes for TREASURE ISLAND. Get her autograph now. Anytime I meet someone who is that talented, that creative, and nice...I'm impressed.

DYLAN MARLER will be famous, too...like Brennan. He's a terrific musician; as mature a songwriter as I've met in a high school. He's got great taste (which is very important for a musician) and mad skills. Now...if only he can learn to read music...

KYLE AMES is the poster boy for MANN SHOW 2007. He's the club's President and brings more J.L. Mann drama experience to the production than anyone else on the team. In many ways, this year--Kyle's senior year--is dedicated to Kyle and his fellow seniors.

PHILLIP CALVIN is a guy you want to know, no matter who you are, what you you, where you go in life...you need to know Phillip. He prints shirts for MANN SHOW 2007 in his home, plays almost any instrument, knows computers, technology...may be up for MVP, himself.

MICHAEL REALMUTO is the team's Digital Media Producer and Sergeant at Arms. He is a lover, not a fighter. One time in middle school this kid was picking on another kid, really humiliating him...one those kids was Michael. The bully, I think...but I forget.