The Franklin College Theatre Department will present Sheila Callaghan’s play Crumble (Lay Me Down Justin Timberlake), beginning Thursday, March 12 through Saturday, March 14, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 15, at 2 p.m. All performances will be in Théâtre Margot in the Johnson Center for Fine Arts.
The dramedy follows young Janice and her mother struggling after the loss of Janice’s father in their decrepit apartment. Despite their circumstances, they find solace in visitations from their respective celebrity crushes: Justin Timberlake and Harrison Ford. Finding support in Justin’s appearances, Janice hatches a plan to fix everything, while their apartment develops murderous plans itself.
Audience discretion is advised for language.
This production is directed by professional actor and fight choreographer Rob Johansen, who has been in over 50 productions at the Indiana Repertory Theatre. The production’s opportunity to collaborate with local professionals is made possible by the Richard A. Harrison (’57) Visiting Theatre Artist Endowment. Johansen is a resident of Indianapolis.
“Crumble is a play that checks several boxes for me,” says Johansen. “It examines a family working through an impossibly hard tragedy (the sudden loss of a father) but within that tragedy there is much humor. And this show has magic that is unique to the art: The House is an actual living character in the play. We get to anthropomorphize this old building. And I made the decision to change The House from one character to four. This creates a kind of chorus.”
The cast and crew include:
Bailee Kennedy, a resident of Camby, will play Barbara.
Grace Allen, a resident of Greenwood, will play Janice.
Deacon Sachs, a resident of Mooresville, will play Dad/Justin Timberlake/Harrison Ford.
Serenidy Storm Cockerham, a resident of Indianapolis, will play Mother.
Braeden Daggy, of Mooresville, Tyler Lehner, of Greenwood, Max Pipkin, of Mooresville, and Lillian Voils, of Nashville, will combine to play The House.
Rebekah Walsh, a resident of Peru, is the stage manager.
“I love this cast,” shares Johansen. “I am proud of the risks they are willing to take with this play. And I am grateful they come to rehearsal with great ideas and insight about the play! Yes, I’m the director, but the best theatre is created when everyone in the room has agency to present ideas that shape the story. There have been many times when a cast member presents an idea that hadn’t occurred to me. And if they don’t feel the power to present, those great ideas would be lost. We are all together creating this theatrical event.”
General admission is $15. Seniors (age 55+), students under 18, and students from other colleges may attend for $10 per performance. Franklin College students, faculty and staff receive free admission with a valid Franklin College ID.To purchase tickets, email ticketreservation@franklincollege.edu or call (317) 738-8029 or (800) 852-0232, ext. 8029. Please claim tickets at least ten minutes before the performance. The box office opens one hour before each performance.
For more information, contact the Franklin College Office of Communications at (317) 738-8185.
By: Katie Thoman ’26
Franklin College Pulliam Fellow