If I Die Before I Wake by Maggie Smith

Based on the Faustus myth, a young woman sells her soul to the Devil in order to spark creativity. Told through poetry, this play focuses on what to make of our limited time on earth, asking if it is better to be known well or well-known.
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If I Die Before I Wake

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Character Information

As a writer, I am dedicated to creating diverse worlds onstage. Some of the most defining moments of my life involve me seeing myself represented onstage, television, or in literature. Because of this, I highly recommend casting this play diversely in regards to race, gender identity, and disability. You won’t be depicting the real world if you ignore this request.

This is acknowledging, however, that some roles are specific in the way they must be casted. In this play, the following roles have these limitations:

| FAUSTUS and MEPHISTOPHELES should not be portrayed by cisgendered men.

  • FAUSTUS
    Twenty-One,
    Any Race
    ,
    woman
    A genius, so much knowledge, so little time
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • MEPHISTOPHILES
    Immortal,
    Any Race
    ,
    Genderfluid, she/her pronouns
    Tempting, fallen from Heaven
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender
  • WAGNER
    Twenty-One,
    Any Race
    ,
    Man
    If someone could give him a happy ending that'd be appreciated
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender
  • LUCIFER
    Immortal,
    Any Race
    ,
    Genderfluid, He/Him Pronouns
    Mr. Satan Himself, there are absolutely no boundaries
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any adult age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender
  • VIRGIL
    Twenty-One,
    Any Race
    ,
    Any gender
    Local Satanist, here for a good time, a lot happier than you'd think she'd be
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender
  • URIEL
    Immortal,
    Any Race
    ,
    Genderfluid
    Angel of Creativity, a guardian angel
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any adult age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender