Based on Andrew Ward’s epic 'Dark Midnight When I Rise', Steal Away is the legendary true story of Ella Sheppard and the Fisk Jubilee Singers, a warrior choir of young former slaves fighting the KKK’s reign of terror against their schools, not with bullets or bombs but electrifying songs of faith and freedom. Steal Away follows the choir’s titanic rise from the darkness of slavery to the glittering ballrooms and throne rooms of Europe as they conquer the world… and must then conquer their own demons. One of the most breathtaking sagas ever known, Steal Away is a timeless story poised to become a beloved classic.

Ella Sheppard:
Lead, Female, 18-22

A brilliant musical prodigy and co-leader of The Fisk Jubilee Singers, Ella is the towering young heroine of this movie. From the opening scene to the last, Steal Away is Ella’s story. A reluctant beauty, she has a softly chiseled face, wide probing eyes, and beguiling if rarely seen smile. Though by appearances frail, we will see that looks are dramatically deceiving.

Charged with saving African–American schools, (the fledgling HBCUs), from supremacist destruction, she is a relentless warrior that takes no prisoners and suffers no fools, powered by a force of will that could stop a planet. Yet haunted by the sins of her past, her deepest crusade is for redemption. And though tough as nails to most, there’s one man whose kiss destroys her.

Wallace and Ella are star-crossed lovers from violently far-flung worlds: Ella is staking her life on a colorblind future, while the brutal murder of Wallace’s family by supremacists has made him a raging militant. Their war-torn love is a powder keg set to explode.

Ethnicity: Black / African Descent

Sides for Ella Sheppard and other open roles can be below: