About the show
A play-within-a-play, this theatrical adaptation
of the classic Charles Dickens perennial favorite is performed
by a group of motley actors whose colorful and raggedy costumes
and masks gradually give way to Dickens's gray and ghostly tale.
Performed with a minimum of sets, no props and loads of imagination,
this version of "A Christmas Carol" is unique and fresh, and has
what few other adaptations have: a retelling of the tale exclusively
from Ebenezer Scrooge's point of view.
Auditions
The show is performed by a cast five men, three
women, one adolescent boy or girl to portray a ten year old boy,
and three additional players (male or female). Variety within
the cast of twelve (size, shape, ethnicity) is preferred. All
actors play multiple roles. Reading the play in advance is strongly
recommended. The play is performed in one act without intermission.
All roles in the play are available.
Auditions will consist of readings from the script, singing one
verse or chorus of a Christmas carol of your choice acapella,
and doing a cartwheel or a pirouette or a short dance routine
you know. In particular the show calls for actors who can do acrobatics,
juggle, do magic tricks or some other impressive, commedia dell'arte/street
performer kind of a thing.
The following roles
are in the play:
MAN #1 - age 30-50, plays the Stage Manager and
Scrooge.
MAN #2 - any age, take charge type, plays the
Director, Marley and Christmas Future.
MAN #3 - age 20s-30s, leading man type, plays
Leading Man and Bob Cratchit.
MAN #4 - age 20s-30s, young leading man type,
plays Young Leading Man and Fred, Scrooge's nephew.
MAN #5 - age 30s-50s, character man type, plays
Old Clown, School Master, Mr. Fezziwig and Jake the Fence.
WOMAN #1 - age 20s-30s, leading lady type, plays
Christmas Past and Mrs. Cratchit.
WOMAN #2 - age 20s-30s, ingenue type, plays Ingenue,
Belle and Mrs. Fred.
WOMAN #3 - age 30s-50s, character woman type,
plays Character Woman, Charitable Woman, Mrs. Fezziwig, Mother-in-Law
and Scavenger 3.
BOY or GIRL - to portray a small ten year old
boy, plays the Prop Boy and Tiny Tim.
CLOWN #1 - man or woman, plays Ali Baba (helpful
if you can walk on your hands), Christmas Present 1, Scavenger
1.
CLOWN #2 - man or woman, plays Parrot, Christmas
Present 2, Scavenger 2 (helpful if you can juggle).
CLOWN #3 - man or woman, plays Little Caroller
(high, sweet voice would be preferred), Christmas Present 3, Scavenger
4.
Note: the interchange of parts may be fluid according to specific
skills within the cast. Most of the cast will remain on stage
throughout the show. The character of Scrooge never leaves the
stage except for one quick costume change.
Production Schedule
| rehearsals
begin |
September 22 |
| previews
|
November
7, 9 & 10 |
| public
opening |
November 11, 2011 |
| performance
run commitment |
November
11 - December 12 (25 performances), Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays
at 8pm, Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm, and Sundays at 4pm. The
theatre will be dark on Thanksgiving, November 25. A makeup
performance for Thanksgiving will be held on Wednesday, November
17 at 7:30pm. |
Performances will be held at Manoa
Valley Theatre. Rehearsals will be held at Iolani School, 563
Kamoku Street (near Kapiolani & Date). The rehearsal schedule
will generally be Mondays through Fridays from 6:30 to 9:30 pm,
and weekends as necessary. Cast members will uniformly receive
an honorarium to help defray the out-of-pocket expenses associated
with volunteerism and participation in this production. This honorarium
is not an offer of employment.
About The Director
Betty Burdick
(Guest Director) is a teacher, actor and director with over thirty
years of experience. She received a Master of Fine Arts in Directing
from the University of Hawaii/Manoa while teaching beginning acting
and acting technique there. Currently, Betty teaches acting and
theatre arts at Leeward Community College and Hawaii Pacific University.
She has directed at UH, Kumu Kahua Theatre and Honolulu Theatre
for Youth. Her previous MVT directing assignments have been The
Dixie Swim Club, Of Mice and Men, The Last Night Of Ballyhoo,
Over The River And Through The Woods, The Graduate, The Underpants
and And Then There Were None. She has appeared onstage
at MVT in To Kill A Mockingbird, Deathtrap, A Little Night
Music and Wit.
Script Perusals and More Information
Scripts are available for perusal on premises at
the Manoa Valley Theatre business office, 2833 East Manoa Road,
between 9:30 am and 5:00 pm, Mondays through Fridays. For more
information please call MVT at 988-6131.
Mahalo
to our Show Sponsors
Bank of Hawaii
Carolyn Berry
Commercial Data Systems
Mahalo to our Seasonwide Sponsors
for 2010-11
Richard Aadland Trust
Cades Schutte and The Cades Foundation
Hawaiian Airlines
Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Iolani School
Island Television KITV
Oceanic Time Warner Cable
Toyota Hawaii
To return to
main auditions page, please click here.
Download a blank audition registration
form and production schedule by clicking here.
