A Christmas Carol Auditions

Archive Theatre and Filigree Theatre | Austin, TX Auditions: August 20-22

A Christmas Carol is a direct stage adaptation of Charles Dicken's 1843 novella. Adapted for the stage by Jennifer Rose Davis and Lynn Schaeffer Beaver, and Directed by Elizabeth V. Newman the play takes us through the classic story on one man's redemption and reclamation from a life of selfishness and greed through the intervention of the spirit world. It contains themes of personal redemption, social justice, human connection, and family love. This is a joint production between The Archive Theater, The Filigree Theatre, and Pioneer Farms.

AUDITION DATES:

Auditions will be Friday, August 21st, 6 pm - 9 pm & Saturday, August 22nd, 10 am - 5 pm at 8711 Burnet Rd., Ste A-11. Callbacks are Sunday, August 23rd at  CINEMAKER SPACE @ CANOPY 916 Springdale Road, Building 5, Studio 101.

CHARACTER ROLES BREAKDOWN:

This will be a very ensemble heavy show, and while it is not a musical, it does incorporate Victorian music and dancing for scene changes and will when called for in the script. We absolutely love Actor/Musicians, so if you sing or play we'd love to see a sample of it in your auditions. We hope that everyone in the cast will join us for basic singing and dancing in certain parts of the play.

ACTOR 1: SCROOGE: Mid-Forties to late 60's. The miserly owner of a London counting-house whose penny pinching ways have destroyed all his human connections and turned him to selfish, bitter, cold-hearted man who hates Christmas. He is transformed into a renewed charity, carring, and human connection through the actions of 3 spirits.

ACTOR 2: BOB CRATCHIT - Mid 30's to mid 40's. Scrooge's clerk of many years. Bob is a loving husband and a father to many children. He maintains a unique kindness and optimism in spite of his poor circumstances and the tribulations of his boss.

ACTOR 3: FRED/YOUNG SCROOGE - Mid 20's to 30's. Scrooge’s nephew and only family member. He is jolly and kind and loves Christmas. Fred’s mother, Fan, was Scrooge’s beloved sister. Fan died soon after Fred was born. Scrooge has never been close with Fred.

ACTOR 4: TINY TIM/BOY SCROOGE - Child/Teen - Frail in appearance and able to play older or younger depending on costuming.

• Tiny Tim is a young boy who has been affected by a childhood disease and deals with disability and frailness as a result. He seems to almost by partly in the spirit world at times and to be able to see deeper than most others as a result.

• Ebenezer Scrooge as a child is a lonely boy who has been sent to boarding school and misses his family. He does not have very many friends.

ACTOR 5: SPIRIT 1/CHARITY WORKER 1 -

• The ghost of Christmas Past is a delicate, bright spirit who carries Scrooge on a trip through the joyful and terrible moments of his past. They are both caring and compassionate to Scrooge as he is introduced to the spirit world.

• The Charity Workers are ensemble roles whose actions show off the true depth of Scrooge's miserliness.

ACTOR 6: SPIRIT 2/CHARITY WORKER 2

• A loud, joyful spirit who represents the Present Christmas. They celebrate living in the moment.

  and shows Scrooge the current Christmas Day and how other people celebrate it. They also show Scrooge the true evils of the present and how men care so little for those around them.

• The Charity Workers are ensemble roles whose actions show off the true depth of Scrooge's miserliness.

ACTOR 7: SPIRIT 3/JACOB MARLEY/PUB MAN 2 -

• The Third Spirit is a death-like terrifying figure who never speaks.

• Jacob Marley was Scrooge’s friend and business partner. Marley like Scrooge cared only about money until he was punished for his lack of charity after death.

• The pub patron is an opinionated gossip and busybody choral role in the introductory scene

ACTOR 8: FRED’S WIFE/BELLE/FLOWER SELLER Mid 20's to 30's.

• Fred's wife Clara is cheerful, kind, considerate, and warm. She and Fred married for love and it is evident in their interactions on stage and in Fred's conversations about her.

• Belle is Scrooge's first and only love. They grew up together and have been in love for as long as they could both remember until the love of money destroyed their relationship.

• Flower seller is a choral role in the crowd scenes.

ACTOR 9: MRS CRATCHIT/MRS FEZZIWIG/LAUNDRESS/WOMAN  Mid 30's to 40's.

• Bob Cratchit’s wife and mother of their four children. She is hard-working and loves her family

  with all of her heart. It makes her angry to see any of them treated badly and so she has little patience for Mr. Scrooge.

• Mrs Fezziwig is the Martriach of Fezziwig household and business and more than a match in ferocity and jollity for her boisterous husband.

• The Laundress robs and demeans Scrooge after his death in the future visions.

• The woman is an ensemble role in the crowd scenes.

ACTOR 10: FAN/MARTHA/URCHIN/Spirit 2’s GIRL - Child/Teen/Young -able to play older or younger depending on costuming.

• Fan is Scrooge’s beloved sister. She is always kind and loving to Scrooge and all around her.

• Martha is Bob's Eldest daughter and has her own household by marriage.

• Spirit 2's child is Want, a gaunt, terrible figure that shows how lack of charity destroys the world.

ACTOR 11: PETER/URCHIN/Spirit 2’s BOY/BOY/DICK WILLIAMS - Child/Teen -able to play older or younger depending on costuming.

• The Third Spirit is a death-like terrifying figure who never speaks.

• Dick Williams is Scrooge's fellow apprentice under Mr. Fezziwig.

• Spirit 2's child is Ignorance, a gaunt, terrible figure that shows how lack of education destroys the world.

• The Boy roles are various errand and messanger choral roles withing the play.

ACTOR 12: PUB MAN 1/FEZZIWIG/TOPPER/MAN/SERVANT - 30's to 60's and able to dance.

• Mr. Fezziwig is Scrooge’s first employer. He is a good businessman who treats his workers well. He is a boistrous joyful character who loves Christ,mas and loves a good party.

• The pub patron is an opinionated gossip and busybody choral role in the introductory scene

• The servant robs and demeans Scrooge after his death in the future visions.

• Topper is a friend of Fred who is a bit of a clown and overly plain spoken about Scrooge.

We welcome actors to audition for any role they feel most aligned with, most interested in, or most comfortable portraying on stage. Actors from BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities are strongly encouraged to audition

WHAT AUDITIONS WILL CONSIST OF:

Sides: You may choose from several sides from the script. Auditions will be Friday, August 21st, 6 pm - 9 pm & Saturday, August 22nd, 10 am - 5 pm at 8711 Burnet Rd., Ste A-11. Callbacks are Sunday, August 23rd at  CINEMAKER SPACE @ CANOPY 916 Springdale Road, Building 5, Studio 101. After you sign up for a slot, the sides will be sent to you.

AUDITION SIGN-UP CHECKLIST:

1.     Fill out our audition form, and choose a timeslot HERE

2.     Then follow the instructions in the form to upload your resume and headshot.

3.     Look for the confirmation email that you have signed up (check your spam folder).

4.     Show up to your audition (pretty please)!

DATES AND LOGISTICS:

Rehearsals: 

We will be rehearsing 3 to 4 times a week in October & November working around Thanksgiving where possible. The exact rehearsal schedule will be developed working with the chosen performer's schedules. Tech Week is November 29th - December 3rd and will be 4-5 nights a week.

Performances:

December 4th - 20th (three weekends)

Thursdays - Saturdays 8pm & Sundays 5pm *possible additional Wednesday evening 8pm ‘industry night’ weekend 3

Performance Venue: Wessels Hall. Pioneer Farm. 10621 Pioneer Farms Dr, Austin, TX 78754. Pioneer Farms is an incredible historical recreation of a Victorian town in north east Austin off Braker Lane. It is an amazing site, but it shares some characteristics of outdoor performance spaces in that the hall was built in the 19th century and is not completely insulated from outside temperature. There is also a significant walk from the parking to the hall.

COMPENSATION:

Actors will receive a stipend of $400 at the conclusion of the run.

ABOUT THE ARCHIVE THEATRE:

Since 2019, The Archive Theater has brought classic stories to the stage for contemporary audiences. Working from the literature and theater of the 16th through the 20th centuries, the company builds detailed, historically grounded productions for Austin, Texas. For more information visit thearchivetheater.org.

ABOUT THE FILIGREE THEATRE: The Filigree Theatre is an independent, woman-led, theatre company committed to producing high-level, professional theatre by creating thoughtful, innovative and challenging work for the stage. For more information visit https://www.filigreetheatre.com

ABOUT PIONEER FARMS: The Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farms is a living history museum that interprets and preserves the histories and cultures of Central Texas during the 19th century. For more information please visit https://www.pioneerfarms.org.

A Christmas Carol is directed by Elizabeth Newman of Filigree Theatre and produced by Emily Taylor with Jennifer Rose Davis, as the Artistic Director of the Archive Theatre.