16 Theatre Conservatory Students to be Featured in South Coast Repertory's A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Late last week marked the first rehearsals for 16 students in SCR's Theatre Conservatory, who portray the children in South Coast Repertory's 33rd annual production of A Christmas Carol.

The young actors alternate in eight roles, allowing them time to share the holidays at home with their families, as well as onstage with the SCR family, which includes Director John-David Keller and actor Hal Landon Jr., SCR's one and only Scrooge.

Keller holds auditions for the children's roles, choosing from students with at least a year of Theatre Conservatory training.

According to Keller, who has directed all 33 seasons of A Christmas Carol, "Most of our actors and other artists have been with us through the seasons and are a very special group; however, with one exception, the youngsters are all newcomers, so it's great fun to see the joyful fresh faces and welcome them to our cast of professionals."

The young actors include Bahaar Tadjbakhsh/Sydney Lester (Martha Cratchit), Blake Laszlo/Hartejas Dhindsa (Peter Cratchit), Abby Matzke/Ella Webb (Belinda Cratchit), Hadley Belle Miller/Zacharias Harris (Tiny Tim), Kiera Callahan/Taylor Serafin (Fan/Teen Girl), Lauren Dong/Graysen Airth (Girl About Town), Saul Richardson/Louis Tonkovich (Young Ebenezer/Oliver Shelly), Gage Larkin/Sebastian Naranjo (Turkey Boy).

Kids and teen cast by cities:

• Coronadel Mar - Zacharias Harris
• Fountain Valley - Blake Laszlo
• Huntington Beach - Abby Matzke, Hadley Belle Miller, Sebastian Naranjo
• Irvine - Hartejas Dhindsa, Lauren Dong, Sydney Lester, Bahaar Tadjbakhsh*
• Mission Viejo - Kiera Callahan
• Newport Beach - Grayson Airth
• Riverside - Saul Richardson
• San Juan Capistrano - Ella Webb
• Santa Ana - Gage Larkin, Taylor Serafin
• Silverado - Louis Tonkovich

* previously appeared in A Christmas Carol.

A Christmas Carol runs on the Segerstrom Stage Nov. 24 - Dec. 24. Find more information, online: www.scr.org/calendar/view.aspx?id=5408

Pictured (top) Graysen Airth, Sydney Lester, Taylor Serafin, Hartejas Dhindsa. Bottom Row left to right: Zacharias Harris, Ella Webb, Sebastian Naranjo, Louis Tonkovich in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol at South Coast Repertory. (side) Blake Laszlo, Kiera Callahan, Bahaar Tadjbakhsh, Saul Richardson. Bottom Row left to right: Lauren Dong, Hadley Belle Miller, Abby Matzke, Gage Larkin in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol at South Coast Repertory. Photo by Ben Horak / SCR.

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