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A CHRISTMAS STORY - ShenanArts Non Equity Auditions

Posted September 3, 2021
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A CHRISTMAS STORY - ShenanArts

A Christmas Story

By Jean Shepherd

Adapted by Philip Grecian

Directed by Anne Taetzsch Fitzgerald

Produced by Matt Parrish, Rebekah Bradley Ray, Alexis Rennie Wagner

PERFORMANCE DATES

December 3, 4, 5, and 10, 11, 12, 2021

There may be a daytime performance on Friday, December 10, please ensure that this date is cleared for you to perform.

AUDITION DETAILS

Sunday, September 19, 2021

Children’s Auditions: 5pm-6:15pm

Adult Auditions: 6:30-8:00pm

*Please note, if auditioning for Ralphie or Randy, you may be asked to stay through the adult auditions.

If planning to attend, please complete and submit the Registration Form here:
https://bit.ly/acsonlineregistration

Alternatively, a paper copy can be downloaded and printed at the following link. Please bring this with you to the audition.
https://bit.ly/acsprintable

LOCATION

ShenanArts

300 Churchville Avenue

Staunton, VA 24401

  • Please park on the left-hand side of the parking lot and enter through the senior center basement entrance.
  • Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to sign in and complete the audition form.
  • Actors should be prepared to read from different scenes in the play.
  • If cast, you will receive a phone call within 2 days of auditions. If you are not cast, an email will be sent.

Questions? Contact
annetaetzsch@gmail.com

REHEARSALS

  • Begin on Wednesday, October 6th .
  • October: Sundays from 4-6pm, Mondays 6:30-8:30pm, and Wednesdays 6-8pm.
  • The first 3 weeks in November will be Sundays 3-6pm, Mondays 6-9PM, and Wednesdays 6-9PM.
  • We will rehearse Sun, Mon, and Tues the week of Thanksgiving from 6PM-9PM.
  • Tech week begins Sunday November 28—all actors must be present.
  • Due to the pacing and physical nature of this comedy, actors will need to be off book by November 4th .

SYNOPSIS

Humorist Jean Shepherd's memoir of growing up in the mid-west in the 1940s follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Ralphie pleads his case before his mother, his teacher and even Santa Claus himself at Higbee's Department Store. The consistent response: You'll shoot your eye out!; All the elements from the beloved motion picture are here, including the family's temperamental exploding furnace; Scut Farkas, the school bully; the boy's

experiment with a wet tongue on a cold lamppost; the Little Orphan Annie decoder pin; Ralphie's father winning a lamp shaped like a woman's leg in a net stocking; Ralphie's fantasy scenarios and more. A Christmas Story is a theatrical holiday perennial.

Based on the motion picture A Christmas Story, © 1983 Turner Entertainment Co., distributed by Warner Bros., written by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown and Bob

Clark; and on the book, In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd. Produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY

of Woodstock, Illinois

CASTING

RALPH (as an adult)—MALE—40-70 YRS OLD

A charismatic storyteller with a dynamic speaking voice, who can draw an audience in to the world of the play. Radio personality. He (like his younger self) has a twinkle in his

eye. An actor with presence and spark.

RALPHIE – MALE –9-12 YRS OLD

A regular kid. He wouldn’t be lost in a crowd, but he wouldn’t stand out either. Ralphie is a dreamer. He’s youthful, caring, and very imaginative.

MOTHER-- FEMALE – LOOKS 30’s—EARLY-40’s YRS OLD

She is more in charge than she would ever let anyone know. Warm but tough. Strong willed, funny, smart, straight forward, no nonsense, likable, – a kind of every-mom.

THE OLD MAN —MALE – LOOKS 30’s--MID-40’s YRS OLD

He has a good heart, but it is buried under a rough exterior. He’s not the perfect father by any means – he is happiest when he’s tinkering in the basement. He usually expects

the worst, but is secretly a dreamer. A devoted husband/father, who loves his family but does not feel the need to show it.

RANDY—MALE – 6-9 YRS OLD

Ralphie’s younger brother. Can be a bit awkward and offbeat; admires his big brother, Ralphie, but won’t admit it.

MISS SHEILDS (Teacher)/ELF—FEMALE—25-65 YRS OLD

She is Ralphie’s elementary school teacher. Perhaps a little boring looking at first – ah but underneath! Great with comedy. Actor must be comfortable working with kids.

FLICK—MALE-- 9-12 YRS OLD

Ralphie’s friend and classmate. Gets his tongue stuck to a flagpole on a bet.

SCHWARTZ –MALE--9-12 YRS OLD

Ralphie’s friend and classmate.

ESTHER JANE – FEMALE-- 9-12 YRS OLD

Ralphie’s classmate. She is quite keen on Ralphie.

HELEN WEATHERS – FEMALE-- 9-12 YRS OLD

Ralphie’s classmate. She is very smart and very confident.

SCUT FARKUS/BLACK BART—MALE—11-13 YRS OLD

The school bully. Loud, intimidating, and mean. A year or two older than Ralphie.

SANTA/TREE LOT OWNER/DELIVERY MAN/ COWBOY —MALE—20-75 YRS OLD

ENSEMBLE:

GROVER DILL/DESPERADO --MALE—7-10 YRS OLD

Scut's right hand man. The classic no-nonsense sidekick. Grover has no lines, but his actions speak volumes. Randy understudy.

CLASSMATE – FEMALE – 9-12 YRS OLD

Esther Jane’s understudy.

CLASSMATE -- FEMALE – 9-12 YRS OLD

Helen Weathers understudy

CLASSMATE/DESPERADO—MALE—9-12 YRS OLD

Ralphie’s understudy.

*If cast as ensemble/understudy, the expectation is that the understudy will learn the lines and blocking. Should the regular actor or actress be unable to appear on stage because of illness or emergency, the understudy will take over the part for that show.

Understudies will not perform unless an unforeseen circumstance occurs.

PRODUCTION TEAM

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Technical Director & Set Designer: Tom Kernan

Assistant Director: Tarken Davis

Stage Managers: Matthew Cline-Taskey & Andy West

Lighting Designer: Rosalind Collins

Costume Designer: Barbara Ferguson

Sound Designer: Mike Riddell

Fight Choreographer: Larry Friedland

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