The Christmas Carol: A Queer Fantasia
a new play written and directed by James Cougar Canfield
Music direction by Michelle Walker
Based on the novella, “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
A Tier5 Production
Access Theater
PRODUCTION DESCRIPTION:
Casting non-equity actors for performances of The Christmas Carol: A Queer Fantasia at Access Theater.
From the award-winning team behind the sell-out successes, Ladies in Waiting: The Judgement of Henry VIII and meg jo beth amy & louisa, comes their latest production: The Christmas Carol: A Queer Fantasia, a new fab take on Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic! Its world premiere at the Access Theater this holiday season!
Performers of all races, ethnicities, abilities, and gender identities are encouraged to submit.
SYNOPSIS
Ebenezer Scrooge is the literal worst. And it’s going to take some serious fabulosity to turn this ChristMESS in to a ChristYAS. Can three otherworldly spectres show this humbug the true meaning of Christmas?
The iconic Dickens Ghost Story of Christmas gets turned on its head in this inclusive, timely adaptation of the classic that explores what it means to walk among your fellow humans regardless of how they look and who they love.
This December,
don your gay apparel,
and join Tier5 and Access Theater for
The Christmas Carol: A Queer Fantasia
#MaketheYuletideGay #QueerChristmasCarol
ROLES
Ebenezer Scrooge (40-50s, male identifying) The iconic humbug himself. Scrooge is the literal worst, but there’s got to be some Christmas cheer buried somewhere in that old gila monster of a man. A bit of a younger take on the character than normal. Looking for an actor who can run the emotional gambit, from cross to kind, from reserved to emotionally vulnerable.
Pickpocket (18+ actor to play child/teen, gender nonspecific) Well-meaning cutie pie, even when living outside the law. Scrooge’s first glimpse into what it’s like to have to “do whatever it takes” to keep your family afloat.
Constable (20- 30s, gender nonspecific) A legit, genuine, good natured law enforcer. Loves Christmas and giving folks second chances.
Fred - Scrooge’s nephew. Role has been cast
Bob Cratchit (30s- 40s, male identifying) Scrooge’s low paid, and often freezing, clerk. He is poor as all heck, but dang, is this guy happy! He’s got a job, his wife, and six fantastic children. Who needs money when you’re surrounded by this much love?
Two Collectors (20s, gender nonspecific) The human embodiment of a GoFundMe page. Too positive for their own good, but really doing their very best to get out there and help those in need. Too bad they stumbled upon Scrooge’s door and he’s having none. of. it.
Jacob Marley (30- 40s, male identifying) Marley is def your typical bro. Except now, he’s dead as a doornail and haunting his old partner, covered in chains. And not in a kinky way. A mix of humor and ghostly power, setting Scrooge off on his road to redemption.
Ghost of Christmas Past - Spectre of Times Long Gone. Role has been cast
Young Ebenezer (20s, male identifying) - Scrooge, except before he became the literal worst. Ebenezer goes through varying stages of growing up: from solitary child, to a sexually confused adolescent, to a reserved and business-obsessed young man. Caught in the middle of his bisexuality and doesn’t know what to do with it.
Fan - Scrooge’s younger sister. Role has been cast.
Fezziwig (40s- 50s, female identifying) A manifestation of joy, like a giant beautiful bird swooping in. The absolute best boss you could have, even though her penchant for spanking could probably warrant a call to HR.
Mx. Fezziwig (30-50s, female identifying/non-binary) Fezziwig’s partner. A lover of mistletoe and, along with Fezziwig, Ebenezer’s first example of a queer couple (and a happy one at that!)
Dick Wilkins (20s, male identifying) Ebenezer’s fellow apprentice at the Fezziwigs’ and his lover. Much more deeply in tune with his sexuality than Ebenezer, yet desperately in love with him. For better or worse.
Belle (20s, female identifying) Ebenezer’s eventual fiancé. A strong young woman who isn’t afraid to stand up for herself. A believer in love, but won’t allow that to get in the way of her agency.
Ghost of Christmas Present - Spectre of the Now. Role has been cast.
Mrs. Cratchit (30- 40s, female identifying) - Catherine, Bob Cratchit’s second wife. Think Fiona Gallagher from Shameless: A matriarchal figure of a wacky family just trying to keep it together. Like… She’s a really good mom.
The Cratchit Children (18+ actors to play children of various ages) Martha, the oldest. Works at the local clinic to help those in need. From Bob’s first marriage. Peter, the oldest son, moody pre-teen, doesn’t talk much. Belinda, really insecure about her pudding, just doing her best. John and Elizabeth, the twins. Oh God, they’re awful.
Tiny Tim (18+ actor to play a young child) The youngest of the Cratchit Children. An advocate for himself, no matter what. Pure and goodhearted, but strong and empowered no matter how his physical condition may seem on the outside. Beautiful singing voice.
Topper (20- 30s, male identifying) Fred’s devoted and loving husband. A bit of a gossip, but sooooooo much fun to have around at parties.
Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come - Spectre of the Future. Strong silent type. To be cast from within the ensemble.
The Graverobbers (20s- 50s, gender nonspecific)— Old Joe, the lascivious boss of this surly gang. Charwoman, a loud housekeeper with sticky fingers and jaded view of life. Mrs. Dilbers, a laundress who is a bit more hesitant to dive into the darker sides of the business. The Undertaker, a hotheaded punk.
Storytellers- the proctors of the story. Guiding the audience through this ghostly, gag-worthy Christmas tale.
Production Dates & Location:
Tech will take place the week of December 2, 2019
Rehearsals will begin October 28th, 2019, and take place in the evenings
The performances will take place at the Access Theater in New York, NY
December 4- 22nd
Wednesday- Saturdays 8pm
Sundays 2pm
Thursday, December 19th- 2pm (Special matinee)
KEY DETAILS
Auditions will be by appointment on Wednesday, October 2nd and Thursday, October 3rd, 6:30- 10pm
Callbacks will be held on Saturday, October 5th and Sunday, October 6th from 10am- 4pm.
To submit for an appointment, please email tier5auditions@gmail.com with the following:
Headshot
Résumé
Audition day/time availability
PLEASE include CHRISTMAS CAROL AUDITION in the subject line of your e-mail.
COMPENSATION
Pay: Initial offer is a $200 stipend.
ABOUT TIER5
In 2015, Tier5 began its life as a collective of graduate students from East 15 Acting School's MFA Acting (International) program in London. Its first project, Ladies in Waiting: The Judgement of Henry VIII, written by co-founder, James Cougar Canfield, was a dark comedy/drama that allowed Henry VIII's wives to finally tell him how much he actually sucked.
The show had a preview runs in London at the Bread & Roses Theatre (March 2016) and the Drayton Arms (July 2016), before receiving its official premiere at the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Ladies in Waiting went on to have sold-out, critically acclaimed runs in Edinburgh, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C., winning the 2017 Hollywood Fringe International Award and the 2017 TVolution Award for Best Ensemble. In 2018, it made its US regional theatre debut with Southwest Shakespeare Company in Scottsdale, AZ, enjoying another critically acclaimed, sold-out run. The show was so successful, Southwest Shakespeare is currently reviving the production for a second run in September 2019.
Tier5 began work on its second production in late 2017: devising an adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, that put the focus on Louisa’s personal journey writing her American classic and how she did it by finding her truth: through her sexuality, her family, and her drive to create something astonishing.
After a year of improvisation, writing workshops, and research, the company premiered a workshop production of meg jo beth amy & louisa, at Dixon Place in November 2018, followed by a full-length premiere at the Center at West Park in NYC in April 2019. The show had continued success at Hollywood Fringe (Los Angeles) and Capital Fringe (Washington D.C.) with sell-out performances and award nominations. It will have its regional theatre premiere with Southwest Shakespeare in January 2020.
Aside from the two major productions, Tier5 also produced a staged reading of Canfield’s The Oz Cycle, Part 1: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in April 2019 in NYC. This adaptation explores the loss of Dorothy’s parents and how sometimes the way out of your grief… is a dangerous and magical adventure to Oz.
Tier5’s focus on revisiting classic tales and historical narratives in a modern context with contemporary voices, humor, and pathos has become a staple of the company. We’re incredibly excited to continue this adventure with our third production, The Christmas Carol: A Queer Fantasia, based on Charles Dickens iconic ghost story of Christmas. This holiday season, we’re going to make the yuletide gay!
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