A Christmas Carol
Based on the Book by Charles Dickens
Adapted by Kathryn Gage
Directed by Elizabeth Suzanne
Auditions take place Monday October 24th and Tuesday October 25th beginning at 7:00 PM. Auditions consist of cold readings from the script. Auditioners are welcome to attend both evenings of auditions, but it is not required.
Please have the following prepared:
• A resume (if you have one)
• A headshot (if you have one)
• A comedic OR dramatic monologue (contemporary or classical, no longer than 1 minute in length).
• One line or chorus of your favorite “old fashioned” Christmas/Holiday song or carol to be sung acapella. Joyful, energetic singing! It’s ok if you’ve only ever sung in the shower or you’ve done choir your whole life!
Things to know: Object puppetry uses found objects to create a story with characters.
Performance Dates: December 9-11, 2022, Evenings & Matinees
There will be ONE DAY of school shows, performing during a weekday.
Rehearsals:
October 30 – Read-Through
November 1st-December 8th, Weekday Evenings and some Saturdays,
Characters as called or all cast.
NO REHEARSALS ON NOVEMBER 24TH AND 25TH.
A Christmas Carol performs December 9th through December 11th, 2022
CHARACTER TRACKS
5W, 3M, 4 Neutral, (3 Minors)
EBENEZER SCROOGE - Man or Woman, Age: 50+
TINY TIM - Boy or Girl, (to play Boy), Age: 6-8
BELINDA TRACK - Little Fan / Dick Wilkins / Belinda Cratchit / Want / Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come/Fred’s Maid - Girl, Age: 12-14
FRED TRACK - Fred / Jacob Marley B / Young Ebenezer / Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come / Merchant 1 - Man, Age:18-25
BOB TRACK - Narrator A /Bob Cratchit / Jacob Marley A / Ghost of Christmas Past B - Man, Age: 30-45
CHRISTMAS PAST TRACK - Narrator C / Ghost of Christmas Past A / Topper / Undertaker’s Assistant- M or F, Age: 30-50
FEZZIWIG TRACK - Portly Gentleman 2 / Fezziwig / Ghost of Christmas Present A / Old Joe, - Man or Woman, Age: 30-50
MRS. CRACHIT TRACK - Narrator D / Portly Gentleman 1 / Mrs. Cratchit /Ghost of Christmas Past C - Woman, Age: 30-45
BELLE TRACK - Narrator B / Belle / Ellen (Topper’s Lady) / Mrs. Dilber - Woman, Age: 18-25
MARTHA TRACK - Mrs. Fezziwig / Ghost of Christmas Present B / Martha Cratchit / Merchant 2 / Narrator F - Woman, Age: 18-25
PETER TRACK - Boy Ebenezer / Peter Cratchit / Ignorance / Turkey Boy - Boy, Age: 13-15
CATHERINE TRACK - Narrator E /Jacob Marley C /Ghost of Christmas Present C / Catherine (Fred’s Wife) / Laundress- Woman, Age: 18-30
CHARACTER BREAKDOWNS
EBENEZER SCROOGE - a miserly money-lender focused on material wealth for success, with no time for friends, family or others of any kind. Undergoes a great redemption arc and character transformation. Uncle to Fred (and Catherine by marriage), employer to Bob Cratchit, and friend in life to Jacob Marley.
BOB CRATCHIT - Optimistic, hard working and self-effacing family man, the patriarch of the Cratchit family. Husband to Mrs. Cratchit, Father to Martha, Peter, Belinda and Tiny Tim.
FRED - Self-made man of business, yet generous, kind and humorous. Loves the holiday, family and friends. Nephew to Scrooge, Husband to Catherine.
PORTLY GENTLEMEN 1 and 2 - do-gooders collecting for charity.
LITTLE FAN - Energetic, kind and childlike. Boy Ebenezer’s sister (Fred’s deceased mother).
BOY EBENEZER - Scrooge’s childhood self. Shy, quiet, but with a great imagination and sensitive nature. Brother to Little Fan.
FEZZIWIG - a generous and jovial business owner, loud, boisterous and fun. Husband to Mrs. Fezziwig, employer to Young Ebenezer and Dick Wilkins.
MRS. FEZZIWIG - Equally generous and boisterous as her husband. Wonderful hostess. Wife to Fezziwig. NO LINES
DICK WILKINS - an energetic apprentice in the Fezziwig warehouse. Employee of Fezziwig, friend and co-apprentice of Young Ebenezer. NO LINES
YOUNG EBENEZER - Scrooge’s prime of life self. Confident, smart, ambitious and shrewd. Love interest of Belle.
BELLE - Independent, gentle, thoughtful and intuitive. Love interest of Young Ebenezer.
CATHERINE (FRED’S WIFE) - Friendly, warm and a sharp sense of humor. Wife to Fred, sister to Ellen.
ELLEN (TOPPER’S LADY) - Loud, silly and flirty. Sister to Catherine, Sister-in-law to Fred.
TOPPER - a humblebrag human with a very dry sense of humor. Friend to Fred.
MRS. CRATCHIT - Fierce, loyal and protective, the matriarch of the Cratchit family. Wife to Bob, and Mother to Martha, Peter, Belinda and Tiny Tim.
FRED'S MAID - household servant to FRED and CATHERINE. Shy and dutiful.
MARTHA CRATCHIT - the eldest Cratchit child, working girl and fellow bread-winner for the Cratchit family. Joyful and nurturing.
PETER CRATCHIT - the second eldest Cratchit child, responsible and caring.
BELINDA CRATCHIT - the second youngest Cratchit child, energetic, mischievous and silly.
TINY TIM - the youngest child in the Cratchit family. Gentle, patient, and joyful.
IGNORANCE and WANT - the presence of “Ignorance” and “Want” in physically manifested forms. Wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable, meager, ragged and scowling - NO LINES
MERCHANT 1 and 2 - Business owners, sharp and without much feeling.
OLD JOE - a fence (person who buys stolen goods to resell for profit). Greasy, smarmy and clever.
MRS. DILBER - sharp, shrewd and keen business woman.
UNDERTAKER’S ASSISTANT - a petty thief and a bit of a bumbling one.
LAUNDRESS - a petty thief and ALSO a bit of a bumbling one.
TURKEY BOY - happy-go-lucky youth.
NARRATORS (A, B, C, D, E, F) - Storytellers throughout the production. They provide story relation and setup for scenes, and may also take on different characters and attitudes throughout the progression of plot.
JACOB MARLEY - the ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge’s former business partner and friend. Remorseful, pained, otherworldly and alarming. - not a single actor role, will be played simultaneously by three actors and represented by found object puppetry.
GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST - the manifestation of Scrooge’s personal past, an entity of yearning, nostalgia and regret. - not a single actor role, will be played simultaneously by three actors and represented by found object puppetry.
GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT - the manifestation of the holiday spirit, entity of joy, charity, spirituality and responsibility.- not a single actor role, will be played simultaneously by three actors and represented by found object puppetry.
GHOST OF CHRISTMAS YET TO COME - the manifestation of the unknown future, entity of uncertainty, trepidation and warning. - not a single actor role, will be played simultaneously by three actors and represented by found object puppetry.
5W, 3M, 4 Neutral, (3 Minors)
EBENEZER SCROOGE - Man or Woman, Age: 50+
TINY TIM - Boy or Girl, (to play Boy), Age: 6-8
BELINDA TRACK - Little Fan / Dick Wilkins / Belinda Cratchit / Want / Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come/Fred’s Maid - Girl, Age: 12-14
FRED TRACK - Fred / Jacob Marley B / Young Ebenezer / Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come / Merchant 1 - Man, Age:18-25
BOB TRACK - Narrator A /Bob Cratchit / Jacob Marley A / Ghost of Christmas Past B - Man, Age: 30-45
CHRISTMAS PAST TRACK - Narrator C / Ghost of Christmas Past A / Topper / Undertaker’s Assistant- M or F, Age: 30-50
FEZZIWIG TRACK - Portly Gentleman 2 / Fezziwig / Ghost of Christmas Present A / Old Joe, - Man or Woman, Age: 30-50
MRS. CRACHIT TRACK - Narrator D / Portly Gentleman 1 / Mrs. Cratchit /Ghost of Christmas Past C - Woman, Age: 30-45
BELLE TRACK - Narrator B / Belle / Ellen (Topper’s Lady) / Mrs. Dilber - Woman, Age: 18-25
MARTHA TRACK - Mrs. Fezziwig / Ghost of Christmas Present B / Martha Cratchit / Merchant 2 / Narrator F - Woman, Age: 18-25
PETER TRACK - Boy Ebenezer / Peter Cratchit / Ignorance / Turkey Boy - Boy, Age: 13-15
CATHERINE TRACK - Narrator E /Jacob Marley C /Ghost of Christmas Present C / Catherine (Fred’s Wife) / Laundress- Woman, Age: 18-30
CHARACTER BREAKDOWNS
EBENEZER SCROOGE - a miserly money-lender focused on material wealth for success, with no time for friends, family or others of any kind. Undergoes a great redemption arc and character transformation. Uncle to Fred (and Catherine by marriage), employer to Bob Cratchit, and friend in life to Jacob Marley.
BOB CRATCHIT - Optimistic, hard working and self-effacing family man, the patriarch of the Cratchit family. Husband to Mrs. Cratchit, Father to Martha, Peter, Belinda and Tiny Tim.
FRED - Self-made man of business, yet generous, kind and humorous. Loves the holiday, family and friends. Nephew to Scrooge, Husband to Catherine.
PORTLY GENTLEMEN 1 and 2 - do-gooders collecting for charity.
LITTLE FAN - Energetic, kind and childlike. Boy Ebenezer’s sister (Fred’s deceased mother).
BOY EBENEZER - Scrooge’s childhood self. Shy, quiet, but with a great imagination and sensitive nature. Brother to Little Fan.
FEZZIWIG - a generous and jovial business owner, loud, boisterous and fun. Husband to Mrs. Fezziwig, employer to Young Ebenezer and Dick Wilkins.
MRS. FEZZIWIG - Equally generous and boisterous as her husband. Wonderful hostess. Wife to Fezziwig. NO LINES
DICK WILKINS - an energetic apprentice in the Fezziwig warehouse. Employee of Fezziwig, friend and co-apprentice of Young Ebenezer. NO LINES
YOUNG EBENEZER - Scrooge’s prime of life self. Confident, smart, ambitious and shrewd. Love interest of Belle.
BELLE - Independent, gentle, thoughtful and intuitive. Love interest of Young Ebenezer.
CATHERINE (FRED’S WIFE) - Friendly, warm and a sharp sense of humor. Wife to Fred, sister to Ellen.
ELLEN (TOPPER’S LADY) - Loud, silly and flirty. Sister to Catherine, Sister-in-law to Fred.
TOPPER - a humblebrag human with a very dry sense of humor. Friend to Fred.
MRS. CRATCHIT - Fierce, loyal and protective, the matriarch of the Cratchit family. Wife to Bob, and Mother to Martha, Peter, Belinda and Tiny Tim.
FRED'S MAID - household servant to FRED and CATHERINE. Shy and dutiful.
MARTHA CRATCHIT - the eldest Cratchit child, working girl and fellow bread-winner for the Cratchit family. Joyful and nurturing.
PETER CRATCHIT - the second eldest Cratchit child, responsible and caring.
BELINDA CRATCHIT - the second youngest Cratchit child, energetic, mischievous and silly.
TINY TIM - the youngest child in the Cratchit family. Gentle, patient, and joyful.
IGNORANCE and WANT - the presence of “Ignorance” and “Want” in physically manifested forms. Wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable, meager, ragged and scowling - NO LINES
MERCHANT 1 and 2 - Business owners, sharp and without much feeling.
OLD JOE - a fence (person who buys stolen goods to resell for profit). Greasy, smarmy and clever.
MRS. DILBER - sharp, shrewd and keen business woman.
UNDERTAKER’S ASSISTANT - a petty thief and a bit of a bumbling one.
LAUNDRESS - a petty thief and ALSO a bit of a bumbling one.
TURKEY BOY - happy-go-lucky youth.
NARRATORS (A, B, C, D, E, F) - Storytellers throughout the production. They provide story relation and setup for scenes, and may also take on different characters and attitudes throughout the progression of plot.
JACOB MARLEY - the ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge’s former business partner and friend. Remorseful, pained, otherworldly and alarming. - not a single actor role, will be played simultaneously by three actors and represented by found object puppetry.
GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST - the manifestation of Scrooge’s personal past, an entity of yearning, nostalgia and regret. - not a single actor role, will be played simultaneously by three actors and represented by found object puppetry.
GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT - the manifestation of the holiday spirit, entity of joy, charity, spirituality and responsibility.- not a single actor role, will be played simultaneously by three actors and represented by found object puppetry.
GHOST OF CHRISTMAS YET TO COME - the manifestation of the unknown future, entity of uncertainty, trepidation and warning. - not a single actor role, will be played simultaneously by three actors and represented by found object puppetry.
