Roles Still Available! All ages are welcome!

AUDITIONS FOR

A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS IN WALES

Audition Information

A Child’s Christmas in Wales is a play with music, adapted from Dylan Thomas’ short story of the same name. The play is set on Christmas Day, and is indeed a Christmas play, but it is also a memory play, a story of childhood and times past - of ghosts, music, and snow.

A Child’s Christmas in Wales is an ensemble show, in which characters will play multiple roles. In addition to singing there will be movement, physical acting, and object manipulation to create the world of the play. All are welcome!

Schedule

Auditions: By Appointment

Rehearsal Period (3 weekday evenings and Saturdays): October 27-November 26

Tech Week: November 30-December 5 TBD (weekend day/weekday evenings)

Performances:

December 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15

Fridays at 7:30 PM; Saturdays at 4 PM; Sundays at 2 PM

Roles

Adult Roles:

Dylan Thomas

Miss Prothero/ Woman 1/Ensemble

Mrs. Prothero/ Woman 2/Ensemble

Mr. Prothero/Man 1/Ensemble

Young Adult/Teen Roles:

Young Dylan Thomas/Child 1/Ensemble

Jim/Child 2/Ensemble

Child 3/Ensemble

Chorus/Ensemble (youth and adult)

Audition Preparation

Actors should prepare a monologue and a song if possible – we will also have sides and songs available.

MONOLOGUE OPTIONS

Please prepare one of the following monologues from the play – memorize if possible or be prepared to read.

Monologue Option 1:

"Years and years ago, when there were wolves in Wales, and birds the color of red-flannel petticoats whisked past the harp-shaped hills, when we sang and wallowed all night and day in caves that smelt like Sunday afternoons in damp front farmhouse parlors, and we chased, with the jawbones of deacons, the English and the bears, before the motor car, before the wheel, before the duchess-faced horse, when we rode the daft and happy hills bareback, it snowed and it snowed. Our snow was not only shaken from whitewash buckets down the sky, it came shawling out of the ground and swam and drifted out of the arms and hands and bodies of the trees; snow grew overnight on the roofs of the houses like a pure and grandfather moss, minutely ivied the walls and settled on the postman, opening the gate, like a dumb, numb thunderstorm of white, torn Christmas cards."

Monologue Option 2:

"Always on Christmas night there was music. An uncle played the fiddle, a cousin sang "Cherry Ripe," and another uncle sang "Drake's Drum." It was very warm in the little house. Auntie Hannah, who had got on to the parsnip wine, sang a song about Bleeding Hearts and Death, and then another in which she said her heart was like a Bird's Nest; and then everybody laughed again; and then I went to bed. Looking through my bedroom window, out into the moonlight and the unending smoke-colored snow, I could see the lights in the windows of all the other houses on our hill and hear the music rising from them up the long, steadily falling night. I turned the gas down, I got into bed. I said some words to the close and holy darkness, and then I slept."

Monologue Option 3:

Please tell a ghost story, 1 minute max.

Monologue Option 4: Please present a monologue of your choosing.

SONG OPTIONS

1) Option 1: Please prepare 16 bars and bring sheet music for a song that shows your vocal range. An accompanist will be provided, or you may sing a cappella.

2) Option 2: Please prepare your favorite Christmas Carol or winter song. Please bring sheet music or sing a cappella.

For more information, please contact Wanda Strukus: