Elgin Theatre Company to hold 'A Christmas Carol' auditions
The Elgin Theatre Company has set auditions for "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. It will be in a radio play adapted by Phillip Grecian and directed by Linda Collins.
Auditions will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5, on the fourth floor of the Rider Center of the Elgin Academy, Kimball Street and Academy Place in Elgin. Enter via the upper door (third floor) and take the elevator or the stairs to the fourth floor. See Elgin-Theatre.org for a map and parking instructions.
Participants can either prepare a 2-minute monologue or do a cold reading from the script that will show your ability. Also, if cast, actors will be given one comp ticket for one performance of the show, any date.
They also are looking for choirs, of any age, children, teen, or adult, to perform Christmas carols. If selected, your group will have the opportunity to perform your own prepared holiday music for our audience. The play's director will come to see your group perform, so contact the Elgin Theatre Company at (847) 741-0532 to arrange for your audition.
As this production is the radio play version, they are looking for voice acting. Because of the numerous voices needed, each actor cast must be versatile and be able to read multiple roles, effectively changing the sound of their voice for each character.
Performances will be at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20 and Saturday, Nov. 21, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22.
Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserly old man who believes that Christmas is just an excuse for people to miss work and for idle people to expect handouts. He doesn't believe in all of the good cheer and charity that the season promotes, and he makes sure everyone knows it.
That night, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former business associate, Jacob Marley - a man who was as greedy and cold as Scrooge is. Marley warns Scrooge that if he continues to live so selfishly, he will spend eternity wearing the chains that his greed has built.
Three ghosts visit Scrooge successively: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. They show Scrooge his error in valuing money over people. Scrooge is frightened by the bleak picture of his life and promises to change his ways.
Scrooge awakes on Christmas morning a new man. He becomes jolly and charitable, and truly turns into the man he promised the ghosts he would become. He carries the spirit of Christmas with him all the year round.
They also need crew members, such as stage manager, assistant director, set builders, technical support (lights and sound), costumes, and ushers. If interested, contact Linda Collins at linssweetmusic@yahoo.com.
For details, visit www.elgin-theatre.org.
A Christmas Carol is produced by special arrangement with Dramatic Publishing Inc.
This program is funded in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.