PLEASE NOTE: Auditions for 2023’s A Christmas Carol are complete. See you next year!
Trinity Repertory Company seeks enthusiastic young talent ages 8 – 12 to join the children’s cast of this year’s production of A Christmas Carol! Join us for open auditions Saturday, September 9 from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm at Cardi’s Furniture and Mattresses, located at 999 Newport Ave., South Attleboro, MA, 02703.
Click here for a video about auditions.
About
A Christmas Carol, adapted from the novella by Charles Dickens, original music by Richard Cumming, directed and adapted by Stephen Thorne
- Everyone’s favorite curmudgeon, Ebenezer Scrooge, is back. He is a wrenching, covetous, mean old man, caring more for money than the good of his family or neighbors. When the clock strikes midnight one fateful Christmas Eve, the ghost of Scrooge’s old pal Marley pays a much overdue visit. Through a supernatural journey, Scrooge must confront his past, acknowledge his present, and define his future for the good of his community, and his very soul. A timeless holiday tale of redemption and joy, Trinity Rep’s reimagined production of A Christmas Carol has been a beloved New England family tradition for more than 45 years!
A note from the director, Stephen Thorne
“Hello! I am very excited to direct this year’s production of A Christmas Carol at Trinity Rep. This is a fantastic experience for children as they work together to create something from beginning to end. They gain confidence in a very supportive environment, they get paid a little money, and, most importantly, experience something magical that they’ll remember for a very long time.
We are always looking for ways that our audience can see their lived experiences live on stage in every story we tell. That is why this season, Trinity Rep is looking for young neurodivergent actors to portray select roles. ‘Neurodivergent’ is an umbrella term encompassing a range of identities and conditions in which a person’s brain “works differently” than those of the majority, or “neurotypical” people. Examples of conditions considered neurodivergent include, but are not limited to, autism, ADHD, OCD, Down syndrome, Tourette’s syndrome, generalized anxiety disorder, and dyslexia. Trinity Rep will provide appropriate accommodations for these young actors during auditions, rehearsals, and performances.”
Important dates
Please note the rehearsal calendar for children is to be determined as well as the performance schedule.
- Rehearsals: October 3 – November 3
- Tech Rehearsals: November 4 – November 8
- Preview Performances: November 9 – November 14
- Opening Press Night: November 15
- Closing: December 31; possible extension or make up shows to January 7, 2024
Age requirement
- Children will need to be ages 8 – 12 for the full run of the show.
COVID-19 requirement
- Children must be fully vaccinated by the time rehearsals start in October.
- Employment at Trinity Rep, including for child actors, is contingent upon proof of full vaccination, including a bivalent booster, against COVID-19. Medical and religious exemptions to vaccination requirements will be granted and reasonable accommodations provided under applicable law. Please note requests will be reviewed but are not guaranteed. Forms are available upon request at childauditions@trinityrep.com.
Audition information
Preparation
- Registration is not required! When you arrive to Cardi’s, please check in, provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination for your child or submit your exemption forms, and complete the audition form and costume sheet. If able, print and complete forms prior to arrival. We will have extra copies of each form at the check-in table.
- On your child’s audition form, we will ask for acting, vocal, dance, and instrument abilities as well as if they can jump rope. We will also ask for any other relevant theater experience/skills in addition to any known conflicts you have at this time.
- Children should prepare, or be familiar with, the three short scenes linked below. They should also prepare to sing a verse of their favorite Christmas carol. Auditionees do not need to memorize scenes, and we encourage you to bring lyrics to your song!
- At auditions, we aren’t looking for children to act like the descriptions of the characters below, but instead, to just be themselves.
Click here to download the audition form.
Click here to download the costume fitting form.
Click the bullets below to download the three short scenes:
Day-of information
- From 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, we will have children audition in groups of four to six and ask them to read one or more scenes together. We will then ask the children to sing. To audition between 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, we kindly ask that you arrive no earlier than 8:45 am and no later than 11:30 am.
- From 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, we will hold one-on-one auditions for anyone who is more comfortable auditioning without other children and instead performing just for the director and Trinity Rep’s team. If you’d like to audition during this time, we kindly ask that you arrive no later than 12:15 PM.
- We are happy to make any necessary accommodations. Examples of accommodations include but are not limited to eliminating waiting times & providing a quiet space. Our goal is to have our auditions be fun for all and not stressful!
- Parents are welcome to be in the audition room.
- Any possible callbacks will take place within weeks following auditions.
Roles and character information
Child parts are listed by their featured role and characteristics, and the additional ensemble roles that they play.
- Turkey Kid; A confident kid who knows a great deal about the neighborhood. This performer will also play: Office Caroler, Agonized Spirit, School Kid, Fezziwig Kid
- Fan: Scrooge’s older sister – a vibrant and loving presence. This performer will also play: Office Caroler, Fezziwig Kid, Wild Kid
- Belinda Cratchit: The prankster of the Cratchit family with a sparky personality. This performer will also play: A Child, Office Caroler, Clara, Fezziwig Kid
- Martha Cratchit: The eldest of the Cratchit children – responsible and nurturing. This performer will also play: Office Caroler, Agonized Spirit, Tabitha
- Peter Cratchit: A kind, quieter kid – he’s just now coming into his own. This performer will also play: Office Caroler, Dick Wilkins, Fezziwig Kid
- Tiny Tim: A child with a good sense of humor and a bright presence. Neurodivergent. This performer will also play: Office Caroler, School Kid, Fezziwig Kid, Sinus Kid
Rehearsal and Performance Schedule
- Both rehearsals and performances will take place at Trinity Repertory Company in downtown Providence, RI.
- Two children will be cast in each role, and will rehearse and perform, on an alternating basis. Participating in A Christmas Carol is a serious, and big, time commitment!
- By the start of regular rehearsals, stage management will provide parents with a child rehearsal schedule. Closer to tech rehearsal, stage management will provide a child performance schedule.
- We have a total of sixty scheduled performances and each child cast will perform about thirty shows each. Therefore, we will not accept conflicts during the weeks of tech and previews. Stage management will attempt to accommodate conflicts during rehearsals and performances, but cannot guarantee that requests will be accepted.
- Between October 3 and November 3, rehearsals for youth performers will take place Wednesday – Friday between 3:30 pm – 7:00 pm and Saturday – Sunday anytime between 10:00 am – 7:00 pm. Sundays and Monday are production days off, except for when we get into tech and previews.
- During tech rehearsal from November 4 to November 8, youth performers are called from 4:30 pm – 9:00 pm or 10:00 pm, depending on the day.
- Previews and production performances will take place Wednesday – Friday evenings at 7:30 pm and on Saturday and Sunday both at 12:00 pm and 6:00 pm. We will also have occasional school group performances at 10:30 am during the week. Monday and Tuesdays are production days off.
- Additionally, if an adult understudy needs to go on, stage management will schedule a rehearsal for the actor with full tech and the production cast during the day. For these rehearsals, we will ask for one child from each role to be present for staging and blocking purposes as they are available.
- The production child coordinator(s) will be the point of contact for parents and will supervise, support, and care for the youth performers while they are on site. When able, the child coordinator will record music and choreography for the youth cast and parents for rehearsal purposes only.
Pay
- Each child actor will receive one (1) $500.00 stipend for their time and participation. Child actors shall be paid their stipend no later than the first Thursday following opening night.
Audition Panel
- Stephen Thorne, director
- Jordan Butterfield, director of education and accessibility
- Wensley Bynoe, director of community engagement
- Gia Yarn, artistic producer
About Trinity Rep
- Trinity Repertory Company is committed to reinventing the public square and inspiring dialogue by creating emotionally stimulating live productions and innovative education programs for all ages and abilities. Trinity Rep is recognized nationally for excellence and innovation and cherished locally for high quality and diverse programming. Trinity Rep is proud to be a creative home for all of Rhode Island’s artists, audience, students, and community partners.
- Trinity Repertory Company has a zero-tolerance policy for bullying, cyber-bullying, and verbal and physical harassment. Therefore, youth actors are subject to immediate release and will be dismissed from contractual duties if certain boundaries or policies are broken.