A Christmas Story
By Jean Shepherd
Adapted by Philip Grecian
Directed by Anne Taetzsch Fitzgerald
Produced by Matt Parrish, Rebekah Bradley Ray, Alexis Rennie Wagner
PERFORMANCE DATES
December 3, 4, 5, and 10, 11, 12, 2021
There may be a daytime performance on Friday, December 10, please ensure that this date is cleared for you to perform.
AUDITION DETAILS
Sunday, September 19, 2021
Children’s Auditions: 5pm-6:15pm
Adult Auditions: 6:30-8:00pm
*Please note, if auditioning for Ralphie or Randy, you may be asked to stay through the adult auditions.
If planning to attend, please complete and submit the Registration Form here:
https://bit.ly/acsonlineregistration
Alternatively, a paper copy can be downloaded and printed at the following link. Please bring this with you to the audition.
https://bit.ly/acsprintable
LOCATION
ShenanArts
300 Churchville Avenue
Staunton, VA 24401
Questions? Contact
annetaetzsch@gmail.com
REHEARSALS
SYNOPSIS
Humorist Jean Shepherd's memoir of growing up in the mid-west in the 1940s follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Ralphie pleads his case before his mother, his teacher and even Santa Claus himself at Higbee's Department Store. The consistent response: You'll shoot your eye out!; All the elements from the beloved motion picture are here, including the family's temperamental exploding furnace; Scut Farkas, the school bully; the boy's
experiment with a wet tongue on a cold lamppost; the Little Orphan Annie decoder pin; Ralphie's father winning a lamp shaped like a woman's leg in a net stocking; Ralphie's fantasy scenarios and more. A Christmas Story is a theatrical holiday perennial.
Based on the motion picture A Christmas Story, © 1983 Turner Entertainment Co., distributed by Warner Bros., written by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown and Bob
Clark; and on the book, In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd. Produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY
of Woodstock, Illinois
CASTING
RALPH (as an adult)—MALE—40-70 YRS OLD
A charismatic storyteller with a dynamic speaking voice, who can draw an audience in to the world of the play. Radio personality. He (like his younger self) has a twinkle in his
eye. An actor with presence and spark.
RALPHIE – MALE –9-12 YRS OLD
A regular kid. He wouldn’t be lost in a crowd, but he wouldn’t stand out either. Ralphie is a dreamer. He’s youthful, caring, and very imaginative.
MOTHER-- FEMALE – LOOKS 30’s—EARLY-40’s YRS OLD
She is more in charge than she would ever let anyone know. Warm but tough. Strong willed, funny, smart, straight forward, no nonsense, likable, – a kind of every-mom.
THE OLD MAN —MALE – LOOKS 30’s--MID-40’s YRS OLD
He has a good heart, but it is buried under a rough exterior. He’s not the perfect father by any means – he is happiest when he’s tinkering in the basement. He usually expects
the worst, but is secretly a dreamer. A devoted husband/father, who loves his family but does not feel the need to show it.
RANDY—MALE – 6-9 YRS OLD
Ralphie’s younger brother. Can be a bit awkward and offbeat; admires his big brother, Ralphie, but won’t admit it.
MISS SHEILDS (Teacher)/ELF—FEMALE—25-65 YRS OLD
She is Ralphie’s elementary school teacher. Perhaps a little boring looking at first – ah but underneath! Great with comedy. Actor must be comfortable working with kids.
FLICK—MALE-- 9-12 YRS OLD
Ralphie’s friend and classmate. Gets his tongue stuck to a flagpole on a bet.
SCHWARTZ –MALE--9-12 YRS OLD
Ralphie’s friend and classmate.
ESTHER JANE – FEMALE-- 9-12 YRS OLD
Ralphie’s classmate. She is quite keen on Ralphie.
HELEN WEATHERS – FEMALE-- 9-12 YRS OLD
Ralphie’s classmate. She is very smart and very confident.
SCUT FARKUS/BLACK BART—MALE—11-13 YRS OLD
The school bully. Loud, intimidating, and mean. A year or two older than Ralphie.
SANTA/TREE LOT OWNER/DELIVERY MAN/ COWBOY —MALE—20-75 YRS OLD
ENSEMBLE:
GROVER DILL/DESPERADO --MALE—7-10 YRS OLD
Scut's right hand man. The classic no-nonsense sidekick. Grover has no lines, but his actions speak volumes. Randy understudy.
CLASSMATE – FEMALE – 9-12 YRS OLD
Esther Jane’s understudy.
CLASSMATE -- FEMALE – 9-12 YRS OLD
Helen Weathers understudy
CLASSMATE/DESPERADO—MALE—9-12 YRS OLD
Ralphie’s understudy.
*If cast as ensemble/understudy, the expectation is that the understudy will learn the lines and blocking. Should the regular actor or actress be unable to appear on stage because of illness or emergency, the understudy will take over the part for that show.
Understudies will not perform unless an unforeseen circumstance occurs.
PRODUCTION TEAM
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Technical Director & Set Designer: Tom Kernan
Assistant Director: Tarken Davis
Stage Managers: Matthew Cline-Taskey & Andy West
Lighting Designer: Rosalind Collins
Costume Designer: Barbara Ferguson
Sound Designer: Mike Riddell
Fight Choreographer: Larry Friedland
Videos
