Written by Christopher Durang
Music by Michael Friedman
Directed by Ginny Fennessy
Audition Dates:
September 28, 7-9pm
September 29, 7-9pm
Westminster Presbyterian Church Social Room, Auburn NY
Show Synopsis:
In Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge, Mrs. Bob Cratchit, a minor character in the Dickens, takes center stage. No longer loving and long suffering, Mrs. Bob is in a rage: She’s sick of Tiny Tim, she hates her 20 other children (most of them confined to the root cellar), including oversized Little Nell, and she wants to get drunk and jump off London Bridge. As the Ghost loses more control, the plot morphs into parodies of Oliver Twist, The Gift of the Magi and It’s a Wonderful Life.
To make matters worse, Scrooge and Mrs. Bob seem to be kindred souls falling in love. With a dénouement that is two parts Touched by an Angel and one part The Queen of Mean, Scrooge’s tale of redemption and gentle grace is placed squarely on its head.
Audition Requirements:
Come prepared to sing a well known Christmas Carol.
Audition sides for a cold reading will be provided.
Characters: Bold names are lead roles and won’t be cast in other roles, as per the playwright’s directions. Other actors may and probably will be assigned more than one role.
Young Jacob Marley (child) – innocent, sings a Christmas carol.
Young Ebenezer Scrooge (child) – small version of adult Scrooge, but with more hair.
The Ghost – female adult. Likes to sing, is not good at time travel, and finds children slightly annoying.
Ebenezer Scrooge – grumpy old man.
Bob Cratchit – middle-aged man, kind hearted family man.
Tiny Tim – young person, clumsy yet kind and loving – in later scenes this actor plays a dog.
Mrs. Bob Cratchit – adult woman, who hates children, and wants to drink and jump off London Bridge.
Child 1 and Child 2 – Cratchit children, one boy and one girl.
Gentleman 1 and 2 – adult men by the name of Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, in Victorian garb.
Jacob Marley – another adult ghost.
Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig – partying adult couple that love Christmas.
The Beadle and Beadle’s Wife – adult couple that feed children in the orphanage.
Edvar and Hedvig – adult Dutch couple (with Dutch accents).
Little Nell – large female Cratchit daughter, in later scene, this actor plays a horse.
Bartender – adult of drinking age.
George – adult male from It’s a Wonderful Life.
Child (Zuzu) – girl from It’s a Wonderful Life.
Clarence – adult male angel from It’s a Wonderful Life.
The Nice Mrs. Cratchit – adult woman, near to Bob Cratchit’s age, who is truly sweet.
Lovely Irish Voice – adult woman.
Serena – an adult woman, maid to the Helmsleys.