Auditions: The best christmas pageant ever

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

Directed by John Szablewski

SHOW DATES:  December 1-4, 2022 (Two shows on Saturday, 12/3:  2:30pm and 7:30pm)

AUDITIONS:

Aurora Players requires proof of Covid vaccination for those auditioning over the age of 14. Covid vaccinations are strongly recommended for children ages 5-13 but are not required.

• Auditions will take place at Nativity Lutheran Church, 970 Main Street, East Aurora on September 12, 13 and 15 at 6:30 PM.
• There will be no call backs. Casting decisions will be made by the weekend.
• The cast will sing traditional Christmas carols in the show, but singing will not be part of the
  audition.
• Cast will provide their own costumes for this show.

CHARACTERS AND DESCRIPTIONS:
*In this production, the Herdman children will be played by adults portraying children in order to
appear more menacing and for comedic effect.
Father ‐ Bob Bradley: (M) 35 ‐ 40 …………………………..would rather not attend church
Mother ‐ Grace Bradley: (F) 35 ‐ 40…………….. agrees to direct the Christmas pageant
Beth Bradley: (F) 10 ‐ 11 ………………………………our narrator, bold, sassy, strong voice
Charlie Bradley: (M) 8 ‐ 9 …………………………………………………………. a silly kid brother
RALPH HERDMAN*: (M) 20 ‐ 50 …….. ragged, scroungy, slouching manner, tough guy
IMOGENE HERDMAN*: (F) 20 ‐ 30………………………………………………….loud and bossy
LEROY HERDMAN*: (M) 20 ‐ 30……………………………………………tough, sure of himself
CLAUDE HERDMAN*: (M) 20 ‐ 30……………………………………………….tough, combative
OLLIE HERDMAN*: (M) 20 ‐ 30 ……………………………………………….. Looking for trouble
GLADYS HERDMAN*: (F) 20 ‐ 30 …………………………………………………Small, wiry, feisty
Alice Wendleken: (F) 10 ‐ 11…………………………………….prim, proper, pain in the neck
Mrs. Armstrong: (F) 50+ ….the runner of the Christmas pageant for the last 100 years
Mrs. Slocum: (F) 35 ‐ 60…………………………………………………………. Pleasant, motherly
Mrs. McCarthy: (F) 40s …………… a younger less imperious version of Mrs. Armstrong
Mrs. Clark: (F) 35 ‐ 60
Mrs. Clausing: (F) 35 ‐ 60
Maxine: (F) 10 ‐ 11
Elmer Hopkins: (M) 12 ‐ 13
Hobie: 9 ‐ 10
David: (M) 8 ‐ 9
Beverly: (F) 7 ‐ 8
Fireman: 25 ‐ 30

Fireman 2: 25 ‐ 30
Shirley: (F) 5 ‐ 6
Juanita: (F) 5 ‐ 6
Doris: (F) 9 ‐ 10
Reverend Hopkins: (M) Mid to late 40’s

Audition dates for CHILDREN, ages 5-13, are September 12 and 13 at 6:30 PM.

• Parents should stay with children at auditions. They will be relatively quick. We encourage all parents to audition too!
• Children are asked to prepare a joke to tell on stage (any type of joke).
• Children of reading age will also read from the following script excerpt. Ideally, they should be familiar with it in preparation for their audition:

BETH: The Herdmans were the worst kids in the whole history of the world. They lied and stole and smoked cigars, even the girls, and talked dirty and hit little kids and cussed their teachers and took the name of the Lord in vain and set fire to Fred Shoemaker’s old broken-down tool house.

ALICE: And that’s not all. Somebody sent five dozen doughnuts for the fireman and the
Herdmans ate them all, and what they couldn’t eat they stuffed in their pockets and down the
fronts of their shirts.

MAXINE: And they wrote really really dirty words on the back of Naomi Waddell’s favorite
turtle, so now Naomi can’t take it to the Y.M.C.A pet show. . .her mother won’t let her.

ALICE: What was the word?

ALICE: OH!

MAXINE: And that’s not all! They did it with fluorescent paint, so it glows in the dark. When
you can’t even see the turtle, you can still see the word.

ALICE: And they put a whole bunch of tadpoles in the school drinking fountain, and Miss
Barnes swallowed two or three by mistake. Somebody yelled “Mildred, stop! You’re drinking
tadpoles!”…but it was too late.

MAXINE: Did she get sick?

ALICE: Not right away.

Audition dates for ADULTS are September 13 and 15 beginning at 6:30 PM

• Adults auditioning for the Herdman Kids are asked to bring a funny joke to perform on stage. They will also be asked to read the scene provided above, along with sides provided at the audition.
• Adults auditioning for adult roles will read sides from the script. Most Adult parts are small and will not require too much rehearsal.

IMPORTANT DATES
Note: Those auditioning will be asked to identify all rehearsal conflicts on their audition form.

• Full cast read-through will be held September 21, 2022 at 6:30, location TBD.
• All rehearsals will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 PM
• Initial rehearsals will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from September 26 to November 2, excluding October 10th.
• Full cast rehearsals will be held November 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22

*** DATES THAT CANNOT BE MISSED ***
November 2 (WED.) COSTUME FASHION SHOW*
November 19 (SAT.) TECH REHEARSAL (plan on all day, w/ dinner)
November 21 & 22 (MON. & TUES.) FINAL RUN‐THROUGHS
November 28 (MON.) FULL DRESS REHEARSAL
November 29 (TUES.) FULL DRESS REHEARSAL (with audience ‐ seniors)

December 1-4 SHOW DATES (two shows on Saturday, 12/3)

December 4 (SUN.) SET STRIKE (following performance)