Dec. 7th - 16th, 2018

Transcription

1 announces auditions for A Christmas Carol Audition Date: Production Dates: th October 20, 2018 Dec. 7th - 16th, 2018 Director: Jason Crespin Audition Schedule Saturday, October 20th 10:00 am-noon 12:45 pm-2:15 pm 2:30 pm-3:45 pm 4:00 pm-5:00 pm When: Where: 9th - 12th grade 3rd - 5th grade 6th - 8th grade 5 year old - 2nd grade ALT Fed. Club 2001 Civic Circle ENTER THROUGH SIDE DOOR. T FRONT CLASSROOM DOOR! You will see signage as to what door to enter. Possible Callbacks: Sunday, October 21st starting at 2:30pm Auditions are open to all currently enrolled Academy students 5 years old to 12th grade. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the play. Roles are available for roughly 50 Academy students. Please arrive 15 minutes before your audition to sign in! Students auditioning should dress in appropriate attire for an audition. Look nice. You must have AUDITION FORM, CONFLICT FORM and MEASUREMENT FORM filled out completely to audition. We will collect these as you sign in on the day of auditions. Forms, audition packet, and some audition material can be found at If you are unable to attend the time slot for your grade level, please contact Mr. Jason BEFORE Tuesday, Oct. 16th! Questions? Mr. Jason at jason@amarillolittletheatre.org

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3 Cast of Characters Ebenezer Scrooge (9th - 12th grade) Bob Cratchit (9th - 12th grade) Fred (Scrooge's Nephew) (7th - 12th grade) Mrs. Dilber (9th - 12th grade) Jacob Marley (9th - 12th grade) Ghost of Christmas Past (6th - 12th grade) Young Scrooge (5 year old - 5th grade) Teen Scrooge (6th - 8h grade) Fan (3rd - 5th grade) Young Man Scrooge (8th - 12th grade) Richard (7th - 12th grade) Mr. Fezziwig (7th - 12th grade) Mrs. Fezziwig (7th - 12th grade) Belle (8th - 12th grade) Older Belle (9th - 12th grade) Belle's Husband John (9th - 12th grade) Belle's Children (Charlotte, Anna, Will, Thomas, and Christina) (5 year old - 5 th grade) Ghost of Christmas Present (3rd - 8th grade) Victoria (Fred's wife) (7th - 12th grade) Mrs. Cratchit (9th - 12th grade) Belinda Cratchit (5 year old - 5th grade) Peter Cratchit (5 year old - 5th grade) Martha Cratchit (6th - 8th grade) Tiny Tim (5 year old - 5th grade) Ghost of Christmas Future (6th - 12th grade) Ensemble Shoppers, Goose Boy/Girl, Carolers, Townspeople, Banker, Charity Workers, Ghosts, School Boys, Fezziwig's daughters, Belle's Children, Friends of Fred and Victoria, Merchant, Shopkeeper, etc...

4 Audition material for A Christmas Carol Please take a look at the scene's listed for your age group below. These will be the scenes you will read at your audition. Please be as familiar as you can with the scenes listed as this will help auditions run smoother. Reminder: The play will be taking place in London, England during the early 1800's. 5 year olds - 2nd Grade Scene's 5, 11, 15 and 17 3rd - 5th Grade Scene's 5, 6, 11, 12, 14, 15 and 17 6th - 8th Grade Scene's 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, and 17 9th - 12th Grade Scene's 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18

5 Scene 0 (FRED, SCROOGE S NEPHEW enters) Fred. (Bursting into the ofce, exuberantly) Merry Christmas, Uncle! God save you! Scrooge. Oh, it s you, Fred. Fred. (slaps Cratchit on the back) Cratchit! Merry Christmas! (BOB CRATCHIT waves timidly, get right back to work) Scrooge. Christmas! Bah, Humbug! Fred. Christmas a humbug, Uncle? Surely you don t mean that. Scrooge. I do, too! (scofs) Merry Christmas! Why do YOU have the right to be merry? You re poor! Fred. (still smiling) Why do YOU have the right to be so dismal? You re rich! Scrooge. (Can t think of a comeback) Bah, Humbug! Fred. Don t get upset, Uncle! Scrooge. What else can I be, when I live among such fools! What is Christmas but a time when you re a year older? Every idiot who goes about shouting, Merry Christmas should be boiled in pudding and buried with a stake of holly though his heart! Fred. (Aghast) Uncle! Scrooge. Fred, you keep Christmas in your way, and let me keep it in mine. Fred. But you don t keep it at all! Scrooge. Then just leave it alone. What good has it ever done you? Fred. I have always thought of Christmas as a good time; a time where folks are kind, forgiving, pleasant, and charitable, and though it hasn t ever put a scrap of gold in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good and it will do me good, and I say, God bless it! (BOB CRATCHIT, in awe, stands and applauds so vehemently at Fred s speech that his candle goes out. SCROOGE glares at him and CRATCHIT stops applauding immediately and sits, going back to work) Scrooge. HUMBUG! Why did you get married? Fred. What? Because I fell in love! Scrooge. LOVE! Humbug! Love is the only thing more ridiculous than Merry Christmas! Good afternoon! Fred. I want nothing from you; I ask nothing of you, why can t we be friends? Scrooge. (louder) Good Afternoon! Fred. I m sorry you feel this way. But I ll keep my Christmas spirit! Merry Christmas Uncle! Scrooge. (even louder) Good Afternoon! Fred. And a Happy New Year!

6 Scene 1 (SCROOGE sits at desk, lights a candle and begins to make notations in his ledgers, muttering as MRS. DILBER, his housekeeper, comes in with a tray.) Mrs. Dilber. Good Evenin to you, Mister Scrooge, sir. (Sets tray down on his desk.) Scrooge. (wearily) And you, too, Mrs. Dilber? Good Evenin! May I ask you just what s so good about it? Mrs. Dilber. (as she sets the room to rights) Well, it s Christmas, sir. Everyone is cheerful, and the decorations in the shops are pretty. The snow is ever so nice. You ve a fre in the grate, you ave, and a tray o supper to fll your belly. Scrooge. The mere basic necessities of life and fripperies and weather should make me happy? Mrs. Dilber. Yes, sir. They make me happy, sir. Scrooge. Well, I m not happy! Mrs. Dilber. Yes. I see that, sir. Will you be wantin your supper? Scrooge. What is it? Mrs. Dilber. (takes dome of the plate) Pheasant, sir. With roasted potato and carrot. Scrooge. (Looks at it.) And bread? Mrs. Dilber. Yes, of course, Mr. Scrooge. Scrooge. Is it still warm? Mrs. Dilber. It was before the start of this conversation, sir. Scrooge. (picks up roll) It s cold. All of it. COLD. (Throws dinner roll at Mrs. Dilber) Out! Out of here! Get out! Mrs. Dilber. (Gathers tray and roll) With absolute pleasure, sir. Scrooge. W! Mrs. Dilber. Oh, and Mr Scrooge? Scrooge. WHAT!? Mrs. Dilber. Merry Christmas. (exits) Scene 2 Scrooge. (roars) I hate Christmas! (Exits behind dressing screen and fings his clothes about as he undresses and gets into his nightshirt and nightcap) Infuriating woman, that Mrs. Dilber! Has been my housekeeper for going on twenty years and still doesn t know better than to wish me a Merry Christmas! I ought to sack her and hire someone else! She didn t even bring me any pudding, and she knows that s what I like best. Unbelievable! This entire day has been wretched. I m going to go to bed and hope that I sleep right through this detestable holiday and that I wake up when everyone s in their right mind, again. (Gets into bed, yawns) Everyone going about being merry. Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. Christmas! Merry Christmas, indeed. Bah, Humbug! (Keeps muttering the same as he falls asleep.)

7 Scene 3 (Lights up on JACOB MARLEY, bound from head to toe in chains, looking uncomfortable sitting in a chair near SCROOGE.) Scrooge. (Straightens violently) Humbug! (Blinks, yawns, stretches) Marley? Jacob Marley? It can t be Marley. Marley is dead. Dead as a doornail. Who are you? Marley. I am, in fact, dead. It s terribly inconvenient. But ask me who I was! Scrooge. (Grumbles) Alright, who were you, then? Marley. In life, I was your partner, Jacob Marley. Scrooge. It can t be! You can t be! You re... making me a bit uneasy. Can you sit down? Marley. Possibly. Scrooge. Do it, then. Marley. (sits, uncomfortable) You don t believe I m real, do you? Scrooge. (nervous) I don t. There s more chance that you re some bad gravy than that you re actually from the grave, whatever you are. Marley. (MUSIC, CHAINS, LIGHTS, Marley bellows loudly, shaking his chains) Ebenezer Scrooge! Scrooge. (Falls on his knees, hands clasped before his face) ALRIGHT! I believe it s you! You re a dreadful apparition! Have mercy! Why do you trouble me so? Marley. Do you believe I m real, now? Scrooge. (opens one eye) I do. I suppose I must! But why are you a ghost, and why are you chained? Marley. I wear the chain I forged in life. I made it link by link, and yard by yard; with every unkindness I uttered, with everyone I cheated, with everyone I denied mercy and charity. Each link I wear is a sin against man! Scrooge. That is terrible! Marley. It s horrible! And yours is waiting for you, Ebenezer, and yours is even longer and heavier than mine! Scrooge. No! Marley. I am here to warn you, Ebenezer. If you continue your life as it is, you will be exactly like me, but you may have a chance of escaping my fate. Tonight, Ebenezer Scrooge, you will be haunted by three spirits. Scrooge. Oh, no, thank you. I d rather not. Marley. Hush! Without their visits, you cannot have any hope of escaping my fate. The frst spirit will visit when the clock strikes one. Scrooge. Can t I have them come all at once and be done with it, Jacob? Marley. (Rattles chains, music, sound, etc), EBENEZER! Expect the second at the stroke of two and the third at the stroke of three. Listen carefully to these ghosts, Ebenezer. Your life... and others may depend on it!

8 Scene 4 Scrooge. (wakes from a ftful sleep, checks time) One o clock already, and no ghost here to haunt me. I suppose being prompt has no place in the afterworld? (Lights up on GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST. A small, slight fgure whose bone-like wings extend menacingly) Ghost of Christmas Past. I m here, Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge. Oh! Are you the spirit whose coming was foretold to me? Ghost of Christmas Past. I am. Scrooge. Who...who are you? What are you? Ghost of Christmas Past. I am the Ghost of Christmas Past. Scrooge. Long past? Ghost of Christmas Past. No, your past. Scrooge. Why have you come to me? Ghost of Christmas Past. Your welfare brings me here. Your redemption. You must listen. Take heed! Rise and walk with me. Scrooge. Spirit, it s quite late, and it appears to be drizzling outside. It s so cold... and snowing! Wouldn t it be better if we stayed here by the fre and you just told me whatever it is I needed to know? Ghost of Christmas Past. No. Scrooge. You re sure? Ghost of Christmas Past. Quite sure. Scene 5 (YOUNG SCROOGE, in ragged clothes and shivering, reading a book) Boy 1. Hey, Ebenezer! Boy 2. Sneezy Ebenezer! Boy 1. (takes book from YOUNG SCROOGE) Whatcha reading, Sneezy? Boy 2. (takes book from Boy 1, holds it up as YOUNG SCROOGE reaches for it.) What? Can t you reach it? Why can t you reach it, Sneezy? Boy 3. (enters) Hey, you lot! Let s go hear the caroling. (indicates YOUNG SCROOGE) Does he want to come? Boy 2. (sneers) No, he s got sneezy reading to do. Boy 1. What would we want him to come? If we start going around with him, his father might beat up on us, too. Best leave him to it. Boy 2. Bye, Sneezy.

9 Scene 6 (Lights, music change. YOUNG SCROOGE exits, replaced by TEEN SCROOGE, who paces up and down the schoolhouse foor, nervously. A little girl, FAN, much younger than the boy, races in and throws her arms about his neck and kisses his cheek.) Fan. Dear, dear brother! Teen Scrooge. It s Fan! My little sister! Fan. I have come to bring you home, dear brother! Teen Scrooge. Home, Little Fan? Fan. Yes, home, home, home! Home, forever and ever! Father is ever so much kinder than he used to be, and he spoke so kindly that I wasn t afraid to ask if you could come home from this place! He even sent me in a coach to bring you! Teen Scrooge. (smiles) Did he? Fan. And we re to spend a splendid Christmas together! (She hugs him about the waist.) Isn t it wonderful? Teen Scrooge. Yes, Little Fan. It is. (TEEN SCROOGE and FAN embrace more and chat quietly before exiting.) Scene 7 (Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig take stations by the door to wish everyone well, everyone exits in a jolly mood. FEZZIWIG pulls YOUNG MAN SCROOGE aside). Fezziwig. It s the merriest of Christmases, isn t it? Young Man Scrooge. Of course it is! The merriest, sir. Fezziwig. It s been an abundant year, my boy. I m proud of the work we ve done, and I wish to give you something to show you how much I value you as an employee. Young Man Scrooge. You value me? Fezziwig. Yes, I do, you and your counterpart, Wilkins. But for you, Ebenezer, I have this. (He gives Scrooge a pocket watch.) Mr. Montague, the man who gave me my very frst job as a young man, gave me this watch one year at Christmas time, and I thought it only ftting that I should now pass it on to you. You re a hard worker, Ebenezer. Take care not to work too hard, eh? Young Man Scrooge. Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!

10 Scene 8 Ghost of Christmas Past. It seems as if it were a small matter to make these silly folks so full of gratitude. Scrooge. It s not small! He opened up his shop, gave us a party on his holiday! He gave me a gift! A gift I still have to this day! Old Fezziwig was the best of men! Ghost of Christmas Past. Why is it not? He only spent a few coins of money. Is that why he deserves praise? Scrooge. It isn t that, spirit. It is that he had the power to make us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil. His power lay in words or looks, in things so insignifcant that it would be impossible to add them all up. The happiness he gave us was quite as great as if he d spent a fortune... (trails of, thinking) Ghost of Christmas Past. (Gives Scrooge a pointed look) Hm. Scrooge. What? Ghost of Christmas Past. What is the matter? Scrooge. Nothing particular. Ghost of Christmas Past. Something, I think! Scrooge. No. No, I should just like to be able to say a word or two to my clerk just now, that s all. Ghost of Christmas Past. (Nods thoughtfully) My time grows short. Quickly, now! Scene 9 Belle. I know it doesn t matter much to you, Ebenezer, But I can t stay with you when I know that I have a rival. Young Man Scrooge. What on Earth are you talking about, Belle? There is no one else! Belle. No one, perhaps. But no thing? Young Man Scrooge. I don t know what you mean. Belle. If my rival can give you all the warmth and comfort that I would have given you in years to come, then... perhaps it s for the best. Young Man Scrooge. Would have? Belle? What rival? Belle. Your business. Your work. Gold. Young Man Scrooge. This is how the world works, Belle. People are condemned for being poor, and they condemn you for wanting to be rich!

11 Belle. Is there anything in between? I ve watched all your hopes and dreams fall away until the only one that s left is the want of money. You want to be rich more than you want me, Ebenezer. Young Man Scrooge. Even if I am wiser, now, and more dedicated to the earning money, my feelings towards you haven t changed! Belle. When you asked me to marry you, we were both poor, and happy to be poor together until we could work to improve ourselves. You ve changed so much; you were another man, then. Young Man Scrooge. I was a boy! Belle. I loved that boy. Let me ask you this, if you had it to do all over again, would you still ask me to marry you? Would you court me now? Seek me out to win me over? Young Man Scrooge. You obviously think I wouldn t. Belle. (sighs sadly) Because I loved that man that so full of hopes and dreams, I m letting you go, now. May you be happy in the life you have chosen, Ebenezer. (Exits.) Scene 10 Scrooge. Spirit, do something! Help me! Ghost of Christmas Past. I am helping. Scrooge. Was I really that pompous? (Voice breaks.) Spirit. I cannot take any more. These things you re showing me are terrible! I can t believe you d bring me here! Why are you torturing me? Ghost of Christmas Past. I told you that these are but shadows of things that happened. What are you blaming me for what you see? Scrooge. But these things happened so long ago! Things have changed, spirit. I have changed. Ghost of Christmas Past. Oh you have, have you? When? Sometime in the last half hour? Do you really think your behavior of a lifetime can be changed so quickly? Come. I have one shadow more to show you. Scrooge. No, please. No more. I don t wish to see any more of my mistakes. Ghost of Christmas Past. What you wish and what is to be are two very diferent things. Come along. Scene 11 (Lights up on OLDER BELLE and HER CHILDREN by a Christmas tree and a freplace. They cover the hearth and are a merry bunch, Singing and playing, excited by the prospect of Christmas.) Charlotte. Mother, read to us, please? Older Belle. Let s wait until your father gets home! Anna. When will he get here?

12 Will. Will he be home, soon? Thomas. He s taking forever! Older Belle. It won t be too long, now. Christina. Is it Christmas yet, Mummy? Anna. Of course it is! Thomas. No, it isn t; it s Christmas Eve! Charlotte. That s nearly Christmas! Christina. (excited) Nearly Christmas! Will. (hears the door) He s Home! (CHILDREN scramble to meet their father, climbing him, diving into his pockets and greeting him excitedly) John. Here, now! I m happy it s Christmas, as well, you lot! How would you all like a sweet? Christina. Yes, please, Father! (He hands round the sweets, all the CHILDREN say their version of, Thank you. They go and sit by the fre.) Scene 12 (The clock strikes two, and SCROOGE awakes violently. He shakes his head and wanders to the fre, muttering to himself.) Scrooge. A dream, twas all it was. Only a dream. (Lights and Music change, and the GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT enters.) Scrooge. Not again! Ghost of Christmas Present. (laughs) Have I been here before? Scrooge. Not you, exactly, but one of your counterparts. Ghost of Christmas Present. There s no one quite like me! Scrooge. Who are you, then? Ghost of Christmas Present. I am the Ghost of Christmas Present. Scrooge. And you ve never met the other fellow? Ghost of Christmas Present. I don t follow. Scrooge. Never mind. I suppose you have things to show me? Ghost of Christmas Present. I do, my good man, I certainly do. Scrooge. Fine. I learned some things earlier, important things, I think, and I suppose I ll learn more with you? Ghost of Christmas Present. We can only hope, Ebenezer. Let s go!

13 Scene 13 (Lights and Music. Set changes to FRED S house, a pretty drawing room with a large window where we can see snow is falling outside. A freplace, a chandelier, stockings, a Christmas Tree. FRED and his wife VICTORIA and THEIR FRIENDS, TOPPER, PAUL, ELIZA and ROSIE sitting around the room. All laugh raucously.) Victoria. He said Christmas was a humbug? Fred. And he believed it, too! Victoria. Shame on him, Fred. Fred. Ah, Victoria, my love, he s a comical old fellow, and not so pleasant as he might be, but his actions have their own punishment, and I have nothing bad to say about him. Topper. Isn t he very rich, Fred? Eliza. I hear he has more money than Croesus! Rosie. Stacks and stacks of it! Fred. His wealth is of no use to him. He doesn t do any good with it. He certainly doesn t make himself comfortable with it. Victoria. He ll never beneft us with it! I have no patience with him. Fred. Oh, I do. I feel sorry for him. I couldn t be angry with him if I tried. Who s the only one who sufers from his ill behaviors? Scrooge himself. Victoria. And his poor clerk, Cratchit. Paul. Indeed. Fred. Perhaps, Yes. But Uncle Scrooge takes it into his head to dislike us, and what is the result? He loses out on a fantastic dinner. Topper. Hear, hear. Fred. I ll go back and give him the same chance to come to Christmas Eve Dinner every year, anyway, whether he likes it or not! He may humbug Christmas until he dies, but I won t ever stop. Victoria. (kisses his cheek) You re a good man, Fred. Now that s enough about your uncle. Eliza. Yes. Let s play a game! Rosie. Let s play Yes or No! Paul. Yes, let s! Topper. You go Fred. Victoria. Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral? Fred. Animal. Rosie. A live animal?

14 Fred. Yes. Victoria. A pig? Fred. No. Paul. A lion? Fred. No. Rosie. A dog? Topper. Does it walk on four legs? Fred. No. Eliza. Does it walk on two legs? Fred. Yes! Rosie. Is it bad-tempered? Fred. YES! Paul. Does it growl and snort? Fred. Yes! Eliza. I know what it is! Victoria. Yes, yes! It is your Uncle Scrooooooooge! (all laugh uproariously) Fred. A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to the old man, wherever he is! To Uncle Scrooge! All. (raise glasses) To Uncle Scrooge! Scene 14 Scrooge. (Speaking about Fred) He s a good boy, I suppose. Ghost of Christmas Present. You suppose? Scrooge. You think I should have joined them, then? That I should have made merry and spouted Merry Christmas with them all? Ghost of Christmas Present. It isn t about what I think, Ebenezer. Scrooge. What good are you, then? Ghost of Christmas Present. (ominously) Careful, Scrooge. Take care in how you speak to me. Scrooge. Yes, spirit. Ghost of Christmas Present. Come on, then. I ve something else to show you. Scrooge. Of course, Spirit.

15 Scene 15 (Lights up on the Cratchit house, where MRS. CRATCHIT, BELINDA, and PETER all bustle about, getting Christmas dinner ready, or decorating the house.) MRS. CRATCHIT. Where is your father, then? And Tiny Tim? Peter. They ll be coming back from Church, now. Belinda. I hope Martha won t be late again, this year. She should have been here an hour ago! (MARTHA knocks at the door, then enters) Mrs. Cratchit. Here s our Martha! Bless your soul! You re so late! Martha. We had a great deal of work to fnish up, mother. Mrs. Cratchit. Sit down and warm yourself by the fre, child. Peter. No, no! Here s Father coming, now! Hide, Martha! Hide! (MARTHA hides. BOB CRATCHIT enters with TINY TIM, (holding a little crutch) upon his shoulder.) Cratchit. Merry Christmas, all! There s Peter and Belinda and here s Tiny Tim, and my beautiful wife, but where s our Martha, then? Mrs. Cratchit. Not coming? Peter. No. Not coming. Belinda. No. (shakes head furiously) Cratchit. Not coming? Not coming on Christmas day? Martha. No, Father, I m here! Cratchit. Goodness! What a wonderful thing to see you, my dear! (hugs MARTHA) It s time for a feast, is it not? Peter. Finally! Cratchit. Let s gather round, then! (Everyone brings the meager dinner to the table, a soup that MRS. CRATCHIT ladles into bowls. Despite this, they are happy and excited, exceedingly merry.) A Merry Christmas to you all, my dears! God Bless us! Mrs. Cratchit, Martha, Peter, Belinda. God bless us! Tiny Tim. God bless us, every one! Cratchit. (Lifts his glass) I give you Mr. Scrooge! The founder of the feast! Mrs. Cratchit. The founder of the feast, indeed. I wish he were here! I d give him a piece of my mind to feast on! Cratchit. My dear! The children! It s Christmas Day, after all. Mrs. Cratchit. Should it be Christmas day when one drinks to the health of a foul, stingy, hard, cold, unfeeling man as Mr. Scrooge? You know he is all of those things, Robert. Nobody knows it better than you, your poor man!

16 Cratchit. (mildly) My dear. Christmas Day. Mrs. Cratchit. Fine. I ll drink to his health for your sake and the day s. But not for his. Long life to him! A very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. He ll be very merry and very happy, I have no doubt! Mr. Scrooge! All. (Raise glasses) Mr. Scrooge! (TINY TIM coughs, loudly, and MRS. CRATCHIT holds him in her lap and comforts him as they continue their feast.) Mrs. Cratchit. Are you well, my dear. Tiny Tim. I m fne, Mama. (coughs again) Peter. Is there any medicine left? Martha. No. He had the last bit this morning. Mrs. Cratchit. I ll make him some tea. That ll help. Tiny Tim. I m fne, Mama. Really. (coughs) Cratchit. Perhaps Mr. Scrooge will give me a Christmas bonus, and we ll be able to buy some more medicine. Tiny Tim. God bless Mr. Scrooge! Scene 16 Mrs. Cratchit. And how did little Tim behave? Cratchit. As good as gold. He gets so thoughtful, sitting by himself, and thinks the strangest things you ve ever heard! He told me, while we were coming home, that he hoped that people saw him in church, because he was crippled. Mrs. Cratchit. Whatever for? Cratchit. He said he thought that it might be pleasant for them to remember, on Christmas day, who made the lame beggars walk, and the blind men see. Mrs. Cratchit. It would, indeed. Bless him. And his health? How did he fare? Cratchit. (Shakes head.) He s a brave boy. So brave. Mrs. Cratchit. Oh, dear. Cratchit. (comforts her) Now, now. It won t do for us to dwell on sad things... today of all days! It s time for a feast, is it not?

17 Scene 17 (GHOST OF CHRISTMAS FUTURE stops him with a hand, pointed to the other side of the stage. MRS. CRATCHIT, MARTHA, PETER and BELINDA are in their one room cottage, their mood somber. Mrs. Cratchit has a basket of mending. She frowns over it and puts a hand to her eyes.) Martha. What is it, Mother? Mrs. Cratchit. (has been crying quietly) Oh, its just my weak eyes, and this mending by candlelight. I ll put it away, now. I mustn t show weak eyes to your father. Isn t it almost time for him to be home? Peter. Past time, Mother. Belinda. I think he seems to be walking a little slower, lately. Peter. No, I have seen him walk with... with Tiny Tim on his shoulder very fast, indeed! Martha. So have I! Often! Mrs. Cratchit. But our Tim was so very light to carry. And your father loved him so much that it was no trouble at all. Oh! There s your father at the door, now! Cratchit. (Enters, pleasantly) Hello, family. Mrs. Cratchit. Hello, dear. Martha. Here s tea, Father. Peter. And your slippers. Belinda. And a blanket for your lap, Father. Cratchit. What a blessed man am I to have such a loving, wonderful family! Mrs. Cratchit. How was your day, dear? Cratchit. Well enough! I saw Mr Scrooge s nephew on the street today, and he s the kindest man you ever met. He told me that, He was heartily sorry for it, Mr. Cratchit, and heartily sorry for your good wife. By the bye, how he knew that I don t know. Mrs. Cratchit. Knew what, my dear? Cratchit. Why, that you were a good wife! Peter. Everyone knows that! Cratchit. Right you are, my boy! (laughs softly, takes a card from his pocket) Yes, he gave me his card and told me that s where he lived, and that if we needed anything at all that we should come and see him. It seemed as if he knew our Tiny Tim. Mrs. Cratchit. Bless his soul. Martha. Did you go today, Father? Cratchit. Did I go? It is Sunday. I always go on Sunday. I promised Tim that I would. Peter. How was it? Cratchit. I left some wildfowers. It was very pleasant, indeed.

18 Scrooge. Where is the youngest one? The small boy? Tiny Tim? Spirit, where is he, then? (GHOST OF CHRISTMAS FUTURE says nothing.) No, Spirit.. Not the boy. Cratchit. Next week we shall all go. And I know, my dears, that when we remember how patient and kind he was, although he was only a little boy, we will be kinder to each other, and honor Tiny Tim while we do it. Martha. Yes, Father. Peter. Of course. Belinda. I miss him so much! Mrs. Cratchit. So do we all my dear. Cratchit. (holds his family) So do we all. Scene 18 Scrooge. But I have money! I ll give him a bonus if that s what he needs for his son to live! Spirit! Hear me! I am not the man I have been! Why show me this if it is all past hope? Good Spirit! Pity me! Tell me I can change these shadows you ve shown me if I change my life! Can I, Spirit? If I change, will this terrible future change, as well? I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it in mind throughout the whole year. I will live in the past, present and the future. The spirits of all three will live within me! I will not forget the lessons that you three have taught me! Oh, tell me I can wash away the destruction I have caused! (Scrooge drops to his knees and hold up his hands in a last prayer as the LIGHTS AND MUSIC change.)

19 Audition Form # ALT Academy s A Christmas Carol PLEASE FILL OUT ALL PORTIONS OF AUDITION FORM Name: Age: Grade in school: Phone Number: Cell: Address: Parent s Name: Parent's Address: Class(es) enrolled in at ALT: Role(s) you would like to audition for: Will you accept any role given? If not cast, would you like to be on crew? Would your parent be willing to help with the show? If so, please check areas of interest: Sew Costumes Being a Sponsor Helping with Costumes (No sew) Backstage Help Break a leg notes Poster Delivery Finding Donors for School Performance Lunches Helping provide work call lunch (Lunch on Saturday when set is built) Helping plan the Strike Closing Afternoon Party On the back of this page, please list any past theatre performance experience JUST for the past 5 years or attach a theatre resume.

20 A CHRISTMAS CAROL CONFLICT SHEET Please list all possible conflicts you will have from October 21 December 16 on the following calendar pages. NAME: October/November Sunday 21 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Potential Afternoon Cast Meeting Nov Potential Day Rehearsal Potential Potential Day Rehearsal l Potential Late Afternoon Rehearsal Potential Potential Day Rehearsal Potential Late Afternoon Rehearsal l

21 NAME: November/December Potential Dec Opening Night Performance Matinee Performance Day time School Day time School Performances Performances Performance Performance 16 Matinee Performance

22 A CHRISTMAS CAROL Measurement Sheet (Must be turned in at auditions! No exceptions!) Name: Phone: Character: (Please leave blank) Height: Weight: T-Shirt Size: Pants Size: Dress Size (Girls): Shoe Size: Measurement Around Head: Measurement Around Chest: Measurement Around Waist: Measurement Around Hip: Inseam Measurement (crotch to ankle): Arm Length Measurement (Shoulder to wrist):