Farmington Players Hold Auditions For "A Christmas Carol"

The have a relatively new tradition – they produce a holiday-themed show every December.

Wildly popular with local audiences, most performances are sold out at production time. For many theatre lovers, a trip to the Barn's Christmas show has become a holiday treat for the whole family.

This season, the theatre is doing a unique interpretation of Dickens’s classic, A Christmas Carol. In this period piece, friends and family of Charles Dickens have gathered at his home on Christmas Eve and request a story from the author.

Dickens says that he won't work alone on a holiday, and insists that if there is to be a story, all his guests will have to take a part in the telling of the tale. As the classic story about Scrooge, Marley, the three ghostly visitors and Scrooge's ultimate redemption unfold, 10 actors play the parts of over 40 iconic characters. 

We visited auditions for the show on Saturday afternoon at the Barn, and learned that director Nancy Cooper had specific qualities she was looking for as she evaluated each actor.

"Due to the nature of the script, today I'm really looking for people who can work well together," Cooper said. "I picked a lot of cuts that will have multiple actors on stage at the same time. Dickens and his family are acting out the Christmas Carol story, and as a result, most of the actors will be on stage together, even when they aren't speaking. So at auditions, I'm looking for people who can pay attention and stay focused all the time. Look and age really aren't all that important here, as the actors play so many different characters. I'll prep them with that information, telling them what I'm looking for when we get started."

Just before auditions began, the Barn lobby was filled with nervous hopefuls, registering, filling out audition forms and reviewing the script cuts. Each auditionee was given a number and a badge in preparation for their turn on the stage.

The crowd was a mix of first-timers, experienced actors and people interested in getting back into theatre after years away from the stage. Everyone is welcome to audition for the Barn productions, and every show seems to bring in new talent, both on and off the stage.

Steve King of Farmington Hills is new to the local community theatre scene, and said, "This is my first time auditioning in a long time – over 10 years. I used to do theatre, though."  His wife Jeannine King came with him to the audition to offer moral support.

There are three parts for children in this version of A Christmas Carol and there were seven kids auditioning on Saturday. Ben Lauter, age 10, appeared ready for the audition, if a little nervous. He is no stranger to the Barn stage, and appeared in last year's production of  A Christmas Story.

Ben said he prepares for an audition by reading the script the night before, and then he thinks about how the characters might say the lines.

"I get a little nervous when I audition, and I sort of have moths in my stomach. But I just kind of think, well, I'm up here, I might as well do my best. It’s too late now,” he said.

Experienced local actor Tony Semanik has this advice for theatre newbies:

"Try and read the script. That's always important, but I have to admit I didn't get to that this time, although I'm of course familiar with the story and characters. After reading it, just get up there and do it!  You have nothing to lose and it can be fun."

The cast list for this production will be posted on the Farmington Players website this week, and those offered roles will be contacted by the director, Nancy Cooper.

However, even those who aren't cast can still be involved with the production. Costuming, lighting, set design and building, stage management, crew, house management, ticketing and many other jobs are all crucial to every production and offer great experience in the theatre and a chance to get to know lots of like-minded creative types.

The Farmington Players welcomes new members. And, you don't have to be an actor to participate. For more information, contact the Barn's Membership Chairperson, Joan Boufford, by email at membership@farmingtonplayers.org or call 248-553-2955. You will also find a Membership Form on-line.

Interested in auditioning for the next production? We've got .