Casting

A CHRISTMAS STORY: Audition Notice

Seeking Young Actors, Ages 8-13, To Appear in Play:

A CHRISTMAS STORY
Written by Philip Grecian | Directed by Jackson Gay
Based on the motion picture written by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown, and Bob Clark

In-person auditions will be held by appointment only:

Saturday, September 7, 2024
11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Cleveland Play House
Fifth Floor, CSU/Middough Building
1901 E. 13th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44114

(Street metered parking and surface lots adjacent to the building are available.)

Cleveland Play House will hold auditions for young actors on Saturday, September 7, 2024 for the new and refreshed production of the comedic play, A Christmas Story. Young actors, ages 8-13, will be asked to prepare and memorize a short monologue for their audition. The monologue may be from an age-appropriate play or film. Selections from a monologue book are acceptable. Young actors should also be prepared to tell a joke (or two) or they may share a funny story.

Available Roles for Young Actors:

Ralphie – (age 9/10) Obsessed with planting the seeds to assure the ultimate Christmas present: a genuine Red Ryder BB gun. Has a wild imagination, is unsure of his feelings for Esther Jane, and is persistent, curious, and dramatic.

Randy – (age 7/8) Ralphie’s little brother who has a true fascination with Santa. Ability to focus and to be still a plus.

Flick – (age 9/10) One of Ralphie’s best friends. A follower who is easy to pick on. Can’t resist the triple dog dare and gets his tongue stuck to a lamppost. Has a sore arm.

Schwartz – (age 9/10) Another of Ralphie’s buddies. He likes trouble. He’s a little more on the ball than Flick and gets him to do things he probably shouldn’t.

Esther Jane – (age 9/10) Has a crush on Ralphie. Sweet and likeable. Best friends with Helen.

Helen – (age 9/10) Smartest girl in class. Likes to talk politics and gossip. Best friends with Esther Jane.

Scut Farkas – (age 12/13) The neighborhood bully with a chicken heart.

To request an audition appointment, caregivers and parents should complete this form. A member of the CPH Casting Team will respond to confirm your audition appointment.

Additional Info for Caregivers:

This is a paid opportunity. Roles in this production are open to young actors of all races, ethnicities, genders, and abilities. To be cast in this production, young actors must be older than age 8 and younger than age 14 between November 1 and December 24, 2024. Actors younger than age 8 and older than age 13 are ineligible to audition.

Rehearsals for A Christmas Story begin on Tuesday, November 5 and will be held during after school hours and on weekends, Tuesdays through Sundays. During the week of November 19, technical rehearsals for the entire company of actors will be held during school hours. There will be no rehearsal on Thanksgiving Day, November 28.

Performances of A Christmas Story run December 6 – 22, with eight performances each week. All performances will be held at the Allen Theatre, located in the heart of Playhouse Square. Evening performances run Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm; afternoon matinee performances are on Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 pm; and one morning matinee performance on Wednesday, December 11 at 10:30 am.

Young actors will be required to miss part or all of in-school instructional hours for some daytime rehearsals and performances.

For questions, please email casting@clevelandplayhouse.com.

Phone calls are not accepted at this time.

For actors outside the Cleveland area

Cleveland Play House uses a New York-based casting director for each show in our season. Information on how to submit for individual productions will be posted here as it becomes available. Non-local actors should not send materials directly to CPH.

Non-local AEA actors from out of town who are passing through may contact CPH to arrange a general audition, depending on staff availability, by e-mailing casting@clevelandplayhouse.com.