AUDITIONS FOR A Christmas Carol (A Radio Play)

By Philip Grecian
Directed by Sean Anderson
Presented Online and at the Pumphouse Theatre Dec 11 – 19, 2020

For more information (including character descriptions), or to book an audition, visit www.morpheustheatre.ca, call 403-246-2999 or e-mail audition@morpheustheatre.ca.

This year’s Christmas family production is the classic story of A Christmas Carol, told as a radio drama onstage, complete with live sound effects and music cues. A cast of 11 performers will take on the role of nearly 50 characters.

Submission deadline is Monday November 2, 2020 (12:00 Noon)

Audition Requirements:

• Auditioners are asked to prepare a Self-Tape audition from one of the sides here: https://www.morpheustheatre.ca/?page_id=672
• Audition tapes should highlight your ability to clearly voice multiple characters.
• Auditioners may be requested to attend an online callback to read with other performers.
• Please provide an acting resume and headshot with your audition form.
• Performers will participate in the creation of the sound effects live on stage. Auditioners are encouraged to let us know if you play a musical instrument.

Callbacks will take place on Wednesday November 4th from 7:00 to 10:00pm, on Zoom. Invites will be sent out Tuesday evening.

Rehearsals will take place from November 8th through December 10th. Rehearsals will be Sunday afternoons, Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Morpheus Theatre requires that auditioners come prepared to commit to the rehearsal and performance schedule.

Rehearsal and Performance Requirements:

• The first two weeks of rehearsals will take place online.
• The second two weeks will take place at the Morpheus Rehearsal Centre in Parkdale.
• Cast members, the director and stage manager will form a performance cohort.
• Members of the cohort will be asked to commit to being part of only this cohort during the time of the rehearsals and performances, other than your family, work and/or school cohort. Specifically, there should be no other in-person extracurricular activities.
• Production team members will remain masked when meeting in-person.
• Performances will take place live and in-person at the Pumphouse Theatres.
• As a Radio Play, performers will have a script on stage, and do not need to be off-book.
• Morpheus Theatre is a volunteer theatre company. 

Individuals of all genders, ethnicities, and abilities are encouraged to audition. All performers should be over the age of 16 and able to play/voice multiple characters.

Each year Calgary-ACTS sponsors the CAT Awards – Calgary’s “Community Theatre Awards”, and yes it is happening this year as well, only virtually!

We know that many people in our community had beloved projects cancelled or put on hold, and we have all felt this disappointment and loss. I personally had 2 exciting projects put on standby, and know keenly how it feels. It is heartening to know that many companies are committed to producing their postponed shows, whenever we are allowed to safely do so.

About 60% of the community theatre shows scheduled for this season DID have the opportunity to present their work, and we still want to celebrate them! Nominations for the CAT Awards are accepted from theatre audiences and the Calgary-ACTS Adjudication team for all eligible Community Theatre Productions in the Calgary area. Now is a great time to come together as a community, reflect on the wonderful work that has been done and honour our outstanding productions!

If you saw a great performance this year, we encourage you to nominate an artist to recognize their work.  (That includes off-stage production artists as well!) Click on the following link to honour our volunteers!  www.calgary-acts.com/nomination.php

Names of all the actors, directors, designers and other production members can be found in the following links:

For Lend Me a Tenor, click here: https://www.morpheustheatre.ca/?portfolio=lend-me-a-tenor
For Miracle on 34th Street, click here: https://www.morpheustheatre.ca/?portfolio=miracle-on-34th-street
For The Graduate, click here: https://www.morpheustheatre.ca/?portfolio=the-graduate

Productions presented by other companies:

Cappuccino Musical Theatre – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Confederation Theatre – Looking, and The Good Game
Dewdney Players – Plaza Suite, and Clue: the Musical
Front Row Centre Players – The Addams Family, and The Boy From Oz
Imagine Performing Arts – The Woman in Black
Nose Creek Players – Frankenstein, and The Christmas Heist
Scorpio Theatre – Night of the Living Dead Live!, and The Burning Pestle
Simply Theatre – Glengarry Glen Ross, and California Suite
Strathmore Theatre Players Guild – Aladdin: a Pantomime
Torchlight Theatre – Prescription: Murder   

Ginette Simonot

Operations Manager, Morpheus Theatre

“The theater is the only institution in the world which has been dying for four thousand years and has never succumbed. It requires tough and devoted people to keep it alive.” ― John Steinbeck, Once There Was a War