Auditions

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Director: Jill Bloede

Auditions

Wednesday, October 14 @ 6:00-8:30pm (OFFSITE: Minti Cowork)

Thursday, October 15 @ 6:00-8:30pm (OFFSITE: Minti Cowork)

Minti Cowork and Conference Center

4301 Morris Park Dr, Mint Hill, NC 28227

Performances

Pay What You Can Preview: December 10 at 7:30pm

December 11, 12, 17, 18, 19 at 7:30pm

December 12, 13, 19, 20 at 2:00pm

December 16 at 7:30pm (HOLD)

5 daytime, weekday performances December 11, 15, 16, 17, 18 (Sensory) at 10:00am

PLEASE NOTE: There are 5 daytime, weekday performances for this production. All performers will need to be available for all performance dates. A small stipend will be provided to adult actors for daytime, weekday performances.

Rehearsal Notes

Generally, rehearsals will be Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 6:00-9:00pm until tech week.
All actors must be available for all performances, including the five daytime performances.
A sensory-friendly matinee will be included as part of the performance run.
A small stipend will be provided to adult actors for daytime, weekday performances.

Casting Notes

We are looking for:

A diverse cast of adult and youth actors ages 6 and up of all abilities, identities, and backgrounds.

Audition Requirements

What to Prepare:

All Actors: Please come prepared to read sides from the script. All sides will be made available on the audition webpage prior to auditions. Memorization is encouraged but not required.

Audition Sides

Tentative Rehearsal Schedule

Please submit an audition form AND sign up for an audition slot using these links.
You will need to complete BOTH parts below in order to audition.

Submit Minor Audition Form

Submit Adult Audition Form

Note: You will have the opportunity to attach an optional resume and/or headshot with the audition form.

We are not accepting any physical form submissions, only forms submitted through the website.

Character Breakdown

Cast size: Large (25-30), 6-10 Youth Ensemble

Cast Type: Lead Roles, Ensemble, Mixed Ages

Dance requirement: None, some movement

Show Synopsis

Beth Bradley’s church’s Christmas pageant is predictable every year -- the angel choir wears too much lipstick, the shepherds are all in their father’s bathrobes, the minister’s son is permanently cast in the role of Joseph -- hardly “four-star entertainment.” But when seasoned and authoritative pageant director Mrs. Armstrong breaks her leg, it is up to Beth’s inexperienced mother Grace to step in. The timing couldn’t be worse, as the rambunctious Herdman children, a rough and tough group of siblings from the wrong side of the tracks, descend upon the pageant, lured by the promise of free dessert at Sunday school, and determined to win all the lead roles for themselves. The Ladies’ Aid Society members are beside themselves with disapproval, all the shepherds quit because Gladys Herdman “hits too hard”, the show is briefly re-titled “Revenge at Bethlehem”, and the church catches on fire. But Beth and her community watch in surprise as the same old Christmas story is rejuvenated by the creativity, energy, and unexpected sincerity of a misunderstood young family. Mary Robinson’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, based on her novel of the same name, is a widely beloved Christmas tale, warm and incredibly funny, full of characters both relatable and utterly unique. The large cast and age range make this show a community favorite, in which a varied, multi-generational group of performers can come together.

Character Breakdown

Mr. Bradley (Male)

Age Range: 30s-40s

The dad of Beth and Charlie

Mrs. Bradley (Female)

Age Range: 30s-40s

The mom of Beth and Charlie

The Ladies of the Church (Female)

Age Range: 50s

Nosy busybodies

Mrs. Armstrong (Female)

Age Range: 50s

The Ringleader of the church ladies

The Reverend Hopkins (Male)

Age Range: Adult

The voice of reason

Beth (Female)

Age Range: Teenager

Our narrator, strong actor, teen-age

Charley (Male)

Age Range: 9-12

Your typical kid brother

The Herdman Kids- Ralph (Male), Imogene (Female), Leroy (Male), Claude (Male), Ollie (Male), and Gladys (Female)

Age Range: 8-18

The WORST kids ever. They bully, they fight each other, they rule the block and they end up changed the most by this play.

6 Church kids - age range 9-18

3 Baby Angels - age range 7-8