Closed for the Holidays Audition Information

Closed for the Holidays by Flip Kobler and Cindy Marcus

Directed by: Terri McKinstry

Assistant Directed by: Cameron Walker

Audition Dates: Sept 22nd and 23rd 

Show Dates: Nov. 29th – Dec. 15th, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 3:00, call is 90 minutes before curtain

Cast Info: 11-15 females, 5-9 males, a crazy choir made up of smaller kids (20-35 actors possible – genders are flexible)

The script can be read online for free at: https://www.playscripts.com/sample/2998

Sign up for Auditions  HERE!

Description:

After a blizzard shuts down the roads on Christmas Eve eve, a motley crew of travelers find themselves stranded at the local community center. From the lovelorn drama teacher with a bus full of students, to the quarrelsome couple on the way to their wedding, to the overeager Sheriff ready for some real criminal action, everyone has their own troubles to untangle. But to have a happy holiday, they’re going to need a miracle–or seven, to be exact. A spirited and heartwarming comedy with a healthy dash of Christmas magic.

Characters:

The Adults:

SHELBY, female. Your basic, amazing drama teacher. Overworked, talented, with a big heart and bigger patience.

RIFKA, female. Shelby’s mother. Brought along to help chaperone the kids. Snark queen.

COLBY, male. The bus/van driver. He likes Shelby; his daughter is Drew.

NOLAN, male. Engaged to Suzy. A good guy in a bad situation.

SUZY, female. Totally stressed about their destination wedding, which they can’t get to cause the state has been closed.

SHERIFF GRIFFIN, male. Takes his job very seriously. Loves the drama of it all.

FLO, female. The building custodian who is a nervous wreck. She also directs the North Beach Choir.

KIETH, male. An old schoolmate of Shelby. Is your basic nightmare- rich, smart, handsome. All the things you don’t want to run into when you’ve been driving a bus.

DEPUTY DOT, female. The sheriff’s overeager assistant.

The Kids:

RJ, drama student. Believes in the Christmas Curse. Every bad thing that’s happened to him has been on Christmas Eve and he’s fully expecting something else to go wrong.

BEAN, drama student. Baileys’ loving brother.

BAILEY, drama student. Idealistic. Hopeful. Has a fundamental need to believe in Santa.

LILLY, drama student with a capital DRA and MA. She’s an “actress” and all that implies. Very “Method:’ Eager to explore her craft.

CASSIE, drama student. Really likes RJ but doesn’t get the whole curse thing.

BJORN, late teens. A mysterious chap who is definitely a little odd.

DANA, late teens. She’s dressed as an elf but she ain’t no elf.

PINK, late teens. Dana’s younger sister.

TOBY, drama student who hasn’t done any of her Christmas shopping.

NANCY, drama student who refuses to speak. She’s very mime-y.

DREW, late teens. Colby’s daughter, who worries so about her father.

The North Beach Choir: There will be a crazy choir made up of the smaller kids who perform when the house opens, during intermission, and after curtain call. This choir is directed by Flo and is verrrrry bad…until the end of the show! Rehearsals for the choir will be one hour on Sundays until tech week. What gets performed will be the result of rehearsal improvisations and could potentially include Bjorn, the Sheriff, and Deputy Dot.

Audition Material:

This year, we’ll have three different ways to audition! You can sing a favorite Christmas song, do one of the brief monologues below and/or cold readings from the script. You can pick one, two, or do all three. Whatever you’ll have the most fun doing

Your Favorite Christmas Song:

Choose one verse and chorus of a favorite Christmas song. No music is needed, just have fun and sing! If you’re worried about forgetting your song, bring the words with you. After you sing the first time, I’ll ask you to sing that same song again as BADLY as you can! I want to see how much fun you can have  If you’re really nervous, you can sing with a friend!

Brief Monologue:

You may choose one of the following monologues. It doesn’t need to be memorized. This play is an ensemble piece with mostly dialogue. Not all characters have monologues. Just pick one you like and have fun. Choosing Toby’s monologue doesn’t mean you will only be considered for Toby. The page references the online script you can read for free.

FLO (page 13)

The sheriff called and said the roads are closed and people are gonna be stuck so we’re opening up the community center as a shelter. And I said, “We’re not ready for that,” but he said, “Get ready,” and I said, “I don’t have the supplies, I don’t have the expertise, I don’t have the manpower,” and he said, “Tough beans, they’re coming,” and you came so I’m doing my best!

TOBY (page 34)

I need something for my mom. She has to have a gift to open on Christmas. Not just a gift, a great gift, a perfect gift. It’s a way I can tell her I love her. I can’t just tell her. That’s gross. She’s my mother. Ick. Since my dad left we don’t talk about this stuff, okay. We just don’t. It just digs up anger and tears and I’m not doing it. My mom and I never, ever say those stupid words.

RJ (page 35)

You don’t get it. I’m (Whispering:) cursed. Every year since I was like four, something terrible has happened to me. One year I got my head stuck up a chimney. My dad climbed on the roof and dropped grapes down so I had something to eat until the paramedics arrived. Another year a reindeer bit me at a petting zoo. I had to get twelve stitches in my butt. When I was six I fell asleep waiting to see Santa at the mall and got locked in overnight.

LILLY (page 40)

What’s it like being an elf? Is it hard? Look, you don’t want to talk to me, fine, you don’t have to be a pill about it. I’m an actress, I need to know. Are you on your feet all day? Do you have to take the pictures with Santa yourself? Are the kids a pain? Do you work for the mall or an outside agency? Are these bags props? Are they heavy?

SUZY (page 47)

I am not overreacting. I am reacting. I don’t bury my head in the sand and pretend there’s no problem here. I am not hysterical. We can’t all be blithe and blind like you. I am not wigging out. I am trying to plan for contingencies. It is two days till our wedding. And if you hadn’t noticed we are trapped in a shelter several hundred miles from where we’re supposed to be and I am trying to figure out what to do about it.

KIETH (page 49)

I am a doctor. And do you have any idea what I pay in insurance premiums? I would love to help. You want to make an appointment, come to my office where I’m covered, no problem. But I am under strict orders from my hospital and insurance company. I can not lay hands on her. Not here. Best thing you can do is keep it elevated, get some ice on it.

DANA (page 53)

There is no magic. Nobody just gives you what you want! You can ask and pray and hope all you want but wishes don’t come true. Your dad won’t come back or your mom won’t stop drinking. You can believe in anything, but come the new year nothing changes unless you change it. Grow up!

BAILEY (page 54)

I know what people think of me. Believing in Santa at my age. I know they think I’m stupid. But I would rather be stupid. I like that there’s a Santa. And a tooth fairy and stuff you can’t see or explain. I don’t wanna know how magicians do their tricks. I don’t want to learn the secret if it means I won’t believe in magic, or goodness, or angels, or hope, or all that junk

.

COLBY (page 57)

When my wife died it felt like the world had been stripped away from me. I can’t describe the struggle just to get out of bed. Just to face another day terrified you’ll lose something else. So you hold on to today. And you make a deal that if today can be just like yesterday, then it’s a win. But then one day you realize your little girl has grown up. And yesterday is good, but it ain’t today.

SHERIFF (page 58)

We’ve had a rash of burglaries. Well we don’t know they’re not terrorists. And it’s the holidays, a time for wishes to come true. So I could catch some terrorists. (Addressing the crowd:) All right, listen up everyone. There’s been a rash of burglaries and it’s my professional opinion that the perps are still here and I need to tackle and shackle before that yardbird does a foot bail.

Readings from the Script:

There are two scenes everyone will read on pages 11-15.