Video and In-Person Auditions
A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration
By Paula Vogel
Directed by Caitlin Bouxsein

October 9th, 2021 5-8pm
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Non-Union
All Roles Will Be Paid a Stipend of $150

Additional travel stipend available to those traveling from over 40 miles away.
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This show will be cast with the goal of diversity and BIPOC actor tracks will be marked as such under the Role Descriptions below. Artists of all genders, identities, races, ethnicities, sizes, and ages (12+) are heartily encouraged to audition. Auditioners under 16 years of age must have parental permission.
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Show Dates – In Person December 3-19.
Rehearsals beginning in Late October. First Read through on Zoom 10/20/2021.
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**Audition Requirements**
This production features two ways to audition! Online and In-Person!
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**If you wish to audition Online**
Please submit a video via YouTube or mp4 file to [email protected] before 11:59pm on Saturday, October 9th. On your video, please introduce yourself and perform a one- minute monologue of your choice. (This monologue can be performed on-book and does not need to be memorized!). Please also sing 16 bars of a song (acapella), such as a hymn or holiday carol. When you submit your materials, you will receive a google form that must be filled out and returned to be considered for the show.
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**If you wish to audition In-Person**
Please note – due to Covid Protocols, in-person auditions must be appointment only. Please do not walk in.
In-Person auditions will take place on Saturday, 10/9 5pm-8pm You may prepare a monologue if you wish, but we will have sides from the show for actors to read as well. Please be prepared to sing 16 bars of a song (acapella), such as a hymn or holiday carol.
Please email [email protected] for an audition appointment.
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**Synopsis of the Play**
It’s 1864, and Washington, D.C. is settling down to the coldest Christmas Eve in years. In the White House, President and Mrs. Lincoln plot their gift-giving. On the banks of the Potomac, a young rebel challenges a Union blacksmith’s mercy. In the alleys downtown, an escaped slave loses her daughter just before finding freedom. This musical by Pulitzer Prize–winner Paula Vogel intertwines many lives, showing us that the gladness of one’s heart is the best gift of all.
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“Ms. Vogel manages to humanize most of her many characters in a few crisp strokes of dialogue, so they come across as full-blooded people, glimpsed clearly if quickly, rather than talking statues in a historical diorama.” —NY Times.
“Artfully weaves historic details into the play [and] pulls it together with economical writing that reflects the poetry of the day.” —Variety.
“Deep-rooted and ambitious…a fascinating interface of history and fiction…boldly inventive theater, warm and affecting.” —Talkin’ Broadway.
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**Role Descriptions**
All Roles are Open. Actors ages 12+ of all ethnicities, races, shapes. sizes, ages, and identities. Additionally, we are open to casting folks of all genders for all roles. For example - just because you’re a woman doesn’t mean you must play a woman in the show.
*BIPOC actor tracks will be designated as such below. These roles are open to BIPOC identifying actors ONLY.
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All roles at least double, most triple/quadruple. Actors may play multiple roles in addition to those listed below (a soldier, a townsperson, a horse, etc.). The Company remains onstage throughout the entire performance, visibly transforming into each different character.
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*HANNAH/ROSE: A mother, an escaped enslaved/Decatur Bronson’s wife
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*DECATUR BRONSON/JAMES WORMLEY: Sergeant in the Union Army/Shop owner
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CHESTER SAUNDERS/JOHN SURRATT: Union soldier/Conspirator
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*WILLY MACK/WALKER LEWIS/JIM WORMLEY: Servant/James Wormley’s son
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ABRAHAM LINCOLN/WALT WHITMAN/ROBERT E. LEE: President/Poet/Confederate General
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JOHN WILKES BOOTH/ULYSSES S. GRANT: Conspirator/Union General
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MARY TODD LINCOLN; The First Lady
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*MRS. ELIZABETH KECKLEY; Seamstress, former enslaved, activist, personal modiste and confidant to Mary Todd Lincoln
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*ELY PARKER/FREDERICK WORMLEY: Aide-de-camp to General Grant/James Wormley’s son
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RAZ/CLARA BARTON; Teenage boy, eager to fight for the Confederacy/Nurse
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*JESSA; A child, an escaped enslaved, Hannah’s daughter
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Strand Theater Company’s Current Covid-19 Protocols – please note these protocols are subject to change with guidance from State and Local Governments and the CDC.
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• All cast and crew members will be required to sign a COVID-19 Safety Acknowledgement. This Waiver will be made available in advance so all may read it before signing.
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• Only artists and designers who are willing to be vaccinated against and tested for COVID-19 will be eligible to be cast in any Strand Theater Company show during the pandemic. Artists must provide proof of vaccination prior to their in-person audition.
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• All artists working inside of the theater space must be willing to be frequently tested for COVID-19. For in person rehearsals and productions, we require actors to test every 14 days and notify production staff if they receive a positive result. Artists may go to their primary care doctor, Urgent Care, Testing Sites, or use a home covid testing kit. Artists will not be allowed back into the building without a negative result. For the Strand Production of A Civil War Christmas, stage management must receive test results on a schedule set by the production staff.
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• Temperature Check is required at entrance to the theater space for rehearsal. The stage manager or safety director will use a temporal thermometer to perform the checks and record temperatures. Any person presenting with a fever of over 99.8 will not be admitted to rehearsal.
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• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be provided at the Strand space. This includes, but is not limited to: KN95 face masks, nitrile gloves, face shields, clinical grade antibacterial wipes, hand sanitizer, hand soap, and hot water.
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• Three air purifiers with HEPA filters designed for a 1000sq ft space will be provided and should be plugged in and always used while not rehearsing and/or filming. The air purifier can be unplugged during rehearsal/performance/filming to eliminate the white noise it creates in the background. The backstage air purifier should stay on whenever folks are backstage.
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• Communal and bathroom spaces will be cleaned daily while the theater is in use.
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• When the time comes for actors to be unmasked, all other production staff and cast in the building will need to remain masked for safety. If an actor would like to remain masked on-stage during rehearsal, this is acceptable. Masks with windows that show the mouth will be provided by the theater.
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• No sharing of clothing, make-up, food, drink, or ANY items that could aid in the spread of airborne germs.
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• Regarding meals and snacks. Needing to eat and drink are unavoidable needs, especially during tech and on long rehearsal days. Mealtimes will be scheduled by the production staff of each show and actors and crew are responsible for making sure they socially distance while eating or drinking.
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• **Outside Quarantining Behavior** – While there are currently no restrictions in place for quarantining in the State of Maryland, the following list of behaviors are suggested for your safety, the safety of others working on the production, and the safety of family members who are at risk or unable to be vaccinated. This includes, but is not limited to the following:
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• Limiting outside tasks and errands as much as possible. When this is not possible, proper use of PPE when performing tasks such as grocery shopping, doctor’s appointments, etc.
• No eating in restaurants or other public venues unless they require vaccination or have outdoor seating
• No large social gatherings outside of your production pod and work requirements.
• Safety procedures and contact tracing at places of work must be always followed.
• A good rule of thumb – if it seems like a risky behavior, don’t participate!
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References
https://www.cdc.gov/.../201.../your-health/need-to-know.html
https://www.who.int/.../novel.../advice-for-public