Dickens Christmas is looking for performers, particularly young people, for its 32nd season of street theater in Skaneateles. Auditions are scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 14, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 97 East Genesee Street.
The production brings characters from “A Christmas Carol” onto village streets during the holiday season. It is expected to open Nov. 27 and run on weekends through Christmas, with a limited Christmas Eve performance, according to an announcement from the organizers.
The cast has more than 60 performers, and organizers say people younger than 17 make up about one-fifth of it. Participants in past seasons have ranged from age 8 to older than 70. Producing director Jim Greene said family members often take part together, and younger actors frequently return with friends.
What the audition involves
The process is informal. Organizers ask auditioners to share a favorite holiday memory and sing a few bars of a favorite carol or another song they are comfortable performing. Greene said applicants do not need formal vocal training; the singing helps the production gauge their range.
Available parts include pickpockets, apple sellers, match girls and finishing school girls. Tiny Tim has already been cast, so applicants should not expect that role to be open. The organizers did not list a minimum audition age or say whether advance registration is required.
During the three weekends before the festival, cast members practice music under music director Patrick Glaub and develop their characters with artistic director Maria DeMitchell. The production also teaches improvisation and helps performers build relationships between the characters they portray, Greene said.
Young performers describe returning to the show
Hugh Dwyer, a 9-year-old fourth-grader at Millard Fillmore Elementary School in Moravia, will play Tiny Tim for a second season. He said he likes the costumes, the period setting and the friendships he has made with other cast members. His participation also helped spark an interest in singing; he has joined his school chorus and taken lessons.
Kathryn Zieler, 14, a Skaneateles High School freshman in her fifth year with the show, has played Tiny Tim, Martha Cratchit and Belinda Cratchit. She said the experience helped her become more comfortable improvising and singing in front of others, and she has since participated in two radio productions.
Eloise Sheehan, a 12-year-old seventh-grader, went on to participate in a school musical after playing Belinda Cratchit. Alice Czornig, 15, said her role as a finishing school girl helped her gain confidence talking with visitors in the cold during the outdoor production. Their accounts are personal experiences, not a claim that every participant will have the same outcome.
Tarin Campanella, who took on the role of Queen Victoria in 2025, first joined the festival while in college and returned after time away. She said it has become a holiday tradition and that her husband plans to join the cast this year.
Questions about the Oct. 14 audition can be sent to Greene at jimgreene@scarlettrat.com. The announced church address and two-hour window are the practical details for prospective performers; the festival itself begins in late November.
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