A CHRISTMAS STORY
by Philip Grecian
Directed by Heather Cant
It’s 1938 in Holman, Indiana, and little Ralphie Parker wants just one thing for Christmas – a shiny new Red Ryder BB gun. But his mother, his teacher, and even Santa Claus insist, “You’ll shoot your eye out!” Rebuffed at every turn, Ralphie schemes to achieve his ultimate desire in time for Christmas. Based on the much-loved film, perfectly capturing childhood fantasy and the nostalgia of family Christmases past.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
All roles are available and actors are welcome to submit for the role with which they feel alignment.
Character descriptions provided, including age range and gender, describe character traits only. Actors of all race and ethnicity are encouraged to apply. This production has a youth cast, so actors should be comfortable working with children.
These auditions are to cast the adult roles only. Youth cast auditions will be held at a future time.
Roles
| Role | Type | Gender | Number |
| Ralph | Lead | Male Identified | |
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RALPH (he/him), 35-45: a warm and charismatic storyteller; still embodies the heart and ideals of his younger self, but now with more wisdom. Also plays Cowboy, Tree Lot Owner, Delivery Man, and Voice of a Neighbour.
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| Mother | Lead | Female Identified | |
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MOTHER (she/her), 30-45: Ralphie’s mother; she is the unseen glue holding the family together; vibrant but tired, affable but firm; undeterred by the antics of her family.
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| The Old Man | Lead | Male Identified | |
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THE OLD MAN (he/him), 30-45: Ralphie’s father; a loveable curmudgeon, prone to colourful language; a family man; a dreamer who never quite gets ahead. Also plays Santa Claus.
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| Miss Shields | Supporting | Female Identified | |
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MISS SHEILDS (she/her), 20-35: Ralphie’s teacher; a prim and proper role model for her students; spirited but stern when necessary. Also plays the voice of Schwartz’s Mother.
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SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Please submit a headshot and resume (PDF format only) to [email protected] with the subject line: A CHRISTMAS STORY. Please indicate the role you would like to be considered for. The audition and performance venues are accessible. If there is a potential barrier that might prevent you from being able to audition, we encourage you to let us know so we can work with you to dissolve it. Due to the volume of submissions, only those selected for an audition will be contacted. Reading copies of the script are available at the theatre.
Submission Deadline
May 5, 2025
AUDITION DATES: May 16 & 17, 2025
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: May 5, 2025
CONTRACT DATES: November 11 – December 21, 2025, with a potential to extend until December 28.
Artists will be engaged under the CTA, with anticipated rates set at “C” House category.
Rehearsals start: November 12, 2025
Opening: December 5, 2025
Closing: December 21, 2025
Potential to extend until: December 28, 2025
ABOUT PERSEPHONE THEATRE
Persephone Theatre is located on the beautiful lands of Indigenous peoples who have lived here since time immemorial, including the Nêhiyawak, Nêhithawak, Anishinabek, Nakawe, Nakota, Nehinawak, Lakota, Dakota and Dene peoples. This place is also the homeland of the Métis. At Persephone, we also like to acknowledge the contributions of the Whitecap Dakota and Round Prairie Métis peoples in establishing our city of Saskatoon. Persephone Theatre is located on Treaty 6 territory and is committed to living in good relations with our Indigenous neighbours, in the spirit with which the Treaties were intended.
Persephone Theatre is committed to a reflecting the rich diversity of our community in the stories we tell and the ways in which we undertake creating our work. We prioritize a workplace culture that centres equity, inclusion, and authentic representation. We strongly encourage submissions from artists who self-identify as members of historically excluded communities, which includes (but is not limited to) those who identify as IBPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+, d/Deaf, or who have a disability or chronic illness. We also strongly encourage artists to submit for the roles they feel align with their gender identity and/or gender expression.
COVID-19 WORKSAFE POLICY
Our current Covid-19 protocols require artists to provide proof of vaccination to Persephone prior to commencing work. Other Covid-19 protocols, such as masking, may also be in place at the time of production. These protocols will be communicated clearly to artists at the time of offer and be included in a rider to their contract
Persephone Theatre encourages submissions from diverse artists of all backgrounds, regardless of race, colour, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
