The Citadel Theatre is accepting applications from young
actors/singers for two productions in our 2023/24 Season:
The Sound of Music and A Christmas Carol
All parents/legal guardians should read all information before deciding to
audition to ensure this opportunity is a good fit for your family.
We are looking for youth actors in FOUR specific categories. See the information below for age ranges for each of the categories. The Sound of Music is directed by Rachel Peake and A Christmas Carol is directed by Daryl Cloran.
Youth Roles in The Sound of Music
Age Range:
- von Trapp daughters: ages 6-16
- von Trapp sons: ages 8-13 (voice unchanged)
Strong singing and dancing ability is necessary for these roles.
We are looking for:
FRIEDRICH (he/him; all ethnicities; youth)
14, oldest boy trying to be the ‘man’ of the family.
UNCHANGED VOICE
Vocal range top: G5
Vocal range bottom: B3
LOUISA (she/her; all ethnicities; youth)
13, mischievous, eventually softens towards Maria.
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: B3
KURT (he/him; all ethnicities; youth)
11, longs for love and attention from his father, very conscious of other people’s feelings.
UNCHANGED VOICE
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: B3
BRIGITTA (she/her; all ethnicities; youth)
9, always reading, very bright and observant, not afraid to speak her mind.
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: B3
MARTA (she/her; all ethnicities; youth)
7, sweet and gentle.
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: B3
GRETL (she/her; all ethnicities; youth)
Youngest, warms to Maria immediately.
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: B3
Youth actors in The Sound of Music must be available for the following dates:
Rehearsal: Rehearsal starts February 16, 2024, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Actors may not be called every day but must be available to come when needed. We rehearse every day except Monday.
Technical (on-stage) Rehearsal: From February 23 to March 6, 2024. These are intense days of rehearsing and performing, potentially lasting from 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm. Monday is the only day off in this span.
Run of the show: March 7 to 31; eight performances per week, Tuesday to Sunday with matinees on some school days.
Children’s Chorus in A Christmas Carol
Age Range: 7 to 15 (no older than 15 as of November 7, 2023).
Children’s Chorus play a variety of roles in the production and appear in many different scenes.
Actors must be available for the following dates:
Rehearsal: In the rehearsal hall from November 7 to 19, 2023. The rehearsal week is Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Actors will not be called for the entire time but must be available to come if needed. Monday is the day off.
Technical (on-stage) Rehearsal: From November 21 to 30, 2023. These are intense days of rehearsing and performing, potentially lasting from 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm.
Run of the show: December 1 to 23, 2023; eight performances per week, Tuesday to Sunday with matinees on some school days.
“Christmas Past” (she/her) and “Martha Cratchit” (she/her) in A Christmas Carol
Age Range: 14 – 17
Actor must be available for the same dates as the Children’s Chorus (above). Strong singing and dancing ability is necessary for these roles.
“Tim” (he/him) in A Christmas Carol
Age Range: 7-12
The role of “Tim” is currently cast; however, Citadel Theatre is seeking an additional actor to be an alternate for the run of the production. Priority will be given to a Youth Actor with lived experience of disability and/or chronic illness. For specific details on this opportunity, please visit: https://bit.ly/CTCarolTimInfo
Actor must be available for the same dates as the Children’s Chorus (above). Singing ability is necessary for this role.
APPLYING FOR AN AUDITION
While we try to ensure that Citadel Theatre auditions are a rewarding experience for all actors, it is each family’s responsibility to ensure your youngster understands that an audition or callback (next stage/second audition) is not a guarantee they will be offered a role. Directors base their choices on many factors including age and size. Please be very sure that your youth does not have unrealistic expectations about being in our show.
- Read the FAQ for Youth Actors below and note the commitment dates above. If your child is not available for all dates, please do not request an audition.
- Submit your request to auditions@citadeltheatre.com with “Youth Auditions” in the subject line and the role(s) of interest in the body of the email. Be very clear when you submit your audition email if your youth can be considered for both productions or just one.
- A Citadel staff member will respond with audition date and time, and any other details of what to prepare.
- Obtain and fill in the Youth Audition Application Form, which can be downloaded from the Citadel website or requested from auditions@citadeltheatre.com;
- Attach the Youth Audition Application Form to a recent photo of the youth and a short resume of their relevant theatre experience.
- Bring the audition package to the Citadel when your youth comes to audition.
AUDITION DATES AND DEADLINES
• The audition dates for all youth roles will be in June. Specific dates are to be confirmed but are expected to start on June 12, 2023. Auditions will potentially be during school hours.
• The deadline to apply is June 2, 2023.
• Each youth will be given the date, time, and location for their audition. They will be given instructions for material to prepare.
• Some of the youth who attend the first audition will be invited to attend a callback. Information for the callbacks will be confirmed.
FAQS FOR YOUTH ACTORS
Yes. With up to 40 actors and 20 crew (not to mention an audience of 700) it is our firm expectation that your youth will be available when called to rehearse and will be on time and ready to perform for every show
There is rehearsal every day of the week except Mondays, but not all actors are called to every rehearsal. We ask everyone to be available for the entire rehearsal period, so it is very important to clear your schedules for the entire rehearsal period.
Typically, we have 8 performances a week. There is nothing scheduled on Mondays. There are usually no understudies for most roles, so our expectation is that each actor will appear in each performance.
Yes and no. You will get the performance schedule when a role is offered, but you will only get a potential rehearsal schedule. The daily rehearsal schedule is drawn up at the end of each day, based on input from the director, the stage manager, choreographer, music director and designers. The stage manager emails the daily schedule to the actors as soon as it is prepared.
The Citadel Theatre operates under the terms of the Canadian Theatre Agreement (CTA) which is an agreement between PACT (Professional Association of Canadian Theatres – of which the Citadel is a member) and CAEA (Canadian Actors’ Equity Association). The CTA allows a Children’s Chorus of youth who are all under the age of 16 and this is the terminology we use for youth actors in A Christmas Carol. The youth actors in The Sound of Music have individual roles, so they are not referred to as a Chorus, but the same rules apply for anyone who is under the age of 16. These rules for “child actors” can be found in the CTA. We find it more consistent to use the terminology of the CTA, even though we know teens hate to be referred to as children. The Citadel has its own policy for all minor actors, which includes everyone who is under the age of 18.
No. There is no provision in the budget to pay for travel or parking. The expenses incurred to bring your youth to the Citadel are paid by you. We appreciate the families who do this very much, but do not have the resources to pay the expenses ourselves.
No. Unlike hockey and dance programs, the Citadel provides costumes. Our professional wardrobe people will measure your youth and will custom build costumes and provide all footwear and show underwear. All we ask is that you bring a designated pair of indoor shoes for your youth to wear during rehearsal until the show shoes are ready.
Each youth who participates gets an honourarium which is clarified at the time of making an offer.
Rehearsal is a time for the actors and the directors to focus on the work they are doing, so overall, we don’t invite parents into the rehearsal hall while the actors are working. We do realize that it is very meaningful for parents to be able to watch some of the rehearsal process, and to that end, we will open specific rehearsals up for parents to attend. We will give more information about these opportunities to parents when a role is accepted.
Yes, that is a certainty. There are school matinees that your youth will be performing in. There will also be rehearsals during school hours. We ask parents to speak to your youth’s school and make sure the school is aware (and supportive) and will give us a letter indicating that the school supports participation. There may be school concerts, field trips, birthday parties, and other events that your youth will have to pass up while in a show, so it is a good idea to discuss this thoroughly with your family.
This is an excellent question; it is certainly a big commitment for a youth actor and their family! Depending on how many years each of us has done this, we have seen hundreds of young people audition. We receive cards, emails, and verbal thank-yous from families, and consistently the message is: my youth has grown and flourished in many ways while being in a Citadel show. Youth who appear in our productions love the experience and want to be asked back. Parents have noticed their youth’s school marks actually go up over the course of a show – we think this is because the youth is so motivated and wants to succeed. Additionally, a youth interested in theatre gets a rare insight into the workings of a large professional company and gets to work with some of Canada’s best directors, actors, choreographers and music directors!
Yes, everyone who auditions will be notified one way or the other.
Peni Christopher, Citadel’s Company Manager. She will be happy to answer more questions and respond to emails sent to auditions@citadeltheatre.com.
WORKING WITH CITADEL THEATRE
EQUITY, INCLUSIVITY, AND DIVERSITY
The Citadel Theatre is in the heart of amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton, AB), and we are proud to call Treaty 6 territory home. As a regional theatre, it is integral that we ensure that the stories we tell, as well as the composition of our artists, board, staff, students, and audience are reflective of the diverse lived experiences in this dynamic city. We encourage submissions from professional artists who self-identify as members of under-represented communities. For more on Citadel Theatre’s Equity, Inclusivity, and Diversity commitments, please visit: https://bit.ly/CitadelEDI. If there are any potential barriers (language, disability, or any other considerations) preventing you from applying to audition please let us know and we will work with you to overcome them.
ACCESSIBILITY
Citadel Theatre’s rehearsal facilities are accessible to artists that have mobility access needs.
Our building is equipped with elevators and numerous accessible washrooms. The Shoctor Theatre stage and backstage are accessible to artists that have mobility access needs; the backstage area includes elevator access, accessible washrooms, and an accessible dressing room.
The Maclab Theatre stage and backstage areas currently have reduced accessibility to artists that have mobility access needs. The Maclab is a unique thrust stage with multiple stairs, risers, and steep ramp entrances and the backstage area does not currently have accessible washrooms or dressing rooms; we are working to correct these issues in the space and are very open to discussing potential workarounds and solutions.
Please let us know if you have any questions about the physical layout of our spaces, or other access needs.