Auditions for “A Christmas Carol” with Melinda Milligan — and Puppets!

Auditions Wednesday, Sept. 20 and Thursday, Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. at Orcas Center

— by Margie Doyle —

Melinda Milligan to direct a gender-free, fantastical “Christmas Carol” with Jim Bredouw as Musical Director

Melinda Milligan looks forward to casting a raft of rowdy Orcas actors and actresses — as well as a troupe of puppeteers — this week during auditions for “A Christmas Carol,” the Dickens’ classic of Victorian England.

With the traditional script adapted from Dickens, and the unique melodies of local composer and Funhouse Founder Jim Bredouw, the production is familiar to many island old-timers and will delight those who’ve never experienced “our” version of the story.

Milligan agreed to direct “A Christmas Carol” this year, and immediately set out to consider some new twists on it. “We’ve all seen ‘Christmas Carol’ more than once — God Bless Us, Every One! — and Jim’s music is truly special. As I was walking my new puppy, I wondered about how I could make it more fantastical, more other-worldly,” Melinda says. She points out the the tale is sub-titled “A Ghost Story,” and that there are four characters from “The Other Side.”

That led to perhaps the most apparent “twist” in this year’s “Christmas Carol” — the ghosts inhabit larger-than-life puppet costumes, designed by island puppeteer Bethany Marie.

Also, Melinda emphasized that there will be open casting for every role, no pre-casting. “I would love it if someone I didn’t know (or wasn’t thinking about) walked in for auditions and knocked our socks off. That doesn’t mean I’m not calling up and urging people to audition — people who’ve been in it before and are excited about the possibility of being in it again, but maybe in a new role.

“I’m also encouraging gender-free casting. I would love, for example, to have a female Scrooge…or a Tiny Tess.”

Bethany Marie, puppeteer,will be teaching interested folks to create and operate the puppets, no prior experience necessary. Any interested would-be puppeteers can contact Melinda or just show up at auditions.

Melinda envisions the traditional Orcas “Christmas Carol” with perhaps new songs by Jim Bredouw; perhaps modifications to the script to accommodate gender differences; and definitely “more raucous, where the audience doesn’t know what to expect.” She anticipates recreating Christmas holiday celebrations in Dickens’ heydey, the 1840s, as Christmas was just emerging as a new concept: no longer just a religious observance celebrating the birth of a Savior; but also a commercial holiday, where presents and feasting abound.

She plans some live acoustic music enhancing the recorded music, adding an early “druidic” madrigal contrasting with the Victorian opening song, “Christmas is Coming.”

Mom of two adult sons and retired midwife, Melinda has an illustrious career: as a singer with Olga Symphony; an actress in, among other plays, “Wait Until Dark,” “Brilliant Traces” (also performed in Seattle), “Other Desert Cities,” “Calendar Girls”, and “Always, Patsy Cline;  and now, a director.

She began directing in the Actors Theatre Festival of Plays, directing young island actors such as Halley McCormick and Adia Dolan. “Almost Maine” was her first full-production, directorial debut. She said of her cast, “We tried to create [a] sense of community in our rehearsals, having potluck food, playing games, creating performances just for each other, and even spending an evening together as our characters.”

Melinda admires the techniques she observed from Doug Bechtel, “Spamalot’s” director this spring. “A cast becomes like a family and we certainly felt that in “Spamalot.” When we were working as hard as we were, it’s great to have a director point out our good stuff. Doug is good at engendering a ‘family’ feeling; at pointing out the good work you were doing.  And it was a lot of fun!”

More recently, guest director and choreographer from Seattle, Samuel J. Pettit. allowed Melinda to observe his auditioning process for “The Addams Family Musical,” where she learned techniques for bringing out volume and spontaneity in his young potential cast members. “I got a lot of tips of how people respond to directors; I’m so grateful he let me sit in.”

Melinda finds that “many of the themes of Dickens’ tale are especially relevant now; that gives ‘A Christmas Carol’ a sense of personal urgency. At its center is a very human connection to the timelessness and sorrow of the message, ‘I chose greed and ignorance instead of love.'”

“Jim [Bredouw] and I see this as a way to bring the community together in a happy musical family in a positive way and just have a blast. Jim as musical director is excited about working with the singers, and if it looks like we need a song, Jim will write one.

“Come audition! We’ll have a blast!” Melinda assures all comers.

If possible, come with a prepared speech or monologue (Gettysburg Address or preamble to Constitution are just fine) and a brief song or bit of music.

Rehearsals will be once a week in October for everyone, twice a week for those cast in larger parts, with more rehearsals scheduled in November, three to four times a week. There will be five consecutive performances Wednesday through Sunday December 11 – December 16, with a matinee performance on Saturday, Dec. 15.

Casting calls for the following characters:

• Ebenezer Scrooge
• Bob Cratchit
• Collector 1 & 2
• Nephew/niece
• Jacob Marley
• Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come
• Young Scrooge
• Ali Baba
• Little Fan
• Scrooge’s childhood friends (2)
• Fezziwig and Spouse
• The Cratchit Family (various ages and gender, including Tiny Tim or Tess))
• Scrooge’s fiancee
• Greed and Ignorance
• Assorted villagers (some with speaking roles, all sing)
• Mrs. or Mr. Pinchet
• Thieves

Interested actors are encouraged to call Melinda Milligan with any questions at 360-376-4193.

In this year of political turmoil and environmental destruction, Melinda says, “It’s very healing for all of us to create together; it’s one of most healing, sane activities there is.

“Orcas is so special — you can create your own space because magical things happen here.”

Auditions are Sept. 20 and 21 at Orcas Center, with call-back auditions on Friday, Sept. 22.