Submitted by Footlighters Theatre Society
Last weekend’s 28th season opener, Complaint Department and Lemonade was successfully produced in just 24 hours.
With that now over, Footlighters Theatre Society is looking toward the holidays by casting a production of An Enchanted Bookshop Christmas, set to run Dec. 1 to 3.
Auditions will be held at 7 p.m. on Sept. 7 at Kootenay River Theatre for the heartwarming holiday play, which tells the tale of A Likely Story, a very special bookshop where beloved literary characters come to life when no one is looking.
“Last year’s Christmas production, Sorry, Wrong Chimney, was hilarious but not entirely family-friendly, so we decided on something different this time around,” said director Brian Lawrence.
The play begins four days before Christmas, when A Likely Story’s scatterbrained owner Margie is thrilled to have two special guests visiting for the holidays, her serious-minded sister Ellen and book-loving niece Annabelle. Ellen was recently laid off as an astronomy professor, but her luck changes when high-tech billionaire Philip Brantley stops in at the shop, and Margie convinces him to hire Ellen for his new space project.
An Enchanted Bookshop Christmas has 17 roles of varying sizes for female and male performers of all ages. Leading roles belong to the non-storybook characters, including Margie, Ellen, and Annabelle. The play’s publisher also allows the pre-teen Annabelle, with a name change, to be played by a boy.
Characters springing from the pages of popular books include Ebeneezer Scrooge, Dorothy Gale, Tom Sawyer, Amy March, and Doctor Dolittle — and in addition to those are the Book Fairy, Philip, and A Likely Story’s resident cat, Bombalurina.
“All of the parts, whether ‘real’ or those out of the books, offer a great opportunity for both experienced performers and newcomers to have some real fun developing a character,” said Lawrence. “I’m really looking forward to seeing this show brought to life.”
Auditions for the Christmas play will be by cold readings from the script, and those interested in trying out can contact Lawrence at b.lawrence.1701@gmail.com for more information or to pre-register.
READ MORE: Unfurl Your Wings: Seeking Creston singers for concert series