Notes From the Casting Experience

A New Appreciation

The day after sitting in on the looonng casting day for A Charlie Brown Christmas, I feel compelled to share the deeper appreciation I have for WAG. Having been involved in five of WAG's eight productions to date, I figured I knew the ins and outs of the time, money, blood, sweat & tears that goes into a show. Well, like an ice berg, I only saw what had been exposed. Yesterday, I experienced some behind the scenes work that I won't soon forget.

I loved watching over 60 kids brave the audition panel. I admired their courage, their flexibility and their honesty. I learned first hand that we have a lot of local talent, and I'm reminded of that Field of Dreams quote, "If you build it, they will come." Wow, WAG sure has proven that true; Wylie is bursting with creative kids just looking for a venue to share their gifts close to home.

When the last kiddo finally left, a full seven hours after auditions began, the panel really got to work. With a sigh, the judges piled up the audition packets according to role. The Snoopy pile loomed high & threatened to fall over. My eyes widened, as I had a daughter's paperwork nestled in there. First, the panel took the highest mathematical average of each actor's audition sheet, which quickly narrowed the stack to just a few. Yep, my kid was still in there. Gulp. Then, the conversation really began: What about stature? What about previous experience? The questions kept swirling among them as the judges labored over a decision. Finally, a co-director said about one of the candidates, "his time has come." It was at once a declaration of wisdom, compassion and resolve. As the mom of the one not chosen this time, I could go home and tell my daughter that she did really well, second best out of a whole stack! Knowing the labor that went into that decision, I could look into her disappointed little eyes and comfort her while believing wholeheartedly in the casting call.
The process was repeated again and again for every role in the play...and the choir...and the crew. One more time, one of my daughters came in second for a role. One more time I had to break the difficult news. Several years younger than her sister, this little actress crumpled & cried. Even then, I could hold her close and look into her moist eyes and comfort her without bitterness for the process.

I was invited to auditions because I'm directing the choir, but I wish every parent involved in WAG got to witness the joys and struggles kept behind the closed door of the casting room. Until you see the directors pulling for every kid, until you hear the judges revisit each audition packet again and again, until you yourself grow weary at watching the delicate balance of the art and science of casting, there is no way to fully appreciate the gentle, strong heartbeat of WAG.    

- Sara Meyer

A Charlie Brown Christmas

WAG invites all interested school-aged children to audition for our holiday production, A Charlie Brown Christmas (cast of characters here). Make plans to join us on Saturday, September 22nd at 9:00am at the Best Western Inn in Wylie, 2011 N. Hwy 78, Wylie, 75098. Upon arrival, you will be asked to submit paperwork (linked below) and to sign up for a time to return later that day. The signing in process will conclude at noon but the audition process will continue until every child has been seen.


Production Schedule:


A Charlie Brown Christmas will start rehearsals on Monday, September 24th and rehearse every Monday and Thursday evening from 6:00pm - 8:00pm and every Saturday morning from 9:00am - noon. IMPORTANT NOTE: Every child participating MUST be available for a Final Tech Dress Rehearsal the entire Saturday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 24th.
The show will run Nov. 30th - Dec. 1st.


To be prepared for auditions, we ask all children do the following:

Complete the Audition Packet
Familiarize themselves (no need to memorize!) with the Audition Script
Familiarize themselves (no need to memorize!) with Hark the Herald Angels Sing thru the first verse


Good luck and BREAK A LEG!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Audition Tips from Director Tom Barlow

As the Director of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I am looking forward to seeing many talented young actors this weekend at auditions!  Below are a few things to keep in mind as you prepare to audition:

 - While you do not need to prepare a memorized audition piece, if you already have something prepared that shows your skills, as they relate to this play, bring it!   Just remember to keep it relatively short, and fun, and be prepared to possibly do something else from the specific play.
 - Show us your character!  At your scheduled audition time, feel free to come dressed in a simple costume or use small/simple props that represent your idea of the character.  Again, this is optional, and if done, it does NOT need to be fancy or elaborate, and it definitely should NOT distract from your performance, or get in your way.
 - Make strong character choices!  Do you think your character smiles and winks at the end of every sentence? Do it!  Maybe your character always walks with his or her shoulders hunched forward. Let's see it!  The point is, show us your acting skills by making strong choices about the character for which you are auditioning.  We want to see more than simply reading from a page.  Hint: I do NOT think any character in THIS show smiles and winks at the end of EVERY sentence.  :-)
 - If you are auditioning for the Narrator, or one of the main children in the story (other than Charlie), you can find the audition pieces for these characters in scene 1 of the script (the one adapted by Richard George, ISBN #0142407909).  The script is available on Amazon with the "Look Inside" option which means you can actually view the first few pages.  This will let you get a head start on practicing the pieces you will be asked to use for the audition.  Of course these scenes will also be available at the audition.
 - Want to be an Oompah-Loompa? We will have a script excerpt for you to audition with, however, you can also wow us with your own memorized performance of any other relatively short (preferring funny/cute/anecdotal) children's poem. Lots available online!



That's it for now!  Please remember that NONE of these things are required, and we want to see actors of ALL experience levels.  These are just ideas, or "audition tips," from one actor to another!

Best of luck, and of course, "Break a Leg!"
Tom Barlow

Why Children's Theatre?

When it comes to ‘children’s theatre’ there are two basic types. There’s the adult produced and performed type and then there’s the ‘Theatre for children, by children’ type that Wylie Acting Group for Children stands for. Regardless of the type, perhaps children's theatre ought to be called "Spectacle for all ages," since it exercises everyone's imaginations, familiarizing us with foreign cultures, building respect for people from all walks of life, relaxing us, relieving our stress, and sending us back to the daily grind enriched and renewed. At its very best, children's theatre empowers and educates even as it exhilarates and entertains. 

Having just wrapped directing a lively rendition of Charlotte’s Web, as I normally do, I take a step back from my WAG duties and try to rest a little and reflect a little on how the production went. Inevitably there’s the need to dive back in and join the preparations for the next show. In doing so, last night I made a visit to our Facebook page. I hadn’t ventured there since the few days leading up to opening night. What a delightful surprise it was to find so many sweet comments from our Facebook page followers. Here’s a glimpse at just a few: 

Seeing comments like these remind me of why I wanted a children’s theatre group in Wylie. The entertainment industry and mass marketing often panders to our worst instincts, desensitizing children to violence and "difference" rather than opening their eyes and hearts, refining their emotions, enlightening them and transporting them beyond the known to new realms. 

In the theatre world, the quality of children's entertainment is uniformly high. Under all circumstances, it affirms life and attempts to promote community and harmony. Most theatre companies are careful to blend educational elements into the diversion with the knowledge that the joy and wonder of live movement, melody and dialogue must outweigh the need to be instructive. Fun is still the bottom line. 

And the fun isn’t just limited to children. Parents laugh at pratfalls and silly antics just as readily as youngsters do. Incidentally, children do appreciate the fact that moms, dads and older relatives are enjoying themselves as much as they are. This adds to the child's fun and makes the occasion a bonding experience, a special child-centered event that emphasizes and elevates the value of the pint-sized members of our society. 

While many children’s theatres operate under the assumption that the educational values of theatre are embodied in the performances themselves, a given in all arts, here at WAG we do things a little differently. From the beginning it has been my goal to involve young people, and their families, in every aspect of theatre production. And so far we can’t think of a single reason to even consider abandoning this goal. During Charlotte’s Web we asked the children what their favorite thing is about being in a WAG production. Reading the forty or so responses was certainly a treat for me. There were lots of ‘I like to dress up’ and ‘I think being on stage is fun’ type comments but my favorites, which actually serve as an unsolicited endorsement of what we do, were these: 

‘…the smiles on people’s faces when the play is done.’ Ginna, 12 years
Ginna is learning the art of bringing joy to others, not just herself.

‘…I get to interact with new people and make new friends!’ Zoe, 10 years
Zoe is learning that there’s a great big world out there with lots of people who like the same things she does.

‘…the excitement of being onstage and having such great memories, making new friends and knowing that you are a part of something bigger than meets the eye.’ Tyler, 10 years
Tyler is learning what it means to be a member of a community and the value of participating in worthwhile activities.

‘…I like to see all my friends and see how great they are at acting!’Kayden , 9 years
Kayden is learning that standing back and allowing others to stand in the spotlight can be fun too. 

‘…working on the set with my dad.’ Robert, 14 years
Robert is learning that spending quality time with family is important. 

This is why we do what we do. Without being in any way pontifical or overtly educational, the performing arts teach us to take stock of our existence and to appreciate circumstances that we often take for granted. If children's theatre teaches us anything, it demonstrates the interconnectedness of life and the need for playtime in everyone's schedule. And what great playtime it is! 

As Wilbur says ‘Living a good life is much more important than living a long life.’ With seven productions behind us, I’m so pleased and proud to be working with volunteers (board members, parents, community sponsors and more) who work continuously to put good into children’s and family’s lives.

Reflections on the Auditions

by Lana Bagdasarian

Wow, Charlotte's Web is cast!  What a great first experience on a casting team.  We had eighty children show up to audition last Saturday and twenty-two called back. 

Do you know how hard it is to decide on whom to cast for only thirty-five parts?  Ridiculously hard.   So, what do you use to decide who is cast for this performance and who we cast at a future date?  Well, glad you asked.  Here is the top TEN list for whom to cast for a play when you have double the amount of children as parts.

1. Talent – That one is a given.  However, it is not as easy as it sounds.  We had 80 TALENTED kids audition. 
2. Attitude – We need performers who are excited about being part of the play and who are flexible to play any part assigned to them.
3. Behavior – We need performers who help the play and its rehearsals progress at a good pace.  They keep the others around them on track and keep the director from pulling his or her hair out.
4. Attendance – We need performers who are there for almost EVERY rehearsal, who get there on time and stay for the entire rehearsal.  The rest of the children suffer when one of the characters are not there.
5. Volume – We need performers whose voice can travel to the back of the auditorium without a microphone.  Nothing loses the audiences’ attention faster than them missing lines due to being unable to hear or understand them.
6. Directable - We need performers who will listen to the director and follow through on what is asked of them. 
7. Fluid - We need performers whose movements look natural and enhance the movement of the play.
8. Character – We need performers who “fit” the part.  Looks, actions, and sounds all enhance the characters’ development.
9. Emotion - We need performers who can show a variety of emotions.  They can play the funny, slap stick when needed but can also be believable in the serious, sad scenes.
10. Experience - WAG for Children is proud to give children their first experience in acting. To that end, we try to maintain a balance of new and experienced performers within each performance cast.   

The casting team is so proud of each and every child who auditioned this production.   You made us wish we could have a cast of 80+.  If you were cast, we are excited to see what you bring to WAG and the performance of Charlotte’s Web.   If you weren’t cast this time, we want everyone to know that we want you to come back and audition again.  A NO this time does not mean a NO every time.

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