Audition Announcement: “A Sherlock Carol” September 29-30

By Mark Shanahan

Directed by Bob Smith

Sign Up to Audition

Providence Players is casting 6 to 10 performers (4-6 Male, 2-4 female – some performers will play multiple
characters of a variety of ages.) The casting of singing extras is possible, as well as a fiddle player or two. No roles are precast and all roles are open. All backgrounds, ages, and ethnicities are welcome and encouraged to audition.

Providence Players of Fairfax is:

• A non-profit community theater troupe. All participation is on a volunteer basis. No members of the cast or crew are compensated.
• A membership organization. Membership is not required to audition. If cast, all actors (and in fact, all volunteers), are required to become members of Providence Players of Fairfax ($25 per individual or $60 per family – three or more) for the season (if not already a member).

Audition Dates

• 7:00 p.m. Monday, September 29, 2025
• 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 30, 2025

PLEASE RSVP! Complete the Sherlock Carol Audition Form to let us know you’re coming.

If you are unable to fill out the online form, please email info@providenceplayers.org to RSVP and fill out and print this paper form and bring it with you to the audition.

Resumes and headshots will be accepted but are not required. We may ask to take a picture of you, but this is for internal use only and will not be shared.

Actors who audition one night may be asked to come back a second night, if available. You are not required to be available multiple evenings to be considered. The Director reserves the right to extend the audition period pending initial audition response. Callbacks (by invitation only) will be held on October 1.

Audition Location

James Lee Community Center
2855 Annandale Rd
Falls Church, VA 22042

Enter through the main lobby and follow signs to the audition room.

Audition Process & Sides

Most PPF auditions have actors up and down to read multiple times in multiple combinations and scenes. As space allows, you will be able to watch all the auditions. You may be asked to go into the hallway with audition partners and work a bit on a scene.  We will do our best to get you up multiple times reading with different he/she combinations. The Providence Players strives to make our productions open to interested and engaged actors.

Auditions will consist of cold readings from sides as noted in previous audition notices.

Actors should be prepared to sing a short a-cappella Christmas carol of their choice in addition to the reading. If any can play a fiddle, please be prepared to play a short piece of your choice.

You can review the sides in advance at this link.

Cast of Characters

Note: age refers to stage/character age. Actors in real life can be older or younger in reality but need to believably pass for the age of the character.

• SHERLOCK HOLMES (Male presenting as mid to late 40s) The World’s Foremost Consulting Detective, in decline.
• EBENEZER SCROOGE (Male presenting as 70s+) Formerly a miser. One Christmas, Scrooge is transformed into as good a man as the good old city ever knew. (Also is noted as A GHOSTLY VOICE.)
• ACTOR ONE (Male presenting as a variety of ages) – Dr. Cratchit may be split as a separate performer.
  • DR. TIMOTHY CRATCHIT. Tiny Tim, all grown up. Now, a doctor at St. Bernard’s
    Hospital for Children. He speaks with a more refined accent than his sister.
  • MR. TOPPER. The manager of the Cosmopolitan Hotel. A bit older, a bit
    pompous. Easily irritated. Supposedly a friend of Fred, Scrooge’s nephew.
  • RALPH FEZZIWIG. A nervous, wiry young man. The misfit member of a proud
    family. Engaged to Fannie.
  • CONSTABLE BRADSTREET. A seemingly upstanding member of Scotland Yard.
• ACTOR TWO (Female presenting as a variety of ages and one male character) – Emma Wiggins may be split as a separate performer.
  • EMMA WIGGINS. A good-spirited and brave 13-year-old, she is a former Baker
    Street Irregular.
  • FAN “FANNIE” GARDNER. Scrooge’s grandniece. A refined young woman, she works backstage at the theatre in the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Engaged to Ralph
    Fezziwig.
  • INSPECTOR LESTRADE. Blustery, easily confounded member of Scotland Yard.
    He has grudging respect for Holmes.
  • MRS. WINDIGATE. A Scottish tavern-keeper and member of the Goose Club.
    Giggly, a whirlwind.
• ACTOR THREE (Male presenting as a variety of ages and one female character) – Dr. Watson may be split as a separate performer.
  • DR. WATSON. Sherlock Holmes’ best and most loyal friend. The Boswell to Holmes’ Johnson.
  • MRS. DILBER. Mr. Scrooge’s housekeeper of over 30 years. An emotional creature with a connection to the spiritual realm.
  • HENRY BURKE. An Irish candlemaker, an old friend of Mr. Scrooge.
  • OLD JOE BRACKENRIDGE. The owner of Old Joe’s in Covent Garden. Gruff, a
    born salesman.
• ACTOR FOUR (Female presenting as a variety of ages) – The Countess of Morcar may
  be split as a separate performer
  • CAROLER. A cheerful person in the street.
  • ELDERLY WOMAN. A London lady.
  • THE COUNTESS OF MORCAR. American. An old love of Holmes' who also
    goes by another name, Irene Adler.
  • MARTHA CRATCHIT. Tough and a bit lower-class than her brother. She is as
    smart and observant as any detective she might happen to meet.
  • MARY MORSTAN. Watson’s elegant and brave wife.
  • ABIGAIL “ABBY” FEZZIWIG. Runs a business fattening geese for market. She
    is no-nonsense and direct-a proud member of the hardworking Fezziwig family.

About the Play

Performance Dates and Times

Preview:  Thursday, December 11, 2025; 7:00 PM
Evening Performances:  Thurs., Fri. & Sat., December 12-20, 2025; 7:30 PM
Matinees:  Saturdays & Sundays, December 13, 14, 20 & 21; 2:00 PM

Synopsis

After being reported dead, Sherlock Holmes returns to his beloved London. The citizenry hails his return and he is immediately beset with calls for assistance on a variety of mysteries including the murder of that pillar of society, Ebeneezer Scrooge. Unfortunately, Holmes is no longer the man he was and he must deal with his own ghosts before he can help anyone else.

From the Director

Download a copy of the Sherlock Carol Theater Access Calendar for this show. This is NOT the specific rehearsal schedule (which will be supplied by the Stage Manager), but it will give you an idea for the commitment you are making in terms of rehearsals and performances, and how to identify conflicts.

The calendar will not be set until after casting is complete. Actors may presume two nights a week and Saturdays. Cast will be expected to have significant portions of the script memorized prior to the start of the regular rehearsal process and some sections of the script will be recorded for playback during the performances (hence those sections will not be live in the final form).

Please come to auditions prepared to list any availability conflicts with rehearsal or the performance schedule. Space is provided on the audition form for this purpose.

About the Director

Bob Smith (Director) was Theatre Director at Fairfax High School for almost two decades and has directed over fifty productions in high school, college, professional, and community settings. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre from The University of Texas at Austin. He served on the Executive Board of Virginia Thespians for over thirty years. He was responsible for the creation of the Stage Combat program in Fairfax County’s Institute for the Arts and pioneered the utilization of Computer Assisted Design
for Theatre in Fairfax County Public Schools. In his retirement, he continues to work with Virginia Thespians and was an Adjudicator for the Glamies program in Loudoun and Fauquier Counties last year.

We look forward to seeing you at Auditions! RSVP at this link!