Join Us For Our Spring 2025 Play – Twice Upon A Time

MAX CAST OF 20 KIDS, AUDITIONS ON JANUARY 15, 2025

Grandma doesn’t really like fairy tales — she prefers adventure stories about pirates and astronauts. So when her grandkids ask for fairy tale bedtime stories, Grandma puts some pretty silly twists on them!

“Twice upon a time…” Grandma begins each goofy retelling of a once-familiar classic. Cindy-Rella is now an insufferable neat freak not inclined to leave her chores to attend the prince’s barbecue, even if there will be a bouncy castle there. Grandma seems to have forgotten about the Big Bad Wolf, so her stories pull Big Bad Bear away from his porridge to threaten both the Three Little Pigs and Little Red Riding Pants. Even Goldilocks is confused why she has cameo appearances in both these stories!

Despite the children’s occasional protests at Grandma’s absurd revisions, they beg for more. She forges on to tell the tales of Snow White and the Four Dwarves (because four is plenty, thank you!), and Grumplegrapeskin, the magical goblin who wants nothing more than to have the game show host remember his name. You’ll remember Grumplegrapeskin and all the rest of the kooky characters in this charming and flexible one-act packed with five fractured fairy tales that will really crack you up!

Important Registration Information:

Registration will close on January 15, 2025 after the auditions.

All participants are asked to attend auditions on Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at my home off of Lower Rocky River, on the border of Concord and Harrisburg.

Children who do not attend auditions are still invited to participate if they have notified the director beforehand and there is space available.  

How to Enroll:

• Step 1: Email me (Katie Griffin) at griffins99@gmail.com or FB message me through Rise & Shine Players. If you email, please include “Rise & Shine Players” in the subject of the email. Please forgive the extra step in the registration process this season, but because the rehearsals are at my home, I am gently vetting all registrants before I share my address.
• Step 2: After we have made contact, I will supply you with the link to register your child. Then, complete the registration form.
• Step 3: Submit the $50/child deposit.

Who:  

• Open enrollment and all children who enroll will receive a part in the play. This script is appropriate for all actors ages 6-18! All actors who have a speaking part are expected to read their script lines independently in front of the group beginning on the first rehearsal.

Cost:  

• $150/child for the performance season ($50 due at time of registration, and $100 due balance at the first class). This fee allows us to pay our director, assistant director, and sets.
• The enrollment fee includes:
  • 15, 1 to 2-hour rehearsals
  • 1 group read-through of the script
  • 1 dress rehearsal
  • 2 performances
• Costumes and other necessaries are paid for separately by the parent. However, costumes are inexpensive and most are created by the parent costume design team.

Rehearsal Location:

• Very few venues in the Harrisburg area are renting space for outside groups post-COVID. To temporarily overcome this challenge, rehearsals will be held in my large, partially-finished garage. The house is located off of Lower Rocky River on the border of Harrisburg and Concord. The address will be provided after registration is complete.

Auditions:  

All participants are required to attend the audition on Wednesday, January 15, 2024, from 11 am – 1pm. If you have a significant conflict with this date, please let me know and you can discuss your options with the director.

How to Prepare for Auditions:

• If you are 8 years old or younger, you should come prepared with a 30 to 45-second monologue. Students may use a passage from a favorite book, a monologue they’ve found online, one from a favorite movie, etc.
• If you are 9 years old or older, you will be cold reading from the script. The director will have a few passages marked, and you may be asked to read a character in any one of them.

TIPS:

• Whatever character or type of character you are supposed to be while giving your monologue, imagine you really are them. How would they say the words? How would they act while they’re saying them? Would they move around? Would they stand still? Would they sit? What facial expressions would they make? Would they be making any motions with their arms, or acting something out with their bodies?
• Be loud! When you’re nervous, it’s easy to be quieter than you intend to be. If you think you’re being loud enough, be even louder.

Just because you read one character’s part during auditions does not mean that you are being cast in that part. Rather than using passages for every single available part, only a few are marked to be read in auditions. The character you read in auditions is not an indication of where you will be cast. We’re sneaky that way. 😉

We know how hard it can be when you’re nervous, and you have to read for a part in front of someone. It can seem intimidating to have people watching and listening to you. Nerves are normal! If you are feeling especially nervous on audition day, please tell the director. We will work out whatever we can to make you more comfortable. Know that everyone in that room is rooting for you.

Parents are welcome, but not required, to stay with their students during the audition.

Group Read-Through:

• We will be hosting a group read-through of the script on Friday, January 17, 2025 at 11:00 am.  Parents are welcome to attend as space permits, though it is not mandatory.

Rehearsal Schedule:

Participants must be available to rehearse from 11:00 am-11:00 pm, although on occasion, they may not be asked to rehearse both hours if certain groups of the cast are called. On days when they are not called, actors are invited to attend and observe. Rehearsal dates are as follows:

• 11:00 am -1:00 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays for an 8-week session, on the dates below: 1/22, 1/24, 1/29, 1/31, 2/5, 2/7, 2/12, 2/14, 2/19, 2/21, 2/26, 3/12, 3/14, 3/19, 3/21 (Please note there are no rehearsals on 2/28, 3/5, 3/7.)
• Attendance at rehearsal is considered mandatory, but up to two absences can be accommodated if you discuss the absence with the director in advance. Attendance at the dress rehearsal and two performances is mandatory, without exception.

Dress Rehearsal Schedule:

• Wednesday, March 26, 2025 from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm at 2500 Rocky River Rd. Charlotte, NC

Performance Schedule:

• When:  Friday, March 28, 2025 @ 6:00 pm AND Saturday, March 29, 2025 @ 4:00 pm
• Where: 2500 Rocky River Rd. Charlotte, NC

Parent Participation:

• Parent participation is key to achieving a successful experience, therefore participation in Rise & Shine Players should be considered a family commitment.  Parents will be assigned to serve on either a set design team or a costume design team. Anticipate a 10-hour investment of time into your role.
• One parent from each family is required to attend a parent meeting held during the first rehearsal on 1/22 from 11:00 – 1:00.  Volunteer roles will be assigned during this meeting.