OFFICIAL CASTING

GRACE BRADLEY— Megan Barbera

BOB BRADLEY— Andrew Hofstetter

BETH BRADLEY— Murren McManus

CHARLIE BRADLEY— Nicholas Burns

RALPH HERDMAN—Jack Parrish

IMOGENE HERDMAN—Evalyn Stone

LEROY HERDMAN— Isaiah DeVol

OLLIE HERDMAN— Hannah Robey

CLAUDETTE HERDMAN—Adelyn Marrero

GLADYS HERDMAN— Kylie Schweizer

MRS. McCARTHY—Sarah Getty

MRS. ARMSTRONG— Sharon Mol

MRS. SLOCUM— Lada Jensen

MRS. CLARK/NURSE— Kassia Doukhnai

REVEREND HOPKINS— TBD

ALICE WENDLEKEN— Scotlyn Pace

MAXINE— Katie Rink

HOBIE— Grayson Stone

DAVITA— Laura Kate Newcomer

SHIRLEY— Selah Perkins

BEVERLY— Lucy Baerman

JANET— Evelyn Sullivan

DORIS— Elise Robey

ELMER HOPKINS— TBD

Auditions

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

AUDITIONS:
September 6 from 6:00-9:00 PM
September 7 from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM (callbacks from 2:00-4:00 PM)

REHEARSALS:
Rehearsals will be held on Mondays and on some Wednesdays and Saturdays. *Rehearsal schedules will be available to review at auditions.
First Rehearsal: September 16th

SHOW DATES:
December 13-15, 2024

Synopsis:

The annual Christmas pageant at Beth Bradley’s church is a familiar, albeit predictable, event. However, this year’s performance is anything but ordinary. When the seasoned pageant director, Mrs. Armstrong, breaks her leg, Beth’s inexperienced mother, Grace, is thrust into the role of director. Just as Grace begins to grapple with the challenge, the notorious Herdman children—known for being “the worst kids in the whole history of the world”—arrive at the church, drawn by the promise of free snacks.

The Herdmans, who have never heard the Christmas story before, immediately take over the pageant auditions. As tensions rise and the pageant faces multiple setbacks—including a brief re-titling to “Revenge at Bethlehem” and a fire at the church—the townspeople are skeptical that the pageant can be salvaged. Yet, through their unexpected and unruly approach, the Herdmans inadvertently breathe new life into the Christmas story. Their perspective leads the community to rediscover the true meaning of Christmas. Despite the chaos and resistance from the church members, Grace Bradley and her family, along with the Herdmans, ultimately create a pageant that surprises everyone and becomes the most memorable and meaningful one ever held.

Meet The Director!

Hello everyone! I’m Maria Vaccarella, director of Sojourn Productions The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. I am super excited that, after 7 years, Sojourn Productions is bringing back community theater! This is my first Sojourn show that I will be directing and I cannot wait to meet each and every one of you at auditions in just a few weeks! Before I get a chance to meet all of you, I would like to introduce myself. I have been involved with theater for 14 years, from acting in 15 productions to stage managing/directing 10 productions. My first introduction to Sojourn occurred when I was just 10 years old during their first summer camp. Since then, I have been cast in Sojourn’s main stage shows Annie and The Music Man and have stage managed The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, High School Musical Jr., Annie Jr., and The Wizard of Oz. When I am not in the theater, I am busy working for my videography business (MCV Films) and spending time with family and friends!

Cast Descriptions

ADULT ROLES

GRACE BRADLEY. 25-35. Takes over the annual Christmas pageant; mother to Beth and Charlie; wife to Bob. Sweet, good-humored, slightly frazzled mom.
BOB BRADLEY. 30-40. Easygoing dad, family man
REVEREND HOPKINS. 40+.
MRS. ARMSTRONG. 50+. Managerial, in voice and manner; usually directs the pageant
MRS. McCARTHY. 30+. A younger, less authoritative version of Mrs. Armstrong
MRS. SLOCUM. 25+.
MRS. CLARK. 25+.

CHILD ROLES
*Potential singing/dancing role

BETH BRADLEY. 10-12. The show’s narrator. A strong voice and stage presence.
CHARLIE BRADLEY. 8-9. Beth’s brother - the typical kid brother.
RALPH HERDMAN. 12-13. The oldest and coolest Herdman
IMOGENE HERDMAN. 11-12. Loud, bossy, tough, crafty. The Herdman leader.
LEROY HERDMAN. 10-11. Ralph’s backup. Tough, very sure of himself.
CLAUDE HERDMAN. 8-9. Tough, combative, scrappy, smart. A crime buddy to Ollie.
OLLIE HERDMAN. 8-9. Always looking for trouble. Claude’s usual partner in crime.
GLADYS HERDMAN. 6-8. Small, wiry, feisty. Nothing scares Gladys.
*ALICE WENDLEKEN. 10-12. Prim, proper know-it-all.
*MAXINE: 10-12. Beth’s Sunday school classmate.
*ELMER HOPKINS. 12-13. The minister’s son.
*HOBIE, DAVID. - Various ages, 7-11.
*BEVERLY, SHIRLEY, JUANITA, DORIS. Various ages, 7-11.

Audition Requirements:

1. There will be optional singing and dance auditions for certain children’s roles. Please note on your audition form if you would like to participate in those auditions.
2. Please be honest in what roles you will accept on your audition form.
3. Due to the nature of the show, we are not able to cast everyone.
4. Readings for the characters below will be provided at auditions.