The Citadel Theatre is accepting applications from young actors in Citadel’s 2026/27 production of
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
We are looking for multiple young actors, under the age of 15, to be in this production of A Christmas Carol, directed by Lianna Makuch. Please see the information below for age range and accessibility information.
THE ROLES TO BE CAST
1. Children’s Chorus Role in A Christmas Carol
Any gender. Any ethnicity. Age range: 8-15 years old (no older than 15 when rehearsals start, so born after November 6, 2011).
Children’s Chorus play a variety of roles in the production and appear in many different scenes.
2. “Tim” in A Christmas Carol
Any gender. Any ethnicity. Age range: 8 to 12 years old.
Priority will be given to a Youth Actor with lived experience of disability and/or chronic illness. For specific details on this opportunity, please see the link below.
Actor must be available for the same dates as the Children’s Chorus (above). Singing ability is necessary for this role.
AUDITION DATES AND DEADLINES
- The audition dates will be Wednesday, June 17 and Thursday, June 18, 2026. Callbacks, by invite only, will be on Friday, June 19, 2026. Please note: auditions will potentially be during school hours.
- Each selected youth actor will be given the time and location of their audition. They will be given instructions for material to prepare.
- The deadline to apply is Monday, June 8, 2026, by 5pm MDT.
THE COMMITMENT
A Christmas Carol Rehearsal, Tech Rehearsal and Performance Schedule
Youth Actor must be available for the following dates:
Rehearsal: From November 6, 2026, to November 15, 2026, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Actors may not be called every day but must be available to come when needed. We rehearse every day except Monday.
Technical (on-stage) Rehearsal: From November 17, 2026, to November 26, 2026. These are intense days of rehearsing and performing, potentially lasting from noon to ten pm. We rehearse every day except Monday.
Run of the show: November 18, 2026, to December 24, 2026; eight performances per week, Tuesday to Sunday with matinees on some school days.
APPLYING FOR AN AUDITION
All youth actors under the age of 18 require parent/legal guardian permission to participate. All audition requests must come directly from parents/legal guardians, not the youth actor.
While we try to ensure that Citadel Theatre auditions are a rewarding experience for all actors, it is each family’s responsibility to ensure your youngster understands that an audition or callback is not a guarantee they will be offered a role. Please be very sure that your youth does not have unrealistic expectations about being in our show.
If you would like to have your youth audition:
- Read the FAQ for Youth Actors below and note the commitment dates above. If your child is not available for all dates, please do not request an audition.
- Submit your request to auditions@citadeltheatre.com with “Youth Auditions – A Christmas Carol” in the subject line. Please specify the role(s) of interest in the body of the email, as well as any other pertinent details.
- Obtain and fill in the audition application form, which can be downloaded at the link below.
- Please fill out the audition application form and, along with a short resume of their relevant theatre experience and a recent photo of the youth, please email the form, resume and photo to auditions@citadeltheatre.com.
FAQs FOR YOUTH ACTORS
Yes. It is our firm expectation that your youth will be available when called to rehearse and will be on time and ready to perform for every show.
There is rehearsal every day of the week except Mondays, but not all actors are called to every rehearsal. We ask everyone to be available for the entire rehearsal period, so it is very important to clear your schedules for the entire rehearsal period.
Typically, we have 8 performances a week. There is nothing scheduled on Mondays.
Yes and no. You will get the performance schedule when a role is offered, but you will only get a potential rehearsal schedule. The daily rehearsal schedule is drawn up at the end of each day, based on input from the director, the stage manager, choreographer, music director and designers. The stage manager emails the daily schedule to the actors as soon as it is prepared.
No. There is no provision in the budget to pay for travel or parking. The expenses incurred to bring your youth to the Citadel are paid by you. We appreciate the families who do this very much, but do not have the resources to pay the expenses ourselves.
No. Unlike hockey and dance programs, the Citadel provides costumes. Our professional wardrobe people will measure your youth and will custom build costumes and provide all footwear and show underwear. All we ask is that you bring a designated pair of indoor shoes for your youth to wear during rehearsal until the show shoes are ready.
Yes, each youth who participates will receive a payment which will be clarified at the time of making an offer.
Rehearsal is a time for the actors and the directors to focus on the work they are doing, so overall, we don’t invite parents into the rehearsal hall while the actors are working. We do realize that it is very meaningful for parents to be able to watch some of the rehearsal process, and to that end, we will open up the “dress rehearsal” evening during tech week. We will give more information about this opportunity to parents when a role is accepted.
Yes, that is a certainty. There are school matinees that your youth will be performing in. There will also be rehearsals during school hours. We ask parents to speak to your youth’s school and make sure the school is aware (and supportive) and will give us a letter indicating that the school supports participation. There may be school concerts, field trips, birthday parties, and other events that your youth will have to pass up while in a show, so it is a good idea to discuss this thoroughly with your family.
This is an excellent question; it is certainly a big commitment for a youth actor and their family! Depending on how many years each of us has done this, we have seen hundreds of young people audition. We receive cards, emails, and verbal thank-yous from families, and consistently the message is: my youth has grown and flourished in many ways while being in a Citadel show. Youth who appear in our productions love the experience and want to be asked back. Some parents have noticed their youth’s school marks actually go up over the course of a show – we think this is because the youth is so motivated and wants to succeed. Additionally, a youth interested in theatre gets a rare insight into the workings of a large professional company and gets to work with some of Canada’s best directors, actors, choreographers and music directors!
Yes, everyone who auditions will be notified one way or the other.
Wayne Paquette, Citadel’s Artistic Coordinator. He will be happy to answer more questions and respond to emails sent to auditions@citadeltheatre.com.
WORKING WITH CITADEL THEATRE
We wish to acknowledge that the land on which we live and work is Treaty No. 6 territory and a traditional meeting ground and home of the First Nations, including the treaty signatories – Cree, Saulteaux, Nakota Sioux, Stony and Cree-Iroquois – as well as other Indigenous peoples, such as the Blackfoot and Métis. We extend our appreciation for the opportunity to live, create and perform on this territory.
The Citadel Theatre is in the heart of amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton, AB), and we are proud to call Treaty 6 territory home. As a regional theatre, it is integral that we ensure that the stories we tell, as well as the composition of our artists, board, staff, students, and audience are reflective of the diverse lived experiences in this dynamic city.
We encourage submissions from professional artists who self-identify as members of under-represented communities. For more on Citadel Theatre’s Equity, Inclusivity, and Diversity commitments, please visit: https://citadeltheatre.com/about-us/equity-diversity-inclusion-and-accessibility/
If there are any potential barriers (language, disability, or any other considerations) preventing you from applying to audition please let us know and we will work with you to overcome them.
Accessibility: Citadel Theatre’s rehearsal facilities are accessible. Our building is equipped with elevators and numerous accessible washrooms. The Shoctor Theatre stage and backstage are accessible to artists that have mobility access needs; the backstage area includes elevator access, accessible washrooms (including roll in showers), and an accessible dressing room. The Maclab Theatre stage and backstage areas currently have reduced accessibility to artists that have mobility access needs. The Maclab is a unique thrust stage with multiple stairs, risers, and steep ramp entrances and the backstage area does not currently have accessible washrooms or dressing rooms; we are working to correct these issues in the space in Summer 2026 and are very open to discussing potential workarounds and solutions. Please let us know if you have any questions about the physical layout of our spaces, or other access needs.
Please let us know if you have any questions about the physical layout of our spaces, or other access needs.
For more information, please visit: https://citadeltheatre.com/accessibility/
For more audition information, please visit: https://citadeltheatre.com/artists/auditions/
Contact Name: Wayne Paquette
Contact Email Address: auditions@citadeltheatre.com