Imagine being an actor in a musical and having to memorize all your lines in the script, all the songs you will be singing, and all the actions, gestures, and blocking (where you go on the stage). Whether you have a leading role or a supporting ensemble role, it’s a big job! Now, imagine you only have two months of rehearsals to pull it off, and oh, by the way, you will need to do this for two or three roles, and maybe even two or three musicals, all at the same time.
It’s rigorous work, even for seasoned adult acting professionals. For child actors, who may be experiencing their first professional acting job, it can be outright daunting. Still, there’s no shortage of applications for the roles, especially when vying for one of the coveted child acting roles.
Audition!
The first step is to make it through a demanding audition process. This year Tuacahn casting producers held auditions in Utah, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York City, in order to fill 32 slots for adult actors and 14 for child actors. Hundreds of children competed to score one of the fourteen roles.
How child actors decide to audition at Tuacahn varies greatly. Many were inspired to become performers thanks to Tuacahn productions. Leera Sainsbury tells of seeing Cinderella in 2018, “One of my close friends had an extra ticket and offered me to go; I remember fairy godmother flying over us in the audience, the amazing set pieces, and the story the actors portrayed.”
For an actor like Gabriella Scott, who lives in New Jersey, the audition process was a 3-step process. It started with an online submission of her headshot, resume, and a few performance reels. That was followed by a requested “self-tape” where she recorded herself doing a few scenes and a song. Her efforts paid off when she was invited to do an in-person callback in New York City, followed by an offer to have a lead role in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
When asked about the experience, Gabriella says, “Two days after my callback, I received an email offering me the role of Violet! I honestly was so shocked that I thought I must have been given the role of her understudy, since I didn’t ever think that I would have booked such a huge role! The full excitement didn’t set in until the first day of rehearsal, when I realized I really was Violet!”
For a local like Lilly Pearson, who starred as Jane Banks in Mary Poppins last year, the audition process is mostly in-person. But one thing she’s learned is that sometimes you get the part, and sometimes you don’t. She says, “This year was actually my second time performing at Tuacahn, but guess what? It was my third time going through the audition process.”
Sloane Griffith, who is in her sixth season at Tuacahn, first auditioned at the recommendation of her voice teacher. She was only ten years old at the time! Now she performs as an adult in all three outdoor summer shows. Sloane’s success inspired her sister, Harper Griffith to also audition. This year marks her fourth season on the Tuacahn stage.
Rehearse!
Two months of spring rehearsals follow the auditions, and that’s when it truly sinks in that they’ve got a big job ahead of them. Lilly says, “The hardest part for me has been finding the right balance between school, rehearsals, and having my own down time. Tuacahn is pretty intense, and while I’m totally loving it, there are times when I’m like, ‘Whoa, how do I handle all of this?’ Dealing with this challenge has actually taught me some super important time management skills that I’ll totally use in the future.”
Gabriella says, “Performing in the elements of rain and extreme heat has definitely been the hardest part of it all, but the experience of performing in a canyon makes up for all of that. What surprised me is how special Tuacahn makes us feel. The management team always makes us feel valued and appreciated. We even get robes with our names engraved on them!”
Perform!
After all the work they put into it, everybody’s excited once it’s time for opening night. Lilly says, “One of the coolest things about performing at Tuacahn is the energy from the live audience. Seriously, feeling their excitement and happiness when we’re performing is like a roller coaster of awesome feelings. It’s like we’re using theater magic to take them on this wild emotional ride, and that’s just mind-blowing.”
There’s no doubt about it, Tuacahn’s child actors add real magic to the shows. Their hard work, exceptional talent, and driving passion is obvious, and they are thoroughly inspiring to watch. With only two weeks left of 2023 outdoor performances, don’t miss your chance to come support them and feel the magic yourself.
