Auditions (by appointment only) 

Ages 14-19: Friday, October 3rd, 5:00-8:00pm

Ages 9-13: Saturday, October 4th, 12:00-8:00pm

Ages 6-8, Ages 9+ Conflicts/Overflow: Sunday, October 5th, 12:00-4:00
(We ask that children in this age group have completed Kindergarten) 

Callbacks (by invitation only)

Sunday, October 5th: 5:00- 8:30pm
If invited, auditioners will be called back for a 45-minute period within this window. 

WHERE: The Studio at CFRT- 1104 Hay Street, Fayetteville, NC 28305

ABOUT THE SHOW: In this hilarious classic, a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with casting the Herdman kids, probably the most inventively awful kids in history. You won’t believe the mayhem — and the fun— when the Herdmans collide with the Christmas story head on! 

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever will be divided into 4 different casts. Cast assignments are based on actors availability and the needs of the Director and Creative Team. Each cast will consist of approximately 30 actors.  

Please be advised that students who are cast in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever will need to miss 2-3 days of school to perform in Student Matinees.   

Important Dates 

• Rehearsals Begin: October 28th
• Opening: December 6th
• Closing: December 21st 

Each cast will rehearse 2 days a week, between 6-8 hours. Rehearsals will vary depending on role. Each cast will perform for two to three days of Student Matinees (SMATs) with performances at 9:30am and 11:00am.  

What To Prepare

Everyone: Prepare the first verse and chorus of “We Wish you a Merry Christmas” (Through approx. 0:35 in the recording) www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi45syYLjh0 

Ages 6-8: Prepare the following line – does not need to be memorized:

“Hey! Hey! Unto you a child is born! It’s Jesus and he’s in the barn! Go see him!”

Ages 9-13: Prepare the following speech – does not need to be memorized:

“And in that region, there were shepherds in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And an Angel of the Lord appeared to them and said, “Be not afraid, for unto you a child is born.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host, saying “Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace among men.” 

Ages 14-19: Be prepared to read sides provided for the role of your choice. Character descriptions are provided with the breakdown below: 

Alice & Imogene
Beth & Alice
Charlie & Leroy
Church Moms
Grace Bradley & Reverend Hopkins
Herdmans & Mrs. Bradley 1
Herdmans & Mrs. Bradley 2
Mrs. Bradley & Gladys 

To be eligible for an audition, YOU MUST sign up for an audition appointment. You can do so by emailing auditions@cfrt.org with your child’s name and age. Please bring a filled-out BCPE 2025 Audition Form and Conflict Calendar If you do not submit a conflict calendar, you will not be allowed to audition. Please arrive 5 minutes before your audition time, to avoid large crowds.  

Actors are encouraged to bring a Headshot/Resume to Auditions if they already have one. Please do not go out and have Headshots taken if you do not already have them.  

Cast Breakdown

The Herdmans:

RALPH HERDMAN – ragged, scroungy, slouching manner, touch of adolescent cool. 
IMOGENE HERDMAN – loud, bossy, crafty. 
LEROY HERDMAN – tough, sure of himself. 
CLAUDE HERDMAN – tough, combative. 
OLLIE HERDMAN – looking for trouble, Claude’s usual partner in crime. 
GLADYS HERDMAN – small, wiry, feisty. 

The Bradleys:

FATHER (Bob Bradley) – solid family man  
MOTHER (Grace Bradley) – refuses to accept defeat, even as things come crashing down around her; she longs to be accepted by the church ladies, but doesn’t really fit in.  
BETH BRADLEY – the narrator, strong voice and presence 
CHARLIE BRADLEY – traditional kid brother

The Townspeople:

REVEREND HOPKINS – the slightly frazzled peacemaker of the church; has a good heart. 
MRS. ARMSTRONG – Sergeant of the community; she runs everything, including the annual Christmas Pageant. 
MRS. SLOCUM – pleasant, motherly woman. 
MRS. MCCARTHY – sophisticated, opulent; a less imperious version of Mrs. Armstrong.
ALICE WENDLEKEN – prim, proper, pain in the neck; her absolute favorite thing is playing the lead in the Christmas Pageant.
MAXINE  
ELMER HOPKINS  
HOBIE  
DAVID  
BEVERLY  
SHIRLEY 
TRACY 
ANNIE 
DONNA 
NAOMI 
CHARLIE 
TEDDY 

The roles of Mr. and Mrs. Bradley and Mrs. Armstrong have already been cast.
All additional roles will be played by children