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M34-AudlogoMiracle on 34th Street, the Play
presented by South Arkansas Arts Center
and Simmons Bank

Auditions Oct 12 & 13 Monday & Tuesday at 6:00pm
Registration Begins at 6:00pm • Attend Either or Both Nights

Parts Available
Principal Roles 5 Adults & 1 Girl looks age 7-8
Character Roles for 13 Adults & 1 Child looks age 7-8
Large Ensemble for Adults, Teens & Children age 6up

Click Here to Print an AUDITION FORM

Lynn-Gunter-smDirector Lynn Gunter is a life-long fan of Miracle on 34th street as well as the magic of Christmas, there could be no project that is more exciting to Lynn. She plans to set this stage play in present day, yet with a traditional Santa. She is also constantly brainstorming ways to add touches of “Christmas Miracles” to the stage. Children of all ages should be pulled into the magic of tinsel, elves, and Santa. While keeping the manger in focus, the rest of the wonderment of Christmas will be displayed on the SAAC stage this holiday season! Nov 27-28 & Dec 4-6 Show Dates

Preparing for Auditions

Fill out an audition form & be prepared to read from the script.
Readings will be provided at auditions. No advance preparation is necessary, but scripts are available for one day check out from the SAAC office. For more information call the SAAC office at 862-5474.

PRINCIPAL ROLES (4 female & 5 male)
DORIS WALKER…w personnel manager at Macy’s
SUSAN WALKER…g Doris’ daughter, looks age 7-8
SHELLHAMMER…m/w Mrs. Walker’s assistant
SAWYER…m Macy’s vocational guidance counselor
FRED GAYLEY…m a lawyer, neighbor and friend to Doris and Susan
KRIS KRINGLE…m Santa Claus

CHARACTER ROLES
DOCTOR PIERCE…m/w physician at Maplewood Home
DRUNKEN SANTA… employee of Macy’s
MACY…m owner of Macy’s Dept. Store
BLOOMINGDALE…m owner and manager of Bloomingdale’s Dept. Store
JUDGE HARPER…m/w of the New York State Court
FINLEY…m/w bailiff in Judge Harper’s Court
MARA…m/w prosecuting attorney
HALLORAN…m/w Judge Harper’s political campaign manager
DUNCAN…m/w antelope keeper at the Central Park Zoo
MARA JR…b/g prosecuting attorney’s childlooks age 7-8 yrs old
AL…m/w postal employee
LOU…m/w postal employee
BAG LADY…w at Thanksgiving Day Parade
RICH PERSON…m/w at Thanksgiving Day Parade

LARGE ENSEMBLE
TEENAGERS
CHILDREN… age 6 & up
ELVES
PARENTS
PEDESTRIANS
POSTAL BAGGERS
SHOPPERS

Act 1
S1 – Central Park, the Friday after Thanksgiving.
S2 – Macy’s Toy Department, Santa’s dais, the next morning.
S3 – same, the following Tuesday.
S4 – Santa’s dais, early the next morning.
S5 – Lliving room in Doris’ Apartment, that evening.
S6 – Macy’s Toy Department, Santa’s dais. One week later.
S7 – Employee Meeting Room, that evening.
S8 – Bellevue State Hospital, Men’s Ward.

Act 2
S1 – Judge’s chamber, one week later.
S2 – Judge’s chamber.
S3 – Judge Harper’s courtroom.
S4 – Restaurant, that evening.
S5 – Courtroom, the following day.
S6 – Judge’s chambers.
S7 – Courtroom.
S8 – Mail room at NYC post office.
S9 – Judge’s chambers.
S10 – Courtroom.
S11 – A suburban street, the following day.

Miracle on 34th Street, the Play
adapted by Mountain Community Theatre of Ban Lomond, California
based upon the Twentieth Century Fox motion picture
Miracle on 34th Street
from the novel by Valentine Davies
Produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois

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Director • Lynn Gunter
For Lynn Gunter, a Crossett native, theater has been a great interest since she was a child. Gunter said, “It’s just fun! The moment I saw my first play when I was younger, I thought that looks fun and ‘I want to do that!’” She became involved with The Hurd Playhouse, a community theater in Crossett. She was in such productions as “Peter Pan,” “Gypsy,” “Calamity Jane,” “Lil’ Abner,” “Babes in Arms,” and “Oklahoma.”
Since 2013, Gunter has become a familiar face at SAAC through her direction of local homeschool group, HEART, and their children’s productions of “House at Pooh Corner”, “Peter Pan”, and Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland, Jr.” What she enjoys most about directing children is witnessing their self-confidence increase as well as team work, humility, work ethic, and satisfaction in accomplishment, breeding the attitude that “I can do anything!” Currently Gunter teaches a speech class through HEART, which offers its own reward of seeing kids develop through communication. This coupled with her favorite Bible verse, Phil. 4:13, is how she has encouraged and led children to perform their best.
When asked about directing the upcoming production, Gunter expressed that as a life-long fan of “Miracle on 34thStreet”, as well as the magic of Christmas, there could be no project that is more exciting. She plans to set this stage play in present day, yet with a traditional Santa. She is also constantly brainstorming ways to add touches of “Christmas Miracles” to the stage. She added that Children of all ages should be pulled into the magic of tinsel, elves, and Santa. While keeping the manger in focus, the rest of the wonderment of Christmas will be displayed on the SAAC stage this holiday season!

Set Design • April Hoover

Lighting Design • Colleen Means

The new script, based upon the 1947 Twentieth Century Fox motion picture “Miracle on 34th Street” and Valentine Davis’ original novella “Here’s Love,” retells the heartwarming story of one girls discovery that dreams do come true if you really believe. This version of the story follows Doris Walker and her daughter Susan as they find that the miracle of Christmas is everywhere, if we only open our eyes to see. Updated for new audiences, the story is told with a modern sensibility that makes it more accessible to 21st Century families.

In “Miracle on 34th Street”, the tinsel, trees, lights, sugar cookies, and exciting anticipation of Christmas have been lost on a little girl named, Susan Wilson. Susan and her mother are in need of a miracle, and it just so happens that their Miracle comes in the form of a man in a red suit! By chance, Kris Kringle, an old man in a retirement home, gets a job working as Santa for Macy’s. Kris unleashes waves of goodwill with Macy’s customers and the commercial world of New York City by referring parents to other stores to find exactly the toy their child has asked for. Seen as dangerous by Macy’s vocational counselor, who plots to have Kris shanghaied to Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital, Kris ends up in a court competency hearing. Especially at stake is one little girl’s belief in Santa. Will little Susan come to his defense? Will her mother allow it? Will Santa be able to bring Susan the one thing she’s always wanted … a family? In a dramatic decision, the court confirms Kris as the true Santa, allowing Susan and countless other children to experience the joy of childhood. Come experience the miracle for yourself as SAAC performs the beloved story of “Miracle on 34th street”.

“This is a tale that we want to believe in, that creates a world we seem to desperately desire, free of the blatant commercialism that surrounds us, where love and decency and generosity of spirit are their own rewards. What we want Christmas to be all about, really.” So writes the Santa Cruz Sentinel of this most heartwarming holiday story.

Auditions for the Christmas classic will be held on October 12 and 13, beginning with registration at 6:00pm and auditions at 6:30pm. The production is sponsored by Simmons Bank with performances on November 27-29 and December 4-6. Tickets: $15 General Public, $10 SAAC Members, $5 Students.