Dear Auditioners,

Thank you for coming out for FIDDLER!  We were amazed by the level of talent this year — and found it very hard to create a Callback List.  We wish we could keep everyone!

Casting is never about finding just the “best” singer or actor. Each show brings its own unique demands, and we’re looking at how all the pieces work together, how different talents and energies blend to tell our story. One person might be perfect for a lead role in one show, but find there isn’t quite the right fit in another. That’s the nature of theater, especially with a show as unique as Fiddler on the Roof.

As a ministry, having to make cuts is the hardest part of what we do. But we’re reminded of St. Paul’s wisdom that we are all one family with many parts, and “if one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy (1 Cor 12:26).” Know that before each audition night, our directing team prayed for every person who would walk through those doors and that the Holy Spirit would bring you (and us!) peace, strength, and guidance.

If you’re not called back this time, please don’t let that dim your light. We’ve seen it time and time again: performers who didn’t get cast after their first audition with us later landed featured roles. Some of our most beloved cast members started their Upper Room journey after multiple auditions. 

Theatre is a journey, not a destination. So whether it’s auditioning for our next show (and the one after that!) or joining our incredible behind-the-scenes team this year, your God-given talents are always welcome here. You’re part of our story, and we hope it’s just beginning.

A couple more notes (to those who are called back), so please read carefully…

• Please note our callbacks are on TWO dates this year.
  
  
• Approximately 30 people will be cast out of everyone called back. We rehearse our show in a truncated period of two months, therefore conflicts are a BIG determining factor in who will ultimately be cast. Please carefully look over your schedule and see if you can free up some of those original conflicts. If you can loosen up some of your conflicts, you will increase your chances of being cast. You have an opportunity to submit a new Conflict Calendar at callbacks.
  
  
• 18+ and out of high school already? If yes, then you must be Virtus-certified to be in the show. This is our Child Protection Program. If you are uncertain, then you likely are not certified. To become certified, you must attend a free 3-hour seminar in May or June and fill out paperwork. You are only required to do this training IF you are cast or working on the show. However, IF you are cast, you must *IMMEDIATELY* do the background check process (within 24 hours of the final cast list — NOT callback list — being posted), otherwise your participation in the cast would be in jeopardy. AllSaintsYouthMinistry.org/virtus has more details. Again, this is only if you are 18+ and currently out of high school.
  
  
• If you have any issues related to our callback schedule, please email [email protected] immediately.
  
  
• At callbacks, we are focused on casting performers who tell stories through music, energy, and performance with the material given. We are not simply seeking great voices, but great power in a presentation rooted in authentic characters, willing to take risks and make strong choices. We invite you to dig into the text of the material and enjoy the process of falling in love with these characters and stories as much as we have!

With our collective talents and time, Upper Room Theatre Ministry seeks to honor God, our Creator and Redeemer. It is Him we wish to glorify through the offering of our gifts. Thank you for your interest in this theatrical ministry.

May God bless you,
The Fiddler Casting Team