The Story: A year after his miraculous transformation, Ebenezer Scrooge is back to his old ways and is suing Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future for breaking and entering, kidnapping, slander, pain and suffering, attempted murder and the intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The ghosts employ Solomon Rothschild, England's most charismatic, savvy, and clever barrister. Scrooge, that old penny pincher, represents himself. One by one, Bob Cratchit, Scrooge's nephew Fred, solicitor and philanthropist Sara Anne Wainwright, and the ghosts themselves take the witness stand to give their account of the night in question. But the Spirit of Christmas Future breaks down under heavy questioning and confesses that Jacob Marley forced the spirits to break one of the rules of redemption: Do not use a dead body to scare someone into redemption, for the consequences could prove fatal.

Judge Stanchfield Pearson gives his verdict: Jacob Marley and the Spirits of Christmas, guilty! Pearson fines the spirits 40,000 pounds apiece and terminates their redemptive duties. Rothschild desperately pleads with the judge not to terminate the spirits of Christmas. It's a death sentence. But in another staggering turn of events, Scrooge makes the spirits an offer: work every day, not just one day a year, and he'll drop the charges. The spirits agree and, to everyone's amazement, Scrooge does drop the charges. But he's keeping the money the ghosts owe him to start a fund to help the poor. Everyone stares at Scrooge. And then … a twinkle in Scrooge's eye, a smile and giddy, joyously delirious laughter. Scrooge confesses that Jacob Marley and the Spirits of Christmas had to go to extraordinary measures to change him, so he had to go to extraordinary measures to change the Spirits of Christmas. The spirit of caring and giving should be every day, not just once a year. Scrooge then leads the stunned crowd to his house for a wondrous party.

The available roles include:

The Defense & The Court

• Ebenezer Scrooge: The protagonist who, having supposedly relapsed into his greedy ways, acts as his own attorney

• Solomon Rothschild: The eloquent, charismatic, and savvy barrister hired to defend the ghosts

• Judge Stanchfield R. Pearson: A grumpy, stringent judge who presides over the case

• Mr. Connolly (The Bailiff): The court bailiff responsible for keeping order

• The Translator: A character who translates the unintelligible, ghostly babble of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come into English

The Witnesses

• Jacob Marley: Scrooge's deceased former business partner and co-defendant.

• The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future: The three supernatural entities on trial for kidnapping and emotional distress

• Bob Cratchit: Scrooge's downtrodden employee who testifies about his treatment

• Fred: Scrooge's cheerful and optimistic nephew

• Sara Wainwright: A solicitor and philanthropist who advocates for the poor

• Fan: Scrooge's younger, beloved sister

• Belle: Scrooge's former fiancée who broke off their engagement due to his growing greed

• Mrs. Cratchit: Bob Cratchit's protective and defensive wife

• Mrs. Dilber: Scrooge's laundress and a thief

We hope you will consider auditioning and joining us for this November. Auditions will be held:

Friday, August 28 | 6:00–8:00 PM

Location: Edward Thornton Little Egg Harbor Community Center I 319 West Calabreeze Way LEH

Saturday August 29 | 10:00 AM–12:00 PM

Location: 258 East Main St. (Offices of Sea Cure/Bekins) Rt 9 Tuckerton

No monologues are required. Auditioners will be asked to read from provided sides from the play.

Show dates: Tech Week begins Sunday, November 8th, with performances Thursday November 12 - Sunday November 15. Thursday and Friday performances will be at 7pm. Saturday and Sunday performances will be matinees at 2pm.

Rehearsals are TBD (but twice per week) beginning Tuesday, September1st from 6:30 - 8:30. Location primarily at community center and secondarily at Main Street or alternate local location.