Children Theatre Casting Call for "A Thousand Cranes"
Children theatre casting call for "A Thousand Cranes." Please see the details below. About the project: A Thousand Cranes presents the true and poignant story of Sadako Sasaki, who was 2 years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on the small city of Hiroshima, where she lived. Sadako, now 12 years old, is an excellent athlete who races daily with her friend Kenji to prepare for an important competition. However, one day while running, Sadako gets dizzy and falls. She is hospitalized, and it is discovered that she has "radiation sickness," or leukemia—an effect of the bombing that happened 10 years before, during which her grandmother was killed. Kenji arrives at the hospital, "I've figured out a way for you to get well," he says. He reminds her of the old story about the crane. If a sick person folds a thousand origami cranes, the gods will grant her wish and make her healthy again. Sadako happily begins folding hundreds of beautiful, colorful paper cranes and calls to the spirit of her grandmother. "I have come to show you something," her grandmother says. As if in a dream, Sadako folds a giant crane which comes to life and flies them to the mountain of her ancestors. Once there, Sadako is honored to meet all the spirits of her heritage. Soon Sadako realizes she must stay with these comforting spirits. "But I haven't folded a thousand cranes yet," she protests. "It's better to leave them to others to finish," her grandmother assures her. Sadako died on October 25, 1955. Her friends and classmates folded 356 cranes to make a thousand. Sadako's friends then began to dream of building a monument to her and all the children who were killed by the atom bomb. In 1958 the statue was unveiled in Hiroshima Peace Park. Each year on August 6, the anniversary of the bombing, thousands of people bring paper cranes to adorn the statue. There is Sadako holding a golden crane in outstretched arms. Her wish is engraved on the base of the statue: "This is our cry, this is our prayer, peace in the world." Additional info: No appointment is necessary. Please plan to arrive at the beginning of auditions and plan to stay the entire time. Auditions will include cold readings. Performances are November 9, 10, 16 and 17 at 1pm and 3pm Please see the attachment for details. If you are interested please apply.
2 roles
Japanese descent with a strong stage presence. Sadako is the main character in this play and is on stage for most of the production. She should be of Asian descent, 10-14 years old but able to pass for 12. Looking for someone with a strong stage presence, who brings an energetic and compassionate spirit to the role, and who is comfortable maintaining stillness onstage for long periods of time.
Japanese descent, confident speaker. Kenji is Sadako’s best friend, male, age 12. Kenji provides comic relief and a warm presence, especially when visiting Sadako in the hospital. The actor who plays Kenji should be 10-14 but able to pass for 12, of Asian descent and have a strong speaking voice. He should be likable and kind with good comedic timing. (also plays ACTOR 1 and FATHER)
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