Auditions for The Holiday Channel Christmas Movie Wonderthon
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The Holiday Channel Christmas Movie Wonderthon
By Don Zolidis
Audition Dates: Monday, September 21 and Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Both audition dates begin at 7:00 p.m. Registration opens at 6:30 p.m. and will close at 7:30 p.m.
Performances: November 13-25, 20-22, 27-29, 2026
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
Auditions will be held at the Players Guild of Dearborn: 21730 Madison, Dearborn, MI 48124.
You must complete the audition form and conflict calendar found at https://www.playersguildofdearborn.org/the-holiday-channel-christmas-movie-wonderthon/ before arriving. Please list all actual and possible conflicts.
Director
David Culliton
Assistant Director
Josh Beurer
It’s yuletide time and two intrepid storytellers have taken it upon themselves to spread holiday cheer in the best way they can think of: putting on the ultimate Hallmark-- erhm, we mean… LEGALLY DISTINCT Holiday Channel mega movie right before your very eyes! The narrators unleash pure, holly-jolly madness upon the audience by taking 6 highly tropey December love stories and mashing them together into a Christmas romcom of epic proportions. The play unfolds at breakneck speed and the proceedings (unlike the movies being homaged) are anything but predictable. The audience even has plenty of chances to interact along the way! Between hidden identities, coma-stricken “boyfriends”, an evil smoothie entrepreneur, and the audience’s least favorite couple being attacked by wolves, the absurdity ramps up until everything can be resolved with that magical Christmas kiss. With all the trappings of [insert your favorite Hallmark movie here] and the same manic energy of plays like The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged, the off-the-wall humor of The Holiday Channel Christmas Movie Wonderthon will be sure to keep audiences (and wolf attack victims) in stitches!
From the Director:
The Holiday Channel Christmas Movie Wonderthon is both a loving tribute to Hallmark movie tropes and a nonstop gag-fest of a comedy in the vein of Mel Brooks. The show is sometimes punny, sometimes dirty, sometimes witty, sometimes slapsticky, and oftentimes extremely silly. However, no matter what comedic chops you may bring to the table, the key to this piece is shameless sincerity. Hallmark movies have become so popular due to their ability to take themselves completely seriously even in their goofiest, tropeyest moments; the humor in Wonderthon only works if everyone onstage is 1000% willing to do the same. No matter which character you're interested in or which scenes we have you read at auditions, we encourage you to choose earnestness over self-awareness. We promise that if you give yourself over to Hallmark's trademark saccharine sincerity, the comedy will follow.
There are two roles with no specified gender identity, only one role with a specific age (Jackson, 35), and certainly no obligation anywhere in the script to stay bound to social hegemony. PGD always welcomes and encourages actors of all backgrounds to participate in an equitable casting process, and this show in particular gives actors a lot of freedom to audition for a wide variety of roles. Just because Hallmark movies traditionally star white, cisgender, 30-and-under actors doesn't mean that our show should or will be cast the same way. You are truly welcome to try your hand at any role that piques your interest!
As some extra credit, there are several Hallmark movies that Wonderthon directly parodies if you'd like to do some research. A Royal Christmas, Christmas at Holly Lodge, Christmas Land, and Finding Santa (among several others I haven't found, I'm sure) are sure to make parts of this script ring some jingle bells. Being a Hallmark Movie Aficionado™ is certainly no requirement for auditioning- this director confesses himself a newbie to the genre- but a movie marathon of your own would definitely be one of the more fun ways to prep for this audition!
Character Descriptions : CAST BREAKDOWN: 7f, 7m, 2 any
The Players Guild of Dearborn values inclusion and diverse representation in all its endeavors. All roles are open to all races, ethnicities, identities, and orientations unless otherwise noted.
THE NARRATORS
Narrator 1- Any gender. A Christmas enthusiast with a passion for storytelling. Always trying to keep things moving along. Fills in some extra roles throughout the play. Requires an actor comfortable with audience interaction and improv.
Narrator 2- Any gender. Another Christmas enthusiast, but in the way a rabid dog is enthusiastic. Narrator 1’s enforcer. Also fills in extra roles throughout the play. Requires an actor comfortable with audience interaction and improv.
THE COUPLES
HOLLY & BRETT
Holly- Female-presenting. A humble inn owner on the brink of bankruptcy. Might burn the place down for insurance money. Earnest and kind, if a bit melancholy.
Brett- Male-presenting. Disguised as a Midwestern handyman; secretly the prince of Artemisia. Sweet, but a bit of a dope. Speaks in an RP British accent.
JOY & PAUL
Joy- Female-presenting. A romance novelist with writer’s block. Passionate about her work and her rivalry with Paul. Just a bit prickly.
Paul- Male-presenting. Another romance novelist. Overly competitive and a bit of a jerk, but the romcom formula dictates that he somehow is still lovable anyway.
CAROL & JACKSON
Carol- Female-presenting. A war reporter desperate for love… perhaps a little too desperate. No man is too comatose for her rather obsessive affections. Requires a performer with a strong knack for physical comedy for a role that involves maneuvering with another performer acting as dead weight.
Jackson- Male-presenting, 35. A veterinarian and widower who’s content living alone with his two dogs. Perhaps the most normal person in the entire play. Has a bad habit of falling into comas. Requires a performer with a strong knack for physical comedy who's comfortable with being dragged around onstage.
MERRY & BLAKE
Merry- Female-presenting. A Real Estate Lawyer Business Person. She seems cold and mean, but a heart of gold is trying to break through its lead casing.
Blake- Male-presenting. A hunky Christmas tree farm owner with a broken heart. Nobody loves small-town life more than he does.
NOELLE & KRIS
Noelle- Female-presenting. An ornament shop owner who’s extremely devoted to her town’s holiday traditions. Will fight relentlessly for what she loves.
Kris- Male-presenting. The ever-grieving son of his town’s most legendary parade Santa, stubbornly refusing to follow in his father’s footsteps. Another Real Estate Lawyer Businessperson.
RITA & SVEN
Rita- Female-presenting. A movie star pretending to be a humble location scout. Glamorous and a little egotistical, but ready to find a man who wants her for something other than her celebrity.
Sven- Male-presenting. Disguised as a peasant; secretly the prince of Broxtenburg. Yes, really, a second secret prince. Sincere, honest, and very literal due to English being his second language. Speaks in some flavor of European accent indicative of a non-English native tongue; something Nordic, Slavic, broadly Eastern European, etc.
EVERYONE ELSE IN HOPEWOOD FALLS
Bridgette- Female-presenting. The best friend of every other woman in the play. Red-headed; sassy; not beholden to the laws of space-time.
Laertes/Jimmy, Balthazar, Ricardo, & Carter - Male-presenting. A real estate developer who wants to turn Holly’s inn into an artisanal smoothie bar. You know he’s evil because he’s literally the only person in the play who doesn’t wear a Christmas sweater. DOUBLES as the ex-boyfriends of Rita, Joy, Noelle, and Merry, all of whom are very bad at winning back their former loves. Only in the show for a cumulative 6 pages of script; perfect for an actor with a busier schedule!
By Don Zolidis
Audition Dates: Monday, September 21 and Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Both audition dates begin at 7:00 p.m. Registration opens at 6:30 p.m. and will close at 7:30 p.m.
Performances: November 13-25, 20-22, 27-29, 2026
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
Auditions will be held at the Players Guild of Dearborn: 21730 Madison, Dearborn, MI 48124.
You must complete the audition form and conflict calendar found at https://www.playersguildofdearborn.org/the-holiday-channel-christmas-movie-wonderthon/ before arriving. Please list all actual and possible conflicts.
Director
David Culliton
Assistant Director
Josh Beurer
It’s yuletide time and two intrepid storytellers have taken it upon themselves to spread holiday cheer in the best way they can think of: putting on the ultimate Hallmark-- erhm, we mean… LEGALLY DISTINCT Holiday Channel mega movie right before your very eyes! The narrators unleash pure, holly-jolly madness upon the audience by taking 6 highly tropey December love stories and mashing them together into a Christmas romcom of epic proportions. The play unfolds at breakneck speed and the proceedings (unlike the movies being homaged) are anything but predictable. The audience even has plenty of chances to interact along the way! Between hidden identities, coma-stricken “boyfriends”, an evil smoothie entrepreneur, and the audience’s least favorite couple being attacked by wolves, the absurdity ramps up until everything can be resolved with that magical Christmas kiss. With all the trappings of [insert your favorite Hallmark movie here] and the same manic energy of plays like The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged, the off-the-wall humor of The Holiday Channel Christmas Movie Wonderthon will be sure to keep audiences (and wolf attack victims) in stitches!
From the Director:
The Holiday Channel Christmas Movie Wonderthon is both a loving tribute to Hallmark movie tropes and a nonstop gag-fest of a comedy in the vein of Mel Brooks. The show is sometimes punny, sometimes dirty, sometimes witty, sometimes slapsticky, and oftentimes extremely silly. However, no matter what comedic chops you may bring to the table, the key to this piece is shameless sincerity. Hallmark movies have become so popular due to their ability to take themselves completely seriously even in their goofiest, tropeyest moments; the humor in Wonderthon only works if everyone onstage is 1000% willing to do the same. No matter which character you're interested in or which scenes we have you read at auditions, we encourage you to choose earnestness over self-awareness. We promise that if you give yourself over to Hallmark's trademark saccharine sincerity, the comedy will follow.
There are two roles with no specified gender identity, only one role with a specific age (Jackson, 35), and certainly no obligation anywhere in the script to stay bound to social hegemony. PGD always welcomes and encourages actors of all backgrounds to participate in an equitable casting process, and this show in particular gives actors a lot of freedom to audition for a wide variety of roles. Just because Hallmark movies traditionally star white, cisgender, 30-and-under actors doesn't mean that our show should or will be cast the same way. You are truly welcome to try your hand at any role that piques your interest!
As some extra credit, there are several Hallmark movies that Wonderthon directly parodies if you'd like to do some research. A Royal Christmas, Christmas at Holly Lodge, Christmas Land, and Finding Santa (among several others I haven't found, I'm sure) are sure to make parts of this script ring some jingle bells. Being a Hallmark Movie Aficionado™ is certainly no requirement for auditioning- this director confesses himself a newbie to the genre- but a movie marathon of your own would definitely be one of the more fun ways to prep for this audition!
Character Descriptions : CAST BREAKDOWN: 7f, 7m, 2 any
The Players Guild of Dearborn values inclusion and diverse representation in all its endeavors. All roles are open to all races, ethnicities, identities, and orientations unless otherwise noted.
THE NARRATORS
Narrator 1- Any gender. A Christmas enthusiast with a passion for storytelling. Always trying to keep things moving along. Fills in some extra roles throughout the play. Requires an actor comfortable with audience interaction and improv.
Narrator 2- Any gender. Another Christmas enthusiast, but in the way a rabid dog is enthusiastic. Narrator 1’s enforcer. Also fills in extra roles throughout the play. Requires an actor comfortable with audience interaction and improv.
THE COUPLES
HOLLY & BRETT
Holly- Female-presenting. A humble inn owner on the brink of bankruptcy. Might burn the place down for insurance money. Earnest and kind, if a bit melancholy.
Brett- Male-presenting. Disguised as a Midwestern handyman; secretly the prince of Artemisia. Sweet, but a bit of a dope. Speaks in an RP British accent.
JOY & PAUL
Joy- Female-presenting. A romance novelist with writer’s block. Passionate about her work and her rivalry with Paul. Just a bit prickly.
Paul- Male-presenting. Another romance novelist. Overly competitive and a bit of a jerk, but the romcom formula dictates that he somehow is still lovable anyway.
CAROL & JACKSON
Carol- Female-presenting. A war reporter desperate for love… perhaps a little too desperate. No man is too comatose for her rather obsessive affections. Requires a performer with a strong knack for physical comedy for a role that involves maneuvering with another performer acting as dead weight.
Jackson- Male-presenting, 35. A veterinarian and widower who’s content living alone with his two dogs. Perhaps the most normal person in the entire play. Has a bad habit of falling into comas. Requires a performer with a strong knack for physical comedy who's comfortable with being dragged around onstage.
MERRY & BLAKE
Merry- Female-presenting. A Real Estate Lawyer Business Person. She seems cold and mean, but a heart of gold is trying to break through its lead casing.
Blake- Male-presenting. A hunky Christmas tree farm owner with a broken heart. Nobody loves small-town life more than he does.
NOELLE & KRIS
Noelle- Female-presenting. An ornament shop owner who’s extremely devoted to her town’s holiday traditions. Will fight relentlessly for what she loves.
Kris- Male-presenting. The ever-grieving son of his town’s most legendary parade Santa, stubbornly refusing to follow in his father’s footsteps. Another Real Estate Lawyer Businessperson.
RITA & SVEN
Rita- Female-presenting. A movie star pretending to be a humble location scout. Glamorous and a little egotistical, but ready to find a man who wants her for something other than her celebrity.
Sven- Male-presenting. Disguised as a peasant; secretly the prince of Broxtenburg. Yes, really, a second secret prince. Sincere, honest, and very literal due to English being his second language. Speaks in some flavor of European accent indicative of a non-English native tongue; something Nordic, Slavic, broadly Eastern European, etc.
EVERYONE ELSE IN HOPEWOOD FALLS
Bridgette- Female-presenting. The best friend of every other woman in the play. Red-headed; sassy; not beholden to the laws of space-time.
Laertes/Jimmy, Balthazar, Ricardo, & Carter - Male-presenting. A real estate developer who wants to turn Holly’s inn into an artisanal smoothie bar. You know he’s evil because he’s literally the only person in the play who doesn’t wear a Christmas sweater. DOUBLES as the ex-boyfriends of Rita, Joy, Noelle, and Merry, all of whom are very bad at winning back their former loves. Only in the show for a cumulative 6 pages of script; perfect for an actor with a busier schedule!
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Where is it happening?
21730 Madison St, Dearborn, MI, United States, Michigan 48124, 21730 Madison St, Dearborn, MI 48124-3601, United States, Allen Park
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Host or PublisherPlayers Guild of Dearborn
