Audition Form: Cheaper By The Dozen

Thank you for your interest in auditioning for Duck Creek Players Cheaper By the Dozen. This production is open to all ages. Please note that there is a need for the staggering of stage ages just to represent the children appropriately. Please click the link below to be redirected to the audition form. The show is directed by Eric Bowman and Assistant Directors Leta Rexford and Amanda Parton. Please note that this is a limited cast, and depending on the number of people that audition, not everyone will be cast.

*We will not consider anyone who cannot attend all tech and dress rehearsals during the week of our performances.*

Cheaper By The Dozen Audition Form

AUDITIONS:

Auditions for Cheaper By The Dozen will be held at the Elwood Opera House on Saturday, March 7, 2026. Check-in will begin at 2:00 PM, with auditions starting promptly at 2:30PM. Auditioners should prepare a 30-second monologue. Video submissions are accepted. Video auditions must be submitted no later than Saturday, February 28, 2026 at 11:59 PM and should be emailed to Ericb.Duck@gmail.com. 

Rehearsals:

Rehearsals will be Wednesdays 6:30pm – 9:00pm and Sundays from 6:00pm to 9:00 pm at the Historic Elwood Opera House. On April 22nd and up until tech week, Wednesdays rehearsals will move to 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm.  We anticipate that any of the younger children will be released by 8:30. Attendance is required for all tech rehearsals (June 15thh, 16th, and 17th with PERFORMANCES June 18th-20th, 2026. FINALLY, if you state on your AUDITION APPLICATION that you would be willing to accept any role, please keep your word.  If you have a preferred role, please list it. However, withdrawing from a production after the cast list has been announced will make it difficult for you to be cast in future productions.  Thanks for understanding!

Summary:

Suppose you're an attractive high-school girl and you're not only a member of a large and unique family but your father is, in fact, one of the great pioneers of industrial efficiency. Then suppose he decides, for no apparent reason, to apply his unorthodox methods to you and to the rest of your big family. The results are terribly embarrassing, funny and-it must be admitted-extremely effective! To Anne, however, the chief effect seems to be that of making them seem ridiculous to everyone else at school, especially to the boys! Dad pushes ahead with better organization for his large and delightful family. He puts up a chart for the young people to initial after completing each household task, uses a rung as an imaginary bathtub to demonstrate how to take a really efficient bath and appoints a utilities officer to levy fines on wasters of electricity. While the situations are often uproarious, there's a serious reason. Dad has a heart condition that he's keeping secret. The children don't understand them. Anne, the oldest, rebels. Both Dad and she are miserable at the lack of understanding between them. Then in a deft and moving scene, Dad becomes aware of how much Anne has grown up.

Character List –

THE GILBRETH CHILDREN: The children range in age from seventeen downward.

  • Anne is the oldest.

  • Ernestine (there will be an adult and child version of Ernestine)

  • Martha

  • Frank (there will be an adult and child version of Frank)

  • Bill

  • Lillian

  • Fred

  • Dan

  • Jackie

The actual ages of the children can me somewhat varied, For the effective use of stage business it is suggested that the children's sizes be graduated from the tallest on down in height to Jackie, the shortest

  • Mr. Gilbreth (Dad): self-assured successful man who is very proud of his wife

  • Mrs. Gilbreth (Mother): a gracious  woman who is also a psychologist

  • MRS. FITZGERALD: the housekeeper a king woman completely devoted to the family

  • DR. BURTON: Dr. Burton, the family doctor a plain outspoken man

  • JOE SCALES: Joe is Anne's age a cocky chap who is also a high school cheer leader

  • MISS BRILL: The Teacher a sallow woman who has no love for the children and they have no love for her either

  • LARRY: Larry is also Anne's age a clean cut boy who clearly has affections towards Anne

We would like for the child and adult versions of Frank and Ernestine to appear to be the same person, but with theatre there is often times a need for the suspension of disbelief.