Auditions for “The Homecoming"

Open auditions for “The Homecoming”
Adapted by Christopher Serfel
Based on the book by Earl Hamner Jr.

7pm October 13 & 14 Oglebay Institute’s Towngate Theatre

Dave Henderson directs.
Roles available for 12 men and 9 women.
Play is staged December 11, 12, 13, 14, 2025

For specific questions about auditions, call Towngate Theatre at 304-233-0820.

About the Play

“The Homecoming: A Christmas Story” takes place against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, during the Great Depression. It is Christmas Eve and, as a snowstorm thrashes the land, a family anxiously awaits the return of their father who is late returning home from work. While brothers and sisters, mother, and grandparents keep vigil, a young man goes in search of his father, encountering various community members and facing challenges as he braves the snowstorm.

This heartwarming tale is ultimately about family strength, hopeful optimism, resilience, and healing during tough times.

“The Homecoming: A Christmas Story,” was the pilot movie for “The Waltons,” which first aired on television in 1972.

Audition Dates for Towngate Theatre 2025-26

July 28-29, 2025; 7pm
Open auditions for “The Mousetrap”

October 13-14, 2025; 7pm
Open auditions for “The Homecoming”

January 12 & 13, 2026; 7pm
Open auditions for the musical “Cinderella”

March 23 & 24, 2026; 7pm
Open auditions for “You Can’t Take It With You”

May 26 & 27, 2026; 7pm
Open Auditions for Parcel Players, Oglebay Institute’s summer theater program for students ages 13-21.

Experience the magic of art onstage…

Towngate is the premiere venue for community theater in Wheeling.  Enjoy an intimate theater experience. Marvel at and applaud the talent of local actors. Experience a variety of though-provoking, heartwarming, comedic and historically significant works from renowned playwrights and talented newcomers. When watching a stage production, you are transported  into a different world. Escape from reality and feel the energy created by sharing an intimate space with actors and fellow theatergoers. Live action happens right before your eyes. There’s no app for that!  Furthermore, theater is a social experience meant to be shared with one another. So, bring your family and friends and meet new friends, too. Most importantly, support your local actors, directors, stage managers, set and costume designers. They spend months working to bring characters and stories to life. Their efforts produce amazing art time and time again.

Towngate: Where Community Meets Creativity

Towngate is a cornerstone of creative life in Wheeling and serves as an entertainment destination for residents of the Ohio Valley and beyond. People of all ages and backgrounds gather here to create and experience art onstage. Most of all, Towngate celebrates the essential power of theater to illuminate our common humanity. The community enjoys and participates in hundreds of live performances, classes and workshops year-round.