America’s favorite prairie family in a heartwarming story that the older Laura could never write about. The lost two years of the Ingalls family’s life is portrayed in this touching show that includes period music, and the characters we have all grown to love.  

The family is struggling financially and brokenhearted after the death of their infant son, Freddie.  Pa takes his family to Burr Oak, Iowa to manage a hotel and earn the money they need to continue west.  The only child around is Johnny Steadman. Laura dubs him “the worst boy in Iowa,” and Ma has told Laura to be nice to him!

Laura’s only respite from the chores and the bullying comes when Mrs. Starr, a wealthy doctor’s wife, enlists the child as her reading companion. Laura enjoys being a visitor in the fine house, but when she overhears the kind lady offers to adopt her, she is afraid Ma and Pa will give her away. Can Laura find a way to stay with her family, or will she have to do “what is best” for everyone?

Audition Dates:

Children's Auditions - Saturday October 7th, 9:00am to 1:00pm

Adult Auditions, Children's Callbacks - Monday October 9th and Tuesday October 10th, 6:30-8:30pm

This show requires two women, one man, three girls, and one boy. Cast members should feel comfortable singing without accompaniment.

Here are some frequently asked questions!

Do I need to set up a time for my child to audition? No, just come in sometime from 9:00am-1:00pm on Saturday, October 7th.

What will my child need to do at Auditions? Should they prepare something to perform? Your child will need to sing a song without accompaniment.  Any song will do.  Itsy Bitsy Spider, or a Christmas song.  Everyone in the cast will be singing in this show, and we just need to see your child's range and ability. They will also be asked to read a part on stage with other children.

When will we know if they've been cast?  Call-backs for the children will be with the adults on Monday and Tuesday nights.  Only those children asked to return need to attend the evening auditions.  Since we are "building" a family, we need to see the children read with the adults. 

What's the general rehearsal schedule? We will post the cast on Friday October 13th.  Rehearsals will begin on Monday, October 16th from 6:30-8:30pm and continue to be Monday through Thursday each week at those times. The show run time is just over an hour, so we will try to keep rehearsals to no longer than 8:30 for the children. If an adult cannot make the Monday or Tuesday evening auditions, they may contact the Director, Judy Andrews, at kilgorekids.york@hotmail.com 

Performances will be Tuesday December 2nd through Sunday December 10th.

Character Descriptions

Pa Ingalls - Charles is the head of the family and an optimist despite their hard times. He believes his family is the most important thing in his life and will not accept charity when hard work will accomplish their goals. He is saddened by Freddie’s death and is less playful with his daughters because of it.

Ma Ingalls - Caroline is devastated by her baby’s death.  She is quiet and pensive, but also deeply depressed and sad.  She is angry too, and often short tempered with the girls, especially Laura.

Mary Ingalls -The oldest Ingalls girl feels a deep responsibility to the younger ones, especially since her Ma is so sharp at this time.  She strives to be good and although she wishes for things herself, she works very hard to pull her weight and stay thankful.

Laura Ingalls - Laura is the middle child, and plagued by doubts at this terrible time in her life.  She is sad, like the others, but fears that her Ma doesn’t love her any more, and she misses her Pa’s fiddle music, and has to cope with Johnny’s bullying.

Carrie Ingalls - The youngest daughter is innocent and prone to asking questions that the others try to answer without bothering Ma. She just wants to have some time to play and follows the older girls around constantly.

Johnny Steadman - Johnny is used to getting his way, since the adults pity him because of his limp. He is a master bully, turning this to his advantage by being overly polite to the adults. He believes boys are better than girls, and never stops saying it. He delights in teasing Laura, pulling her hair and tormenting her.

Mrs. Starr - She is a wealthy doctor’s wife whose children have grown up and moved away. She is lonely and takes Laura under her wing as a reading companion. She is quite smitten with the child and offers to adopt Laura.

This blog post was compiled using many quotes from Director Judy Andrews.