Book by Kevin Del Aguila
Music and Lyrics by Michael Mahler and Alan Schmuckler
Directed by Rob Scharlow
Musical Direction by James Mablin
Choreographed by Mollie Peery

Middle School, ugh. It’s the worst. Greg is determined NOT to be at the bottom of the popularity chart. He’ll leave that to his weird neighbor Fregley, or, maybe Greg’s best friend, Rowley Jefferson. But it’s not going to be Greg … no way. Will Greg’s plans lead him to sacrifice his one true friend? Can anyone avoid the dreaded Cheese Touch?

Grab a hall pass, and don’t be late for an adventure familiar to anyone who survived middle school with this hilarious and heartfelt musical. Based on the bestselling book series by Jeff Kinney.

REHEARSALS: March 4 – April 17, 2024 | 6 – 9 PM,  Monday – Thursday. *Rehearsal end time is subject to change.
Spring Break Schedule: March 25 – March 29 for cast members who do not have conflicts.

LOCATION: RCSA at St. Mary’s 210 McHenry Ave, Crystal Lake, IL 60014

AGE RANGES: 10 – 18 

IMPORTANT DATES:

Auditions: Monday, February 26, 2024, from 5:30 – 9:00 PM at St. Mary’s
                 Tuesday, February 27, 2024, from 5:30 – 9:00 PM at St. Mary’s

Not able to make it to auditions? We are accepting video submissions!
Please email your submission (or link to your uploaded submission on Google Drive/dropbox/YouTube etc,) to: rcsaeducation@rauecenter.org

Callbacks: Thursday, February 29, 2024, from 5:30 – 9:00 PM at St. Mary’s | There will be a mandatory dance/movement audition during the first hour for all auditioners.

Tech Week: Sunday, April 14 – Wednesday, April 17 from 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Performance Dates: Thursday, April 18 – 7 PM, Friday, April 19 – 7 PM, and Saturday, April 20 – 2 PM & 7 PM

Students who enroll in Diary should be aware that there will be a day performance for local schools on Friday, April 19 at noon. Students will need to make arrangements to be absent from school that day or to have early dismissal. This performance will be followed by our evening performance at 7 PM. Students will have time to go home between shows and relax.

AUDITIONS:

• Auditioners should prepare no more than 16 – 32 bars of a song from a musical.
• Provide clean sheet music for the accompanist at auditions. No a cappella or tracks, please.
• Auditioners are also asked to prepare NO MORE than a 1-minute memorized monologue.
• All students enrolled in this on-stage class are required to participate in auditions.
• All students enrolled in any RCSA Winter/Spring 2024 Class (ages 10-18) are guaranteed a role in “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”. Please note this does not guarantee a lead role. 

Enrollment in any Winter/Spring 2024 class guarantees casting in RCSA On Stage productions “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” (Ages 10-18) and “Moana, Jr” (Ages 7 -9)!

Feeling apprehensive about your audition?

Not to worry. At RCSA, we aim to ensure all our students are confident and well-prepared for the audition process. We can provide guidance on finding music or a monologue, offering suggested options for 16-32 bars of a song and monologues. We encourage you to explore and select materials independently but know you can check out the provided link for options and accompanying music tracks to help you become familiar with the song. Remember to memorize the 16-32 bars of the song and monologue for your audition. Above all, enjoy the experience!

AUDITION MATERIALS: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pgR6NUSYbsCvZNb-hHbAP0iL9Lv4vDct?usp=share_link

Tuition: $500 | RaueNOW Family Member: $375
(price includes show t-shirt and enrollment into the Film & TV On-Camera Acting Masterclass with Austin and Colleen Basis- $100 value!)

Scholarships & Financial Aid Available!

Rob Scharlow (Director of Education) is an award-winning director and has spent 35+ years working in the performing arts which has taken him across the country working as a director, actor, teacher and more. For the past 17 years, he worked for the internationally acclaimed performing arts training center, Stagedoor Manor in New York… a recipient of Broadway Theatre Museums Award for Excellence in Arts Education. During his time at Stagedoor, his journey began as a director/teacher, eventually transitioning into the role of Director of Education for 11 years and then most recently serving as Associate Artistic Director. Rob also oversaw the Dramafest program which helps to develop new and exciting 10-minute plays by young writers. A program that worked in conjunction with Stephen Sondheim’s Young Playwrights.

Education in the arts has always played such a large part in his career and he couldn’t be more delighted to be helping develop and ignite the education program as he comes back to the Raue Center, where (what seems like a lifetime ago) he spent time working as a marketing intern, appeared in several productions including the role of Sweeney Todd in William Street Rep’s production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (BroadwayWorld.com Best Actor Nominee), Hands on a Hardbody and Barefoot in the Park. He also directed their production of Search for Signs of Intelligent Life and spent some time with SAGE Studios teaching an advanced acting class.

With 150+ directing credits under his belt, some of his most memorable productions include; Ride the Cyclone: High School Edition where he had the opportunity to direct and help workshop the first production designed specifically for high school-aged performers. Evil Dead: The Musical in which he helped in the creation of the High School Edition working closely with Dramatic Publishing and the creators of the show. Other favorite directing credits include Evita, High Fidelity, BARE, Spring Awakening, Carrie: The Musical, In the Heights, BKLYN the Musical, The Toxic Avenger, Big Fish, Rock of Ages, You Can’t Take It With You, and more. On the flip side of things, some favorite acting credits include; Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd (BroadwayWorld Best Actor Nominee), Billy Flynn in Chicago, Lockstock in Urinetown, Phantom in Phantom, Jon in Tick, tick…BOOM!, El Gallo in The Fantasticks and others.

James Mablin (Music Director) hails from London, England. He has musically directed and/or played Keyboards in over a hundred shows. Favorites include Joseph and the Amazing TechnicoloredÓ Dreamcoat (UK Tour), Whistle Down the Wind (UK Tour), High School Musical (World Premiere – Stagedoor Manor, NY), Caroline or Change (Cyrano’s Theatre Company, AK), Little Shop of Horrors (Thin Air Theatre Company, CO), The Toxic Avenger (Thin Air Theatre Company, CO) and Into the Woods (Slow Burn Theatre Company, FL).

As an educator, James ran the musical theatre program at a large college in London, was a professor & musical theatre specialist at The Yale School of Drama, and most recently on the Musical Theatre faculty at Auburn University as their resident Music Director. James is also the associate artistic director and head of the music department at Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center, named one of the top summer theatre programs in the world.

James has written the vocal arrangements and musically directed opening and closing numbers for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade including the Emmy award-winning song “Join Our Parade”. In January of 2024, James is thrilled to be stepping into the role of Resident Music Director for the Raue Center for the Arts.

Mollie Peery is a graduate from Olivet Nazarene University where she majored in film studies and minored in theater. She was a teaching artist at Children’s Theater of Western Springs but also performs in the regional area. She currently is performing with the Olde School Shakespeare Collective in Chicago. Peery founded the ONU Dance Team at her university where she worked on technique and many different genres of dance with her group. She has choreographed on multiple different platforms both for the stage and the screen. She is also heavily involved in the film scene. She worked/studied on the Sunset Las Palmas studio lot this Spring and feels very passionately about telling important stories. She hopes that she can create safe, exciting, and creative environments for students to learn and grow!

Jessie Higgins (Stage Manager) – is excited to be working with RCSA for the first time! As a freelance Stage Manager based in Cleveland, she has worked primarily throughout the eastern US. For the past ten summers, Jessie has worked at Stagedoor Manor in New York and has spent six summers serving as a Production Stage Manager. Favorite past production includes Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville…, Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty… (Cleveland Play House); Heathers: High School Edition, Beauty and the Beast (Stagedoor Manor); Groundhog Day, Legally Blonde (Slow Burn Theatre Company). Touring credits include (Children’s Theatre of Charlotte) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival). She would like to thank Jack and her parents for their endless support.