In front of the Christmas tree in his living room this month, nine-year-old Andrew Chamberlain energetically recited the monologue he memorized for an audition back in September, hardly without missing a beat.
The monologue is about a man who, confronted with complaints from his boss at the office, laments about the complications of becoming an adult versus the simple “monsters” he worried about as a child. Andrew recited the piece, modeled after children author Shel Silverstein’s work, and charmed the staff at McCarter Theater through a long auditioning process to win the part of young Scrooge in the theater’s production of “A Christmas Carol.”
It was written specifically for Andrew by his mother, Melissa. “We write for fun,” she said. “It was a good fit for his personality.”
The monologue as much as his talent and charm helped the fourth-grader at the Village School to earn the spot on stage next to other talented actors, young and old (and some on Broadway), for the first time in his life.
But every step of the way, Andrew’s family has been as much a part of his endeavor as he has, and although he has been working 12-hour days lately to balance school and acting, his family members have made just as many sacrifices and put in a lot of their own effort.
In fact, his family has come together in many ways to support him, just as they always have. When Andrew was younger, he and his older brother, William, would perform little skits for their parents. Their mother, Melissa, took out the video camera to record her boys’ work.
As they grew older, the boys’ interests led them to different activities. Andrew Chamberlain, 9, began taking piano lessons about a year-and-a-half ago, while his brother got involved with wrestling.
His parents noticed, though, that Andrew was singing constantly — while playing piano, doing homework, and during anything he does. Combined with his experience performing at piano recitals, Melissa Chamberlain said she felt the next logical step for Andrew was acting.
The family had seen McCarter’s production of “A Christmas Carol” last December and when Melissa Chamberlain saw the announcement in September for the open call, she encouraged Andrew to audition. “We did the audition on a whim,” she said. “It’s good to do things you’re a little bit afraid of,” she said about her son’s first audition.
She had head shots developed, wrote the five-minute monologue he was required to perform, and made an appointment for him to come in for the first five-minute audition. The next audition was five hours long. More than 160 children had tried out and only 40 received a final callback. “By the third audition, it got really hard,” Andrew said.
Later that evening, Andrew and his family, returned home, spending time relaxing in their backyard when the phone rang. It was McCarter offering him the part of Boy Scrooge.
Going up in front of a large audience at a renowned venue would make anyone nervous. But, “I think the piano recitals he did helped him in his performances and helped him in front of a big group of people,” said his father, Jeffrey Chamberlain.
“On opening night, my heart was probably 10 feet away from me,” Andrew said. But, “I’ve never been clapped at that much, by that many people, in my life.”
Because of Andrew’s intense schedule, his family had to re-arrange their schedules so he could partake in rehearsals and performances. “We knew the level of commitment would be very great,” Melissa Chamberlain said. “It has lived up to being as demanding as they forecast it would be.”
Rehearsals began November 12. He put his piano lessons on hold, and he began having 12-hour days. “We would get him up at 6 a.m. to do his homework and study for his tests,” said Andrew’s father, Jeffrey Chamberlain.
The family began organizing schedules around his rehearsals and performances, which began on December 6. This required picking him up early from school on certain days, driving him to and from the theater, and ensuring he still completed all of his schoolwork. In fact, Andrew had to miss school three days a week during the first two weeks of the performance for student matinee shows.
But the Chamberlains say that their location in Princeton Junction helps them accommodate Andrew’s performance schedule. They were able to bring Andrew home in between performances for home-cooked meals and rest. Other children, who come from locations up to an hour away, are not as fortunate, they said.
In fact, it was the atmosphere in downtown Princeton during Communiversity that lured the Chamberlains from their 29th-floor apartment in New York City to the area when Andrew was 2. They had come out to visit friends, and Melissa Chamberlain happened to be talking to a real estate agent that day.
The location in the Berrien City neighborhood was perfect for Jeffrey Chamberlain, who formerly commuted to New York via train. And, the nearby playground and proximity to the schools also caught the couple’s attention. “They walked to elementary school, and they will walk to high school,” said Jeffrey Chamberlain.
What’s the trick in ensuring Andrew does not get burned out? “He eats well, and he sleeps longer days than he ever has before,” said Melissa Chamberlain. He also brings a sleeping bag to the theater on days when he will have a lot of down time but is unable to come home.
It also helps that Melissa Chamberlain’s job in marketing for a storage networking company based in Virginia allows her to work from home and have a flexible schedule. Her husband, a partner at the Duane Morris law firm, which has offices in Princeton, is also able to set his own schedule.
Once the official performances kicked off on December 6, Andrew was performing in about nine shows a week, including two a day on weekends.
The family spent a majority of William’s birthday at the theater (they made sure they celebrated afterward) for Andrew’s dress rehearsal, but William, a fifth grader at Village, was a good sport about supporting his younger brother. William has even learned to become an usher at the theater. “He’s been fantastic and very proud of having his brother in the production,” said Melissa Chamberlain.
“Something this intense has the potential to be nerve-racking, but it really has brought out the best in everyone,” said Jeffrey Chamberlain, pointing not only to William’s support, but the understanding the school district has had when it comes to allowing Andrew to pursue this endeavor.
And the theater staff have ensured Andrew has everything he needs. “I don’t think there is a place that could have been better for him to start out,” Melissa Chamberlain said. “They treat the kids like young professionals.”
The entire experience has been eye-opening. “We’re not theater people. Now we have a behind-the-scenes look. You go in and open your eyes to what he’s experiencing.”
Will he continue his new path on the stage once the show is over? While Andrew says he enjoys it, he said he has not made a decision on it. “We’re waiting to see at the end,” said Jeffrey Chamberlain. “I don’t really see how he can do a lot of these throughout the year.”
However, Andrew’s parents say they are leaving the option open for him to pursue acting again in the summer.
For Andrew, it has been a great experience. “I’m happy to be in this. If I wasn’t, and I tried to get into it, and I didn’t, I would be disappointed.”
Performances run through Sunday, December 27. Tickets are $33 and up. For more information, visit www.mccarter.org.
