Children will return as Gloomies for Zozobra centennial
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Apr. 15—The Gloomies will return to this year's Zozobra celebration.
According to Ray Sandoval, Zozobra chair, the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe reached an agreement with its insurance provider that will allow children from the community to return as Gloomies in the upcoming centennial burning of Zozobra.
"Recently, due to insurance stipulations, professional dancers were tasked with portraying Gloomies for the iconic event," Sandoval said. "However, the special significance of the 100th Burning has led to a collaborative effort with our insurance carrier, culminating in a decision to include the younger members of our community in this historic celebration for this year's burning."
According to Sandoval, there will be a selection process for interested children to ensure the highest standards of safety and performance.
Auditions are slated for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Fort Marcy Park on June 8, where kids will demonstrate their ability to follow directions and comprehend the risks involved in participating in the event.
"It is imperative that children vying for a role understand the significance of this opportunity and the responsibility it entails," he says.
The selected participants will be required to attend every rehearsal and receive fire protection and safety training to prepare them for their performance.
The auditions are open for children ranging from ages 11-15.
The application is at burnzozobra.com/gloomie and the last day to apply is 11:59 p.m. Friday, May 24.
Sandoval says all rehearsals are mandatory with no exceptions for failure to attend.
If you are unable to fulfill these requirements, we ask that you kindly not proceed with the audition.
Rehearsals take place on the stage at Fort Marcy Park, Zozobra's historic home.
11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3.
11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10.
11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17.
11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24.
5-9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28.
7-11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30.
Children will be escorted by adult chaperones pre-selected by Kiwanis. Due to the large number of people onstage during the performance, we're sorry but parents and/or family members will need to watch from the ballpark.
