Trinity Rep plans to cast a neurodivergent performer as Tiny Tim this year. Why it matters

Tiny Tim is one of the most beloved characters in literature.

His optimism, his belief in the good in everyone, his relationship with his father, Bob Cratchit – it all adds heart to Charles Dickens' classic story "A Christmas Carol."

But there’s also what Jordan Butterfield, the director of education and accessibility at Trinity Repertory Company, calls “the Tiny Tim problem.”

“It’s a problematic character,” Butterfield said, as Tiny Tim serves to make the audience pity people with disabilities. He is often played by actors without disabilities, and his portrayal reduces the experience of disability to something that must be overcome.

For this season’s run of "A Christmas Carol," director Stephen Thorne wants to tackle the issue head-on by reimagining Tiny’s Tim crutch as a different type of disability: neurodivergence.

In a casting call, Trinity Rep is looking for a neurodivergent child between the ages of 8 and 12 to play Tiny Tim this holiday season. Neurodivergence can include all types of conditions where someone’s brain works differently, such as autism, ADHD, OCD, Down syndrome, Tourette syndrome, generalized anxiety disorder and dyslexia.

That’s a broad net of terms, and Butterfield emphasizes that any child who is neurodivergent and who has a passion for theater, whether they are non-verbal or their condition is invisible, is encouraged to audition on Saturday, Sept. 9.

“We’re always looking for how they are a storyteller, and that doesn’t have to do with verbal language,” Butterfield said. “It’s really about the spirit of, the one thing Tiny Tim always has is … he always sees the best, even in Scrooge. If we get a sense in the audition of that, that’s what we’re looking for.”

Neurodiversity New Play Festival will coincide with PVDFest

Theater, Butterfield said, has a history of "ableism," which has at times excluded neurodivergent actors or resulted in “cripface,” when actors without visible disabilities play characters with visible disabilities (think Tiny Tim).

More than 10 years ago, Trinity Rep decided they wanted to tackle the issue by creating the Trinity Rep Active Imagination Network (TRAIN) to give children and adults with autism, cognitive and psychiatric disabilities the tools they need to perform on the stage.

In 2016, when Clay Martin was finishing his master's degree and knew he wanted to work with professional theater companies that focused on working with neurodivergent artists like himself, “the closest thing I could find was Trinity Rep's training program,” he said.

Through a grant Trinity Rep helped support, Martin founded Spectrum Theater Ensemble in Rhode Island, a company that centers on neurodiversity and is about to present its 4th Annual Neurodiversity New Play Festival Thursday, Sept. 7, through Saturday, Sept. 9, in Providence, coinciding with PVDFest.

In the last few years, Martin said he’s seen the movement for neurodiversity organically grow, with more companies cropping up and more investment in companies like his.

“The whole industry is changing,” he said. “Change is always hard, but I have yet to find the limitation of people who are neurodiverse. I’ve found the complexity. I have found, maybe some challenges, but any organization has challenges. … I’ve found the diverse artistic expression, the talent. I’ve never worked on artistic work that is as fulfilling.”

What to expect from the portrayal of Tiny Tim this year

When it comes to "A Christmas Carol," Trinty Rep is hoping that with a casting change and updating just a few lines of text, they can tweak the production to something that adds complexity, but also familiarity for many families.

What that looks like will depend on who is cast and the lived experience the actor – who can be any gender or race – is bringing to the role, and since the role is double cast, it’s possible there will be two slightly different versions of the play come showtime. One actor, for example, might need an interpreter on stage with them, while the other one might need different supports, just as in real life.

“The audience will think about his disability, and that disability isn’t just a crutch. It isn’t just a brace on a leg. It’s something that folks are reckoning with and trying to assimilate, or mask or script what they say to make neurotypical people comfortable,” Butterfield said. “And it’s about how it impacts the whole family structure.”

It might, she said, make some people cry. She thinks, as a parent herself, she might cry, but there will also be a lot of the “bright, shiny and the funny.”

“I think it’s just going to be a blast, and there’s going to be such great music,” she said. “But, you might feel more.”

How to audition for Trinity Rep's 'A Christmas Carol'

Children's auditions will take place Saturday, Sept. 9, from 9 a.m. to noon at Cardi’s Furniture & Mattresses at 999 Newport Ave. South in Attleboro, Massachusetts. Most auditions will be done in a group setting, but there is the option of one-on-one auditions from noon to 1 p.m. for children who are not comfortable in a group setting.

Trinity Rep is auditioning for the Tiny Tim role and others, and children of all abilities are welcome. Children need to be between the ages of 8 and 12 and come prepared to sing a Christmas song (you can bring a printed copy of the lyrics) and to read a portion of the script, though accommodations can be made. No registration is required.

For more information, go to trinityrep.com/2023-kids-auditions.

What to know about the Neurodiversity New Play Festival

The Neurodiversity New Play Festival, presented by Spectrum Theatre Ensemble and Die Cast Collective, takes place Sept. 7-9, featuring works written, performed and produced by neurodivergent artists and covering a range of themes. There will be nine 10-minute plays and performances by Die Cast. New this year is a drag queen story hour presentation of the classic children's book "Where the Wild Things Are," including puppets from Big Nazo, which will be family-friendly.

Performances will be at the following venues in Providence's Jewelry District: Alchemy, 171 Chestnut St.; Askew, 150 Chestnut St.; and Mirabar, 15 Elbow St.

Ticket prices vary. For more information, go to stensemble.org/neurodiversity-new-play-festival-2023.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Trinity Rep seeks neurodivergent performer for role of Tiny Tim