The James Island PLayers
formerly the Fort Johnson Players
For nearly forty years, James Island Players has provided theater experiences for the students of James Island. This youth theater company was started as Fort Johnson Players performing two or three shows a year at Fort Johnson Middle School. Until 2017, we thrived at the middle school under the administration of three very supportive principals, and we were fortunate to perform on one of the last great stages in the Charleston County School District, albeit in a gymnasium. When the decision was made to tear down the middle school, we had to find a new home. We renamed our theater group, became a 501(c)(3) non profit organization and relocated to the James Island Performing Arts Center in the Barry Goldsmith Theater at James Island Charter High School. We are supported by the faculty and administration of both Camp Road Middle School and James Island Charter High School. Our staff is made up entirely of adult volunteers, middle and high school students, and parents. In our new home, we enjoy the benefits of modern technology with fabulous sound, lights, and best of all, cushy seating. The cast is comprised of fifty to seventy-five middle and high school students. Backstage construction is student driven, as is the actual backstage crew. It takes many people of various skills to make two shows a year. This theater company has impacted the lives of numerous young people over the years. Being part of a student-driven production such as this instills confidence, discipline and an appreciation for the fine arts. The sense of teamwork, comradery and being part of a large production provides lifelong skills and long-lasting friendships.
Interested in auditioning for the James Island Players?
We have auditions twice a year, one for our Fall show and one for our Spring show! Auditions are held at Harborview Presbyterian Church. We welcome any youth from sixth through twelfth grade to audition for our shows. Our audition process is designed for all experience levels and are low pressure to allow for everyone to participate and get used to auditioning for musical theater shows.
We ask everyone to prepare a short monologue, to showcase your acting skills. We really want to see each child's personality and what they can bring to the stage with this monologue. While we suggest the monologue be memorized, reading from a phone or a piece of paper is also acceptable. There are many great monologues available online as well as some classics. If you need recommendations please reach out!
We also ask that each person prepare a short song to be sung for the audition. This song will be sung unaccompanied and should showcase the child's musical ability as well as their ability to become a character with their song.
While we wish we could accept everyone to participate in our shows, there is always a chance we will have to cut people from the cast. We hope your child will not get discouraged by this and will continue to audition for our shows in the future!