Wild Blue Yonder, a white water rafting company from Grande Cache, Alberta, says it will begin operations from a base in Revelstoke this summer and among those it wants to hire are young actors — that’s right, actors.
What’s more it is holding auditions on June 28 to select the young actors it wants to put on the payroll.
“In Revelstoke, we will be running trips on the Illecillewaet River and the Columbia River,” the company said in a statement. “On the Columbia, we will be offering a pirate-themed rafting experience for children ages 4 to 15-years-old. We are seeking actors to be part of the River Pirates rafting trip.”
The statement said the experience “is loosely scripted and includes working with children before the trip as we outfit them with bandannas, face-paint, pirate names and rafting gear.”
These pirate-themed excursions will last about four hours, of which one hour is on the river.
“There is a bus shuttle bus to and from the river, a walk that includes seeing a waterfall, and a shore-based treasure hunt,” the statement said. “At all times during the experience, actors are in character and interacting with children. Licensed raft guides conduct the rafts down the river, and are present at all times. Although there is no age preference, actors must be at least sixteen-years-old, and experience working with children is preferred.”
Characters
There are three classes of character for the pirate rafting adventure:
The First Mate (x2) — The first mate plays a crucial role in the pirate story. The first mate goes bad after finding a cursed amulet and tries to start a mutiny;
The Captain — The other main character is the captain who is a Wild Blue Yonder staff member and experienced actor; and
The Deck Hands — The raft guides will play the deck hand roles.
The statement said two actors will be hired to play the first mate on a part-time, on-call basis.
“Actors should have some experience in stage combat, improvisation, and be comfortable in leading a sing-a-long song,” the statement said.
The teenage actors who make the grade must be comfortable hiking short distances in forested areas, lifting moderately heavy items and being on rafts the script calls for actors to be standing and moving about on the rafts. That means they’ll need a high comfort level with water is essential.
The audition, which will be a group audition, will be held on Tuesday, June 28, at the Executive Flight Centre on Westside Road.
Young actors seeking to fill the First Mate role must bring a paper copy of their resume, a bottle of water and wear loose, comfortable clothing that will not hamper their movements.
They are also asked to send their resumes — and any questions they may have — in advance to fun@wildblueyonder.ca.
Please click here for more information about Wild Blue Yonder.
