More Info for the Auditionee
By Marty McNulty
Seasoned Performer
We are looking for funny, talented people to learn our unique craft of bringing our costumed characters to life. We've been entertaining people of all ages for 40 years. Our characters perform primarily in and around the Chicago area and have been in some parts of the world.
Those Funny Little People Enterprises, Inc. is auditioning energetic, creative, and enthusiastic people who are looking for a part-time job that uses your talents in a way no other job can.
What we do:
Our characters go out in pairs to any event where people gather to celebrate: parades, festivals, state fairs, shopping centers, holiday events, company parties, weddings, birthdays, graduations, school and church events… you name it, we've probably done it! We perform 20-minute prerecorded musical shows, where the characters dance, interact, lip-sync to lyrics and dialogue and most importantly, go out to mingle with the people! For some events, we also have microphones and body speakers, allowing the performers to speak and improvise (in character, of course) and have live conversations with the audience.
Skills needed:
This job is physically challenging and requires fitness and rhythmic ability. The first thing you will need to master is a few choreographed dance routines in a given show or two. Once you master the dance moves, then you must learn how to puppet the character, showing your ability to mouth words and lyrics, kiss people, and engage in facial expressions.
Then you will put on the full costume which limits your visibility, can get quite hot inside, and can restrict your movements while you maneuver around spaces which often have obstacles.
There is definitely a “walk and chew gum while rubbing your head” aspect to this. This is important to know, but don't fret. Like any craft, you get better with practice and time. And if you can master these things, they become second nature so you can focus on improvising, interacting, and having fun with people.
Who we hire:
We hire people 18 years old or over, who are physically fir and average in height. We tend to look for actors, dancers, and other entertainment performers, as they often have certain skill sets that allow them to pick up our concept pretty easily. But anyone with a good sense of timing and ease with physicality can audition. Perhaps you played an instrument, or were in marching band in high school. Some of our best performers were not actors or dancers, but had innate musical talent and a great sense of humor that made them excel at it. Many of our best, who are otherwise shy or introverted, perform free and uninhibited thanks to the anonymity of the costume. You won't know until you try!
We require that you have a car, as you take turns driving to performance locations. We have a generous travel reimbursement plan based on miles traveled, tolls, and other factors. On busy days, we send out several teams on different schedules, each team consisting of two performers and a representative assistant, who helps with client contact, show set-up, and crowd control.
This job can be challenging, but is always different and never boring. It can be emotionally rewarding, too. There are moments during our shows that are often magical, like slow dancing with a couple celebrating their 50th anniversary while their children and grandchildren look on, bringing smiles to seniors, becoming our often requested elves at holiday events, kissing great grandma on a landmark birthday, or posing for souvenir pictures at a fair or ballpark.
In addition to appearing in the Chicago area and across the country, we have introduced our Little People to other cultures, performing in China, Singapore, Malaysia, and Dubai. (Travel is a fringe benefit!)
This is the kind of job you bring your talents to, and your heart as well. Many life-long friendships have been formed among our dedicated performers and staff (another fringe benefit). We hope you will consider auditioning to become a member of our eclectic Little People family!
Those Funny Little People Enterprises, Inc. is auditioning energetic, creative, and enthusiastic people who are looking for a part-time job that uses your talents in a way no other job can.
What we do:
Our characters go out in pairs to any event where people gather to celebrate: parades, festivals, state fairs, shopping centers, holiday events, company parties, weddings, birthdays, graduations, school and church events… you name it, we've probably done it! We perform 20-minute prerecorded musical shows, where the characters dance, interact, lip-sync to lyrics and dialogue and most importantly, go out to mingle with the people! For some events, we also have microphones and body speakers, allowing the performers to speak and improvise (in character, of course) and have live conversations with the audience.
Skills needed:
This job is physically challenging and requires fitness and rhythmic ability. The first thing you will need to master is a few choreographed dance routines in a given show or two. Once you master the dance moves, then you must learn how to puppet the character, showing your ability to mouth words and lyrics, kiss people, and engage in facial expressions.
Then you will put on the full costume which limits your visibility, can get quite hot inside, and can restrict your movements while you maneuver around spaces which often have obstacles.
There is definitely a “walk and chew gum while rubbing your head” aspect to this. This is important to know, but don't fret. Like any craft, you get better with practice and time. And if you can master these things, they become second nature so you can focus on improvising, interacting, and having fun with people.
Who we hire:
We hire people 18 years old or over, who are physically fir and average in height. We tend to look for actors, dancers, and other entertainment performers, as they often have certain skill sets that allow them to pick up our concept pretty easily. But anyone with a good sense of timing and ease with physicality can audition. Perhaps you played an instrument, or were in marching band in high school. Some of our best performers were not actors or dancers, but had innate musical talent and a great sense of humor that made them excel at it. Many of our best, who are otherwise shy or introverted, perform free and uninhibited thanks to the anonymity of the costume. You won't know until you try!
We require that you have a car, as you take turns driving to performance locations. We have a generous travel reimbursement plan based on miles traveled, tolls, and other factors. On busy days, we send out several teams on different schedules, each team consisting of two performers and a representative assistant, who helps with client contact, show set-up, and crowd control.
This job can be challenging, but is always different and never boring. It can be emotionally rewarding, too. There are moments during our shows that are often magical, like slow dancing with a couple celebrating their 50th anniversary while their children and grandchildren look on, bringing smiles to seniors, becoming our often requested elves at holiday events, kissing great grandma on a landmark birthday, or posing for souvenir pictures at a fair or ballpark.
In addition to appearing in the Chicago area and across the country, we have introduced our Little People to other cultures, performing in China, Singapore, Malaysia, and Dubai. (Travel is a fringe benefit!)
This is the kind of job you bring your talents to, and your heart as well. Many life-long friendships have been formed among our dedicated performers and staff (another fringe benefit). We hope you will consider auditioning to become a member of our eclectic Little People family!