The Effingham Theatre group is looking for a few good actors. And maybe a Tiny Tim or a Scrooge.

Casting is being held for author Jonathan Thompson’s version of the immortal classic “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. This production will be a dinner theatre.

Tamara Tyre said that they are looking for about 30 actors and about 30 young people to be servers for the dinner. She said the servers will be in period costume while serving during the show and that the acting crew will help them with their “Cockney” accents.

They are looking for actors of all ages — everything from senior actors to play Ebenezer Scrooge and his business partners, all the way down to Tiny Tim. They say there will be parts for everyone.

Tyre said the Effingham Theatre group got started when she first began working with the Mars Theatre project.

“I put on a summer camp with them,” she said. “That was the first summer camp that I did.”

Because the group was focused on restoring the theatre, she decided to start the Effingham Theatre on her own.

“People would come up as I was doing something, people would show up for it and get involved and it started growing,” she said.

The first show they did under the title of Effingham Theatre was the garage series the “Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon,” which was “actually held in people’s garages,” Tyre said.

“Originally, the idea was purely for lack of a venue — performing in garages was because we had nowhere else to go. But I’m thinking I’m going to continue to do a show every year, just because it’s such a nice, intimate atmosphere, such a great idea for people to get together and just have a block party in a neighborhood.”

Recently another fledgling theatre group, the Little Country Players, merged with the Effingham Theatre group, taking advantage of the limited theatre resources available currently in the county.  Tyre said that really offered a lot of strength to the overall effort.

Tyre said the group had really enjoyed producing their last production, “Steel Magnolias,” at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Springfield and that they are always looking for suitable venues for future productions. She has high praise for Effingham County Recreation and Parks .

“They’re the ones that have worked with me for both camps that I’ve done now, and they’ve been extremely helpful,” Tyre said. “They really have a good venue for what we’ve done so far. They’ve done a wonderful job for us — helping us with shows, either for rehearsal space or for a place to perform. They’re letting us perform ‘A Christmas Carol’ there, so they’ve been really the biggest supporting effort in terms of a place to live so far for Effingham Theatre.

Auditions will be held this Saturday and Sunday in downtown Springfield at the old gas station building on 102 S. Laurel St. Those that can’t make the weekend auditions, or for those interested in non-acting roles, can call Tamara Tyre at 772-3514. The performance will be held Nov. 20-21 at the ECRP gym on Highway 119. Tickets are $30.