Long Island actors, ages 8 and 14, join cast of 'A Christmas Carol' at Engeman Theater in Northport

Tyler Renaud was 4 years old when he walked up to Christopher Moll, artistic director of North Shore Village Theatre in Glen Cove, and asked to be a part of a show.

Four years later, the 8-year-old performer has acted in multiple professional productions and has roles in two upcoming Screen Actors Guild-featured films. And now, he and Max DeLuca, 14 — both products of Moll’s Glen Cove Jazz Hands Children’s Theatre program — are taking the stage at the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport for “A Christmas Carol.”

The professional production “is a really big deal,” Moll said in an interview. “It makes me very proud of them.”

Tyler, of Sea Cliff, plays Tiny Tim; Max, of Glen Cove, plays Jonathon and is in the child ensemble while working as an understudy for Young Ebenezer for the production, which began in mid-November and runs through Dec. 28.

The duo worked long hours in the weeks leading up to the show, taking trips into Manhattan to work at Pearl Studios in midtown before making final preparations at the Engeman in the final days before opening night, said Max, a ninth grader at Glen Cove High School.

“It’s been a big jump in my career to understanding different things in theater,” he said in an interview. “I’ve learned a lot of stuff from everyone in the cast.”

Glen Cove beginnings

The two young stars began their acting careers with Jazz Hands Children’s Theatre in Glen Cove.

Tyler’s first show was "Cinderella," Moll said, and his passion for the stage was immediately noticeable. In addition to having parts in upcoming SAG-featured films, he has performed at the Argyle Theatre in Babylon Village and recently taped airtime for the upcoming season of "Sesame Street."

“He is this really just naturally talented boy with his confidence,” Moll said. “We were able to teach him basic skills to get started, but then he just took off.”

For Tyler, a third grader at Sea Cliff School, Jazz Hands is “my second home,” he said. After four years, he still makes it a point to participate in the local Glen Cove program, said Aimee Renaud, Tyler’s mother.

“No matter how crazy life gets in the professional place, this is home for him,” she said.

A hand up at Jazz Hands

“A Christmas Carol” is Max’s first foray into professional theater, but the teenager said he has his sights set on getting involved in more shows at the professional level.

“I feel like it’s really cool because Jazz Hands is basically producing quality performers, and it really shows that, because people are doing other shows that are professional,” Max said.

Jazz Hands helped him learn the technical side of performing, like acting styles and what it takes to put on a show, he said.

Moll said Max “has immersed his whole life into theater,” adding, “I always knew that was inside of him.”

Maria DeLuca, Max’s mom, said seeing the work her son has put in for “A Christmas Carol” has given her “a newfound appreciation” for the focus and detail-oriented precision that's required before the curtains open.

“It’s really given him a taste of being immersed in all of this and what kind of dedication needs to go into these kinds of things,” she said.

By Joseph Ostapiuk

joseph.ostapiuk@newsday.com@OstapiukJ