Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival 2018 LOA and SPT seasons - Philadelphia PA EPA
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival
AUDITION DATE
Tue, Jan 16, 2018
10:30 am - 6:30 pm (EST)
lunch 2 to 3. Note: Building does not open until 10am. Accompanist provided from 10:30am to 2pm only.
APPOINTMENTS
No appointments. Actors will be seen on a first come, first seen basis. As the theatre building opens at 10am, the theatre asks that actors do not arrive before 10am.
CONTRACT
LOA 2018 Salaries approval pending. 2017 min: LOA/LORT: $ 710/ week
SPT SPT-9; $622/week
SEEKING
Equity actors for 5 productions in the 2018 summer season.
PREPARATION
Prepare one of the following two options:
1) Prepare a brief monologue from one of the plays, or a monologue that will illuminate your ability to play one of the roles. Actors auditioning for TWELFTH NIGHT, RICHARD II, or ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL should prepare a brief Shakespearean monologue; OR
2) Prepare 16 bars of a song and a 1 minute monologue that will illuminate your ability to play a role in RAGTIME and/or SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, TWELFTH NIGHT, RICHARD II, or ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL. If singing, bring sheet music; (accompanist provided only from 10:30AM-2:00PM). Bring a picture and resume, stapled together.
LOCATION
Walnut Street Theatre
825 Walnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19107-5107
4th floor
PERSONNEL
Producing Artistic Director: Patrick Mulcahy
Associate Artistic Director: Dennis Razze
OTHER DATES
See breakdown for show production dates and creative info.
OTHER
www.pashakespeare.org
An Equity Monitor will not be provided. The producer will run all aspects of this audition.
Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimination. Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to attend every audition.
Always bring your Equity Membership card to auditions.
BREAKDOWN
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival – Summer Season 2018
Actors of all races/ethnicities are strongly encouraged to audition, regardless of character descriptions.
RAGTIME (LOA)
Book by Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Director: Dennis Razze. Choreographer: Stephen Casey. Musical Director: Nathan Diehl.
1st rehearsal: May 22, 2017. Runs June 13 – July 1.
COALHOUSE WALKER JR.: Age: 25 to 40. A proud and talented pianist. He is sophisticated, with a romantic demeanor and gentle heart. Capable of fierce righteous indignation in the face of injustice. African-American. Vocal range top: A4. Vocal range bottom: G2
TATEH: Age 35 to 45. The haggard artist and father. He wears the trials and tribulations of his past on his sleeve, but remains optimistic. Full of genuine drive and heart. Latvian-American. Vocal range top: F#4. Vocal range bottom: Bb2
FATHER: Age 30 to 45. Mother's professionally successful husband. Fancying himself an amateur explorer, he is commanding and attractive. Enjoys being the family breadwinner. Caucasian. Vocal range top: F4. Vocal range bottom: A2
MOTHER: Age 30 to 40. The consummate wife and mother. A kind woman with incredible moral fiber. Refined, intelligent, and graceful. She is accepting of others. Caucasian. Vocal range top: F#5. Vocal range bottom: G3
SARAH: Age 20 to 30. Washwoman. Traumatized by events but filled with a strong will to live fueled by an innocent spirit. Falls deeply in love with Coalhouse after much resistance. African-American. Vocal range top: F#5. Vocal range bottom: G#3
YOUNGER BROTHER: Age: 20 to 30. Mother's younger brother. With his wiry frame and obsessive personality, he is an erratic soul. Influenced greatly by Goldman's teachings. Caucasian. Vocal range top: F#4. Vocal range bottom: B2
EMMA GOLDMAN: Age 35 to 50. Social activist. With an unapologetically demanding presence, she is a leader and powerful woman. Russian-American. Vocal range top: D5. Vocal range bottom: B3
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON: Age: 45 to 55. Profoundly intelligent social activist. An eloquent gentleman who “counseled friendship between the races and spoke of the promise of the future.” African American. Vocal range top: Eb4. Vocal range bottom: D3
HENRY FORD: Age 30-45. The famous car manufacturer. High energy and a salesman. Caucasian. (some speak sung lyrics, baritone) Also is part of ensemble.
JP MORGAN: 45 plus. The famous American banking mogul. Caucasian. (Some speak sung lyrics, baritone) Also is part of ensemble.
EVELYN NESBIT: Age 18 to 25. Renowned supermodel and vaudeville performer. Thrust into the limelight after the high profile murder of her lover, the entire world is her stage. Caucasian. Vocal range top: D5. Vocal range bottom: B3
GRANDFATHER: Age: 60 to 70. Mother's very conservative father. He is a retired professor and easily irritated by nearly everything. Caucasian.
HARRY HOUDINI: Age: 25 to 35. The famous magician. With dark features and notable physical ability, he stands as a symbol of the 'American Dream.' Hungarian-American. Vocal range top: G4. Vocal range bottom: E3
____________
TWELFTH NIGHT (SPT)
By William Shakespeare
Director: Matt Pfeiffer. 1st rehearsal: May 29, runs June 20 – July 15
All roles can be any ethnicity
VIOLA - 20s-30s. clever, inventive, whip smart. Trying to find her place in the world and work through the dilemmas the world has thrown at her. Adopting a disguise gives her the freedom to find her voice and speak her truth. By play’s end, her journey gives her the boldness to be fully who she wants to be.
OLIVIA – 20s-30s. passionate, thoughtful, and given to whimsy. She’s desperately holding on to her grief to protect her from dealing with herself. Once she meets Viola, her lust for life is sparked anew. She then sets about kicking off the shackles of pain and grief, to live with a full heart. This leads her to some silly behavior, but it just feels so damn good.
ORSINO - 20s-30s. Self-involved, self-centered, and spoiled rich. But he wants to change! For what feels like for the first time in his life, he can’t have what he wants. And so of course it feels like the end of the world. But deep down he wants a love and a life that is genuine and mutual. He’s self-deprecating, poetic and comically narcissistic.
FESTE - 40s-60s. A Tom Waits-like figure. A vagabond clown who’s trying to find a home that makes sense. He’s funny, poetic and musical. He’s cynical and melancholy, but looking for reasons to be happy. Must have the ability to play multiple instruments. Piano and guitar are preferred.
MALVOLIO - 30s to 60s-a lower middle class drudge who has done well through hard work, reliability and self-discipline. Has a very high opinion of his self-made man background. He wants nothing more than his betters to accept him as one of their own. That desperation drives him to bad places.
ANTONIO - 30s to 50s. A merchant seaman who hasn’t seen many good things in life. He’s been a pirate and an outlaw. But his trials and tribulations force him to try and put a little good back in the world. He lives in hope of redemption and a chance to be a good man.
The following roles are CAST. Auditioning performers will be considered as possible replacements, should any become necessary.
MARIA - Role CAST. 30s to 60s. sharp as a tack, good natured and able to watch out for her own interests. But she wants what’s best for those she loves. And while she tries to rule with a firm hand, she gets further with love.
SIR ANDREW AGUECHEEK - Role CAST. 20s to 30s. He just wants to belong. Anywhere. He’s got lots of love to give. He has lots of joie de vivre, but is not the brightest bulb. He puts on pretensions of class and station, but feels more at home at play. His pursuit of Olivia is driven by the idea of the life he should have, rather than the one he wants. Musical ability a plus.
SIR TOBY BELCH - Role CAST. 40s to 60s, a large man of appetites. His best days are behind him and he knows it. Rather than admit he’s gone to ruin, he drowns himself in alcohol and revels. When he takes things too far, he’s forced to face himself and it’s not pretty. Fun and funny, musical ability a plus.
_________________
SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (LOA)
Based on the screenplay by Marc Norman & Tom Stoppard; Adapted for the stage by Lee Hall
Director: Patrick Mulcahy. 1st rehearsal: June 8, runs July 11 – Aug 5. In rep with Richard II.
KIT MARLOW - late 20s/early 30s – Shakespeare’s colleague, friend, and inspiration. If Will Shakespeare is all impulse, Marlowe is all insight. Smooth and grounded, inspiration comes easily to him, like silk, and is well-balanced with his clear sense of self. Understated, but very much alive with poetic inner life and a bit of mystery. Athletic enough to help Will climb the balcony. Singing a plus.
VIOLA DE LESSEPS – 20s – daughter of the wealthy Sir Robert de Lesseps, becomes Shakespeare’s muse. Ready to feast at the banquet of life and love, and to have her fill of all that is poetic, beautiful, and true. She craves the chance to act at the playhouse in Shakespeare’s plays above all else. Smart and willing to take risks to achieve the fulfillment of those desires. Feels things deeply and can articulate those experiences with passion and authenticity.
QUEEN ELIZABETH – 50s/60s – regal, direct, even, wise, insightful, sharp, exudes clarity and authority. Takes over the room, seemingly without effort. Seeks to bring order to the chaos, along with a dash of fun, in her own time and on her own terms.
NURSE – 40s-60s – Lively nurse and confidante to Viola. Expressive, animated, and effusive at times, yet also pragmatic and helpful. Loves Viola above all and would do anything she could to protect her.
FENNYMAN – 40s-60s – the money. A ruthless moneylender who brings a keen focus to the extraction of payment. But he is also very much the hero in his own story, which eventually reveals a kind of yearning for the poetic. With a desire to be in charge of any endeavor at hand, he bullies his way along, until he finds something more important: art. Not without comedic possibilities.
HENSLOWE – 50s/60s – owner and manager of The Rose theatre. Canny, crafty, mercurial, earthy, practical, while also a bit hyperactive and anxious. More attentive to the business than the art. Always improvising, and always in search of a hit.
RICHARD BURBAGE – late 30s/40s - lead actor in the Chamberlain’s Men, a great tragedian/swashbuckler with a forceful and full-bodied presence. A tough negotiator, he seeks what is rightfully or wrongfully his with equal gusto, but ultimately serves the art, craft, and business of the theatre.
EDMUND TILNEY – late 40s-early 60s - the Lord Chamberlain, responsible for maintaining morality and decency in the playhouses. Fastidious and fussy, persnickety and pedantic, Tilney demands adherence to the letter of the law, and revels in his authority and his interaction with the Queen.
LORD WESSEX – 30s/40s - betrothed to Viola, treats her like property. A nobleman with an “ancient name” who expects to use it to have his needs met, with little regard for others. He will not be trifled with and seems capable of cruelty.
NED ALLEYN – 20s/30s – leading actor of the Admiral’s men, plays Mercutio. Confident, assertive, self-assured, and probably a really good Elizabethan actor. Swordplay required.
The following role is CAST. Auditioning performers will be considered as possible replacements, should any become necessary.
WILL SHAKESPEARE - Role CAST. late 20s/early 30s – Poet and playwright extraordinaire, except when dealing with crippling writer’s block. Romantic, athletic, possessing a mind like quicksilver at his best and a bit of a jumble on a bad day. A thirst for adventure. Sword fighting/stage combat required. Singing a plus.
Actors may sword fight, dance, sing, play musical instruments, and double (within this play and track in rep into Richard II).
_________________
KING RICHARD II (LOA)
by William Shakespeare
Director: Gina Lamparella. 1st rehearsal: June 8, runs July 19 – Aug 5
All roles may track in rep into Shakespeare in Love.
King Richard II – 30s-40s – Confident and well-spoken, yet immature, vain, impulsive and temperamental. Lacking in empathy. Believes he has been chosen by God. He is forced to question, with considerable vulnerability, everything he has known when deposed by Bolingbroke.
Bolingbroke – 30s-40s – Cousin to King Richard. A strong, confident man and pragmatic politician. Willing to fight for what is right. Takes over the throne in a bloodless coup to become King Henry IV.
Duke of York – late 50s-60s – Uncle to King Richard and father to Aumerle. Believes strongly in the divine right of King Richard and remains loyal to him until abdication seems inevitable. Devoted to the crown. Desperate to do the right thing.
John of Gaunt – late 50s/60s – Highly respected elder statesman, devoted father to Bolingbroke and uncle to King Richard. In his final hours he gives a poignant speech on the state of England and delivers a blistering rebuke to King Richard. Actor may also play Bishop of Carlisle.
Northumberland – 40s-50s – A powerful and aggressive nobleman who joins with Bolingbroke’s army, and becomes his second-in-command.
Thomas Mowbray – 30s - a nobleman whom Bolingbroke accuses of treason. He vehemently defends his innocence and accepts a duel rather than lose his good name. Actor may also play Salisbury.
Aumerle – late 20s-30s – cousin to King Richard, son of Duke of York. Loyal ally of King Richard, who must beg for his life when it is discovered he is involved in a plot against the newly crowned Henry IV.
Queen Isabelle - 20s-30 – King Richard’s wife. Gentle, and devoted to her husband.
Duchess of York - 50s-60s – Wife to Duke of York and devoted mother to Aumerle. Begs for her son’s life before King Henry IV when the plot against him is discovered.
Duchess of Gloucester – 50s-60s – seeks revenge for her husband’s murder.
Ross – 30s-40s – nobleman and early supporter of Bolingbroke. Actor may double other roles.
Willoughby – 30s-40s – nobleman and early supporter of Bolingbroke. Actor may double other roles.
Bushy – 30s-40s – King Richard’s close friend and advisor. A commoner and a flatterer. Actor may double other roles.
Harry Percy – 20s - Northumberland’s son, who joins Bolingbroke’s rebel army. Will grow into the Hotspur of the subsequent plays.
________________
ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL (SPT)
by William Shakespeare
No director – Elizabethan-style brief rehearsal model.
1st rehearsal: July 20. Runs July 25 – August 5
HELENA – 20s – a young girl, daughter of a deceased doctor, brought up by the Countess; loves the higher-borne Bertram. Clever, determined, resourceful. An exceptionally good person.
BERTRAM – 20s-30s – Count of Rossillion and ward of the King of France. When the King insists he marry Helena, he flees to Florence. A rake in affairs of the heart.
KING OF FRANCE – 50s-60s - ailing King who receives a remedy from Helena, whom he cares for dearly.
LAFEW – 50s/60s – an old lord and councillor who doesn’t appreciate the new generation. Astute and judicious.
LAVATCH – a gloomy, ill-tempered, foul-mouthed clown. Tends to weigh conversations down with cynicism but also evokes some patience in others.
COUNTESS OF ROSSILLION – 50s/60s – mother to Bertram. With woes to mourn, she can be a bit of a stern grande dame at times but also loves Helena like a daughter. Wise and discerning.
DIANA – 20s – daughter to the widow and a chaste maid.
A WIDOW – 50s/60s – eager to help Helena, whom she pities.
The following role is CAST. Auditioning performers will be considered as possible replacements, should any become necessary.
PAROLLES – Role CAST. 40s-50s – a hollow trickster, a parasitic follower of Bertram, a braggart. “A most notable coward and infinite and endless liar.”
Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimination. Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to audition.
Videos
