The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum 2024 Summer Season - Topanga, CA EPA
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum | Topanga, CA
Notice: Audition Call Type: EPA
Personnel, and break times updated.
Friday, March 15, 2024
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (P)
BREAK: 12:00PM - 1:00PM
LOA
$17.00 per rehearsal hour & $105.00 per performance (LOA ref. LORT, Periodic Performance)
Equity actors for roles in Theatricum Botanicum's 2024 Summer Repertory season.
All roles will be understudied. All Stage Managerial positions are currently filled.
Los Angeles-based, actors of all races, ethnicities, sexualities, ages, gender identities, and abilities are encouraged to attend.
Principal actors for Theatricum's 2024 (Outdoor Theatre) Summer Repertory Season: Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream and A Winter's Tale; Wendy's Peter Pan by James Barrie ; Tartuffe: Born Again, adapted from Molier by Freyda Thomas; and The Hispanic/Lation/Latina/Latinx/Latine Vote by Bernardo Cubria.
For your audition, we ask that you prepare up to four minutes of material of two contrasting Shakespeare monologues. Prepare according to your interest in our season. Please bring 2 copies of your headshot and resume.
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum
1419 N Topanga Canyon Blvd
Topanga, CA 90290-4275
Auditions held on mainstage, park in lot and follow signs to the theatre.
EXPECTED TO ATTEND
Ellen Geer - Artistic Director/Producer
Willow Geer - Associate Artistic Director/Producer
Bernado Cubria - Co-Director
Melora Marshall - Director
Steve Fisher - Casting Director
Kim Cameron - Production Manager
Jonathan Blandino - Assistant Director & Diversity Committee
Michelle Merring - Diversity Committee
See breakdown for production-specific dates.
OTHER
Auditions will be taking place in-person only, please do not submit unsolicited self-tapes.
Theatricum will be following all COVID safety protocols as designated by Equity and LA County Department of Public Health. All actors will need to show proof of vaccination completion (including booster) or negative test result prior to first rehearsal.
If you have any questions, please direct them to Steve Fisher (casting@theatricum.com)
EPA Procedures are in effect for this audition. An Equity Monitor will be provided.
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.
WILL GEER'S THEATRICUM BOTANICUM 2024 SUMMER SEASON
CASTING NOTE: Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum is committed to providing opportunities to performers from the diverse and variable communities which it serves.
All roles in the following breakdown have been noted with the character’s relative age and gender presentation as considered for the production. Actors of any gender identity are welcome to submit themselves for consideration for any role.
Rehearsals begin April 9.
Student matinee performances begin May 1.
Repertory opening June 2.
Theseus- Late 20s and older, role presents as male. The haughty figure of Greek myth and proud king of Athens, betrothed to the Hippolyta in a union born of equal parts political convenience and mutual respect. NOTE: Strong stage combat experience desirable.
Hippolyta- Late 20s and older, role presents as female. The fiery queen of the conquered Amazons, betrothed to Theseus. NOTE: Strong stage combat experience desirable.
Egeus- 40s and older, role traditionally presents male, but open to performers of any gender. A noble of Athens, and disappointed parent of Hermia.
Hermia- 20s-30s, role presents as female, of a shorter stature than Helena. A young noblewoman of Athens, daughter of Egeus. In love with Lysander, betrothed by law to Demetrius. Though she be but little she is fierce.
Lysander- 20s-30s, role presents as male. A young nobleman of Athens. In love with Hermia. Impulsive, reckless, and deeply romantic.
Demetrius- 20s-30s, role presents as male. A young nobleman of Athens. In love with (and betrothed to) Hermia but has a romantic history with Helena. Competitive, brash, and not afraid to fight for what he believes he deserves.
Helena- 20s-30s, role presents as female. A young noblewoman of Athens. Hermia’s oldest friend, hopelessly in love with Demetrius. Quick-witted and wracked with a lack of confidence, which can manifest as a victim complex. NOTE: High level comedy skills and command of Shakespeare’s language and poetry is particularly essential for this role.
Oberon- 40s and older, role presents as male. The scheming and powerful King of the Faeries, a tenebrous manipulator of the highest order. All at once a jealous lover and quite literal force of nature. NOTE: High level command of Shakespeare’s language and poetry is particularly essential for this role.
Titania- 40s and older, role presents as female. The ephemeral Queen of the Faeries. Abundance and sumptuousness personified, the very breath of spring itself. NOTE: High level command of Shakespeare’s language and poetry is particularly essential for this role.
Puck- 20s-30s, role presents as male, open to interpretations of all genders. Strong movement abilities are essential. A wisecracking, arrogant trickster spirit, and footman to Oberon. All at once a friendly narrator and devious troublemaker. NOTE: High level command of Shakespeare’s language and poetry is particularly essential for this role.
Nick Bottom- 30s and older, role presents as male. A weaver. Presents the part of Pyramus. A self styled titan of community theater, who wouldn’t find it the least bit odd that a fairy queen would instantly fall in love with him. NOTE: Strong comedy chops essential.
Peter Quince- 30s and older, role presents as male, but open to interpretations of all genders. A carpenter and aspiring director, with a control-freak streak a mile wide. Most cognizant of Theseus’ right to behead the Mechanicals, should their performance fail to please. NOTE: Strong comedy chops essential.
Frances Flute- 20s-30s, role presents as male. A boyish, bellows-mender. Semi-reluctantly presents the part of Thisbe, amid protests of a forthcoming beard. Maybe actually the best actor of the group. NOTE: Strong comedy chops essential.
Tom Snout- 20s-30s, role presents as male. A tinker. Presents the part of Wall, and just happy to be included.
Snug- 20s-30s, role presents as male. An earnest joiner of modest academic intelligence. Presents the part of Lion, safe in the knowledge that his one line is a roar.
Robin Starveling- 40s and older, role presents as male. A tailor and dog lover. Presents the part of Moonshine, and does not respond at all well to the courts’ boorish heckling. NOTE: Must be comfortable with a canine companion.
Philostrate- Any age, role presents as male. Adjutant to Theseus and master of revels, trying his best to avoid an evening of poor entertainment.
First Faerie- Any age, role presents as female. An adoring, ethereal servant of Titania. NOTE: Strong movement and vocal background desirable.
Ensemble- Various ensemble members to understudy and/or play Lords, Amazons, Faeries, etc. Amazons and Lords will need stage combat experience, Faeries will need vocal and dance experience.
Rehearsals begin April 14.
Student matinees begin May 8.
Repertory opening June 1.
Leontes- 30s-50s, role presents as male. The king of Sicily, married to Hermione. An obscenely jealous man given to wild flights of fancy.
Hermione- CAST 30s-40s, role presents as female. A virtuous and kind woman, aghast at being falsely accused of infidelity by her husband. Queen of Sicily, married to Leontes, mother to Perdita.
Camillo- late 20s and older, role presents as male. A Sicilian nobleman with a love for his home and strong sense of right and wrong. Secretly refuses Leontes’ order to poison a rival, instead opting to abscond to Bohemia.
Paulina- late 20s and older, role presents as female. A proud Sicilian noblewoman who mounts a fiery defense of her friend Hermione’s besmirched honor, and later has a hand in her apparent resurrection.
Polixenes- 30s-50s, role presents as male. The king of Bohemia, a childhood friend of Leontes. After being falsely accused of having an affair with his friends’ wife, he becomes insular and mistrusting. He initially frowns upon his son’s intent to marry a humble peasant girl but grows to embrace the idea just in time to find out she’s secretly a princess.
Perdita- late teens-early 20s, role presents as female. Raised in a Bohemian shepherding community after being abandoned as a baby, she spends most of the play unaware of the truth of her royal parentage. Strong-hearted, brave, and possessed of the classic pastoral sense of virtue. She falls in love with and eventually marries Prince Florizel, despite his father’s objections.
Antigonus / Autolycus- 30s and older, roles present as male, seeking one actor to play both roles. Antigonus, a Sicilian nobleman and Paulina’s husband, is loyal to his king to an unfortunate fault. Though he expresses shame at fulfilling Leontes’ inhumane request to abandon the infant Perdita, he is grimly rewarded for his compliance whilst pursued by bear. Autolycus, a roguish vagabond fond of the five-finger discount, nobly helps Florizel and Perdita escape the tyrannical grasp of Polixenes. NOTE: Strong comedy chops required.
Old Shepard- 50s and older, role presents as male. The kindly Bohemian peasant who finds the abandoned Perdita and delights at the good fortune to raise her as his own. The gold and jewels he finds her with don’t hurt.
Florizel- 20s, role presents as male. The prince of Bohemia and son to Polixenes, an occasionally overthinking romantic who defies his father’s wishes in order to marry for love.
Clown- 20s, role presents as male. Also called Young Shepherd. The Old Shepherd’s son and Perdita’s adoptive brother. A buffoon, but not a boor, he unwittingly steals the hearts of quite a few ladies in his village. NOTE: Strong comedy chops required.
Mamillius- youth performer (5-7), role presents as male. Hermione and Leontes’ soft-hearted son who dies of scandalous shock upon hearing of his mother’s apparent transgressions. May also double an ensemble shepherd after the play’s sixteen-year time jump.
Archidamus- any age, role presents as male. A loyal lord of Polixenes’ retinue present at the embarrassment of Hermione. Will likely also double an ensemble shepherd after the play’s time jump.
Dorcas- 20s, role presents as female. A shepherdess in Bohemia, who has taken a liking to the Young Shepherd.
Mopsa- 20s, role presents as female. A shepherdess in Bohemia, who has also taken a liking to the Young Shepherd.
Time- any age, role traditionally presents as male. The concept of time personified, who catches the audience up to speed in direct address after the time jump.
Emilia- 20s, role presents as female. A lady in waiting to Hermione. Will likely also double an ensemble shepherd after the play’s time jump.
Cleomenes- 20s, role presents as male. A Sicilian lord loyal to Leontes, through all his progressively questionable decisions.
Dion- 20s, role presents as male. A Sicilian lord loyal to Leontes. Will also double the Gaoler who imprisons Hermione.
Mariner- any age, any gender. A sailor who brings Antigonus and the baby Perdita to Bohemia. Ensemble- Various ensemble members to understudy and/or play Lords, Shepherds, and Servants.
Repertory opening June 22.
Wendy- 40s, role presents as female. The narrator of our story, who will recount her adventures in Neverland in direct address. Warm, wise, and kind, having not forgotten the spirit of mirth she earned at the second star to the right.
Young Wendy- teens-20s, role presents as female. Open to all ages. The eldest of the Darling siblings, possessed of a strong desire to prove herself as a leader. Eager to attain the sophisticated trappings of adulthood, perhaps a bit too much so. Thrust into the role of caretaker upon her arrival in Neverland, she retains a strong sense of herself despite Neverland’s amnesiac influence.
Peter Pan- teens-20s, role presents as male. Open to all ages. The Boy Who Never Grew Up. All at once a cunning trickster and lonely king. Capricious, proud, and always eager for a scrap. NOTE: Excellent movement abilities and stage combat skills desirable.
Hook- 30s-50s, role presents as male. The sneering, swaggering, monomaniacal tyrant of the seas. A self-styled sophisticate surrounded by brutes, with a ruthless streak a mile long. Given to petulant tantrums when unable to get his own way. NOTE: Strong stage combat skills desirable.
Mr. Darling/Smee- 30s-40s, role presents as male. Mr. George Darling is the patriarch of the Darling family. A no-nonsense, practical businessman who would very much prefer if his children put their minds to better use than dreaming up stories of flying boys. Doubles as: Smee, the bumbling, tender hearted foil to Hook’s braggadocio, who would rather see his captain happy before he’d see him victorious.
Mrs. Darling/Tiger Lily- 30s-40s, role presents as female, Native American. Mrs. Mary Darling is the matriarch of the Darling family. A practiced hand at high-etiquette, a wondrous storyteller, and just maybe what Wendy, Michael and John miss most about home. Doubles as: Tiger Lily, the pugnacious and fiercely independent heir to the leadership of her oft-besieged tribe. Bears a distinct disdain for most people she views as outsiders but has a soft spot for Peter.
John- teens-20s, role presents as male. Open to all ages. The middle Darling sibling. A bookish boy, who dreams of adventure, manhood, and acts of daring-do. Though young, he fancies himself a mature and serious person, which occasionally puts him at odds with the deeply unserious Pan.
Michael- youth performer 9+, role presents as male. The youngest of the Darlings. A sweet, friendly boy who loves his siblings very much, and cannot believe his luck at being in such a wondrous place as Neverland.
Starkey/Nana- 20s and older, any gender. Nana is the Darling family’s nanny, who happens to be a fiercely protective Newfoundland dog. Doubles as: Starkey. a high-ranking member of Hook’s crew, who fancies himself a bit of a gentleman outlaw. NOTE: Strong movement, clowning, and/or stage combat skills desirable.
Liza- 20s and older, role presents as female. Briefly seen at the beginning of the play, the Darling’s fastidious and harried maid. NOTE: The actor playing this role may also double as an ensemble Lost Boy or Pirate.
Panther- 50s and older, role presents as male, Native American. The chieftain of the Native tribe who call Neverland home, and Tiger Lily’s father. A towering presence, who returns favors in good kind to those who offer service.
Tinker Bell- 20s-30s, role presents as female. A fairy given to deeply held passions. At once temperamental, loving, vindictive, and curious. Peter’s most trusted friend and confidant (not to mention the source of his ability to fly). NOTE: Singing and movement ability are desirable.
Cecco- 20s and older, role presents as male. A member of the Jolly Rogers bloodthirsty crew. In the original text, he is a tale-telling braggart from Italy who claims to have carved his name into the skin of a troublesome governor. NOTE: Stage combat ability desirable.
Bill Jukes- 20s and older, role presents as male. A member of the Jolly Rogers bloodthirsty crew. Described in the original text as a heavily tattooed defector from a previous pirate crew. NOTE: Stage combat ability desirable.
Cookson- 20s and older, role presents as male. A member of the Jolly Rogers bloodthirsty crew. Claims to be the brother of the infamous Black Murphy, which is, of course, uncorroborated. NOTE: Stage combat ability desirable.
Slightly- 18+ to play youth, role presents as male. One of the Lost Boys, given to confidently asserting misunderstandings as cold hard fact.
Nibs- 18+ to play youth, role presents as male. One of the Lost Boys, a debonair amateur swashbuckler with a penchant for leaping headfirst into danger.
First and Second Twins- 18TPY, roles present as male. Seeking two actors of similar physical appearance, actual twins welcome but not essential. A pair of Lost Boys who have been largely kept in the dark about their life before coming to Neverland. Raring-to-go, but become almost immediately infatuated with Wendy, having the least idea of what a “mother” is when she arrives.
Tootles- 18TPY, role presents as male. A Lost Boy of a sweet and humble disposition. Due to Tinkerbell’s petty machinations, Tootles has the unfortunate distinction of being the one to shoot Wendy with a bow and arrow upon her arrival.
Curly- 18TPY, role presents as male. A Lost Boy prone to accidents and trouble, who isn’t the brightest bulb but makes up for it with charm.
Ensemble- Various ensemble members to understudy and/or play pirates, Lost Boys.
Repertory opening July 13.
NOTE: This adaptation of Moliere’s classic is written in modern verse, and takes place in 20th century Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Southern American dialects are essential for all roles, the closer to regionally appropriate the better.
Orgon- 40s and older, role presents as male. A once wise and capable man who has fallen down the familiar rabbit hole of religious zealotry and moral browbeating. A stubborn old fool, bless his heart.
Tartuffe- 40s and older. A two-bit televangelist fallen from grace who has hoodwinked Orgon, one of his last remaining devotees, into providing him with room, board, and funding.
Mrs. Pernell- 60s and older, role presents as female. The platonic ideal of a hellacious mother to an adult son. Like her “faultless” boy Orgon, she has fallen for Tartuffe’s long con hook, line, and sinker. A constant source of thinly-pious criticism for her daughter-in-law and grandchildren.
Elmire- 30s and older, role presents as female. Firmly straddles the line between piety and common sense, a socially clever and sophisticated woman who is wary of scandal at all times. Orgon’s second (younger) wife, and protective stepmother to Damis and Mariane.
Cleante- 30s and older, role presents as male. A tremulous over-thinker given to pompousness and excess. He finds himself very comfortable in the well-appointed home of his rich sister Elmire and brother-in-law Orgon.
Maryann- 20s-30s, role presents as female. A sweet, kindly, and unfortunately naive young woman who simply wishes for the happiness of those around her. Deeply in love with her fiance Valére, and a dutiful daughter to her father Orgon.
Valere- 20s-30s, role presents as male. A wealthy young man with tendencies toward bluster and quick offense. Despite his arrested emotional development, he profoundly loves his fiance Maryann…and often puts his foot in his mouth when expressing it.
Damis- 20s-30s, role presents as male. A hot-blooded good ol’ boy in the making who consistently makes threats of violence towards Tartuffe, whose ruse he sees through. Protective of his sister Maryann, a good friend of Valére.
Dorine- 40s and older, role presents as female. Though in the lowest position of the play’s social hierarchy, Dorine delivers the greatest dose of common sense, clear-headedness, and reasonability. A perpetually exasperated servant surrounded by hysterical fools, especially Orgon, for whom she works as personal assistant.
Mr. DeSalle- 40s and older, role presents as male. A property appraiser around whom a great deal of chaos takes place as the family and Tartuffe try to hoodwink him. Strait-laced, no nonsense.
Agent Loyal- 30s and older, role presents as male. An FBI government agent who takes a great and easy-going joy in his capacity for state sanctioned violence.
Paola Aguilar- Late 30s, role presents as female, character is Mexican. A Doctor of Latinx Studies who teaches at a university in California. She wants to be a mom but life hasn’t made that available yet. Hyper intelligent and empathetic to a fault. Has regrets and the boundaries to match.
Nicola Ramirez- 30s, role presents as female, character is white with a Cuban father. A not so closet nerd. She is - upon further investigation - way more neurotic than you could ever imagine. Has yet to come out as Latina. According to her Instagram she’s doing just fine.
Bernard Robinson- 30s, role presents as male, Black. grew up with money in Texas. Went to SMU. Has far too often been someone’s “black friend.” He is obsessed with early Garth Brooks. Wants to be president one day.
Rebecca Feldman- late 20s, role presents as female, character is white and Jew-“ish.” grew up in New York City. Speaks Spanish fluently and can’t wait to tell you how she “estudiar en Venezuela.” Got one question wrong on her SAT and she knows which one. Fancies herself a human right’s activist AND a centrist. She is so proud to call herself an “ally.”
Kaj Lutken- 30s, role presents as male, white. The kind of person who didn’t get that Wolf of Wall Street was a satire. Is hyper concerned with cancel culture and is currently working on a Op-Ed about the whole thing. He is the epitome of ambition and trust me he sleeps waaaaay less than you do.
Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx/Latine Track 1– any age, any gender. Will double a wide variety of roles throughout the play, all various comedic examples of the non-monolithic H/L/L/L/L diaspora. NOTE: Clowning, physical comedy, and improv experience essential.
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