The Bijou Theatre is excited to auditions for their fifth show of the Main Stage Season,
Hamlet, directed by Mat Young.
Hamlet will perform in rep with “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” directed by Jeremy Funke. Some actors cast in
Hamlet will also appear in “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.”
Open call auditions will take place on Saturday, January 10th from 1:30pm-4:00pm and Monday, January 12th from 7:30pm-10:00pm. Actors will audition in order of arrival. All auditions will take place at The Bijou Arts Center, 277 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport, CT. The Bijou Arts Center is located on the second floor upon entering the glass door next to The Bijou Theatre Box Office. Ascend the stairs directly opposite the glass door. Signs will be posted.
“Hamlet” and “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” require strong male and female actors. Not all roles are open; please refer to the character breakdown below. Non-Equity, no pay. All types and ethnicities are encouraged to audition. Ages 16 and up. All actors should bring a current headshot (or recent photo) and one-page acting resume or list of theater/performing experience. Please prepare a 1-2 minute Shakespearean monologue and be prepared to read from the script. Monologues from “Hamlet” are strongly discouraged.
Character Breakdown for Actors Auditioning:
The Ghost of King Hamlet
Horatio
King Claudius
Queen Gertrude
Polonius
Laertes
Ophelia
Marcellius
Bernardo
Priest
Osric
Gravedigger
Alfred
Players
About The Shows:
Mat Young will direct William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” a timeless exploration into the mind of a young man consumed with thought. Hamlet learns from the Ghost of his father that his uncle, who has since married his mother, killed his father. Can the mind of this young intellectual permit him to avenge his father, or will he thoughts devour him, and send him into madness?
“Hamlet” will perform in repertory with Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” directed by Jeremy Funke. In this award-winning absurdist tragicomedy, the title characters wander in and out of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, finding themselves at the mercy of forces beyond their control and indeed their understanding. As they move unwittingly through their last days, they explore (by turns hilarious and moving) the ideas of home, fate, and isolation.
About The Productions:
General rehearsal schedule for “Hamlet” and “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” is Sundays through Thursdays from 7:30pm-10:00pm. Rehearsals begin as early as January 26th. The shows run in rep May 15th-24th at The Bijou Theatre, 275 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport. Friday May 15th at 8pm “Hamlet,” Saturday May 16th at 4pm “Hamlet” and 8pm“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” Sunday May 17th at 3pm “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” and 7pm “Hamlet,” Friday May 22nd at 8pm “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” Saturday May 23rd at 4pm “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” and 8pm “Hamlet,” Sunday May 24th at 3pm “Hamlet” and 7pm “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.”
The Bijou Performing Arts Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing visual and performing arts programs and events for the community. The Bijou Performing Arts Center offers educational programs in Dance though New England Ballet, Music & Theatre, as well as special events and live theatre performances. Private donations, grants, tuition fees & ticket sales fund the Bijou Arts Center, which is located at 275 Fairfield Avenue in Downtown Bridgeport. The Bijou Theatre, one of the oldest buildings in the country used as a movie house, reopened its doors in 2011. In addition to continuing its historic character of showing movies, the Theatre offers a full repertoire of live music, comedy, theater and dance, which can be enjoyed in either theater seating or cabaret style. The Bijou Theatre is a multi–functional venue with integrity and an open-minded philosophy- a symposium for film, theatre, art, comedy and music. The Theatre is available for private rentals, holiday parties, corporate events, and much more. For further information, call
(203) 332-3228 or visit
thebijoutheatre.com.
