The Maryland Renaissance Festival will be holding auditions for its Acting Company for the upcoming 39th season. We are seeking professional non-union talent. Roles available for men and women in every age range from 18 - 80.
This year, our Shakespeare play is Much Ado About Nothing. This 60+ minute adaptation will be performed once per day at our Globe Theatre. All roles are open.
Our other period play is entitled The Cocks Lane Ghost Mystery. It is based on a true story of murderous accusation, romance, intrigue and a possible haunting. The Cock Lane Ghost was a sensation and scandal in 18th century London. The tale will be the basis of an original play adapted for the Festival. As with Much Ado, this will be produced once each day. All roles are open.
In addition to those plays, our overall theme of the show is Tudor England. Our monarch is Henry VIII and this year the story is set in 1525. We are casting both courtiers and villagers for the show. The courtiers are real historical people such as Thomas Cromwell and Catherine of Aragon. In addition to English roles, we have need for actors who can speak some German, French or Spanish.
These characters are featured in scripted performances, as well as character-driven improvisation. (Please note: we do not expect actors new to the company to be expert in this type of improvisation and we focus on this in rehearsal.)
Performances are Saturday, Sunday, and Labor Day Monday from August 29th to October 25th. The Festival is open from 10am – 7pm. Once the show opens, there are no rehearsals or weekday obligations.
Rehearsals begin July 11th. Actors must have reliable transportation.
All performances are paid, and actors also receive a rehearsal honorarium.
If you are interested in auditioning, or have questions, please email Carolyn@rennfest.com . Auditions will be by appointment only, and will be scheduled on April 25th from 9am – 5pm.
