Auditions for the 2020 season of Shakespeare On The Green: A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Shakespeare In Love, and the Shakespeare On Tour production of Macbeth.
Time(s)
Saturday, January 25, 2020
9 am - 5 pm, By appointment
Sunday, January 26, 2020
6 - 10 pm, By Appointment
Other Dates
Shakespeare On The Green: 5/26 – 7/12 (Performances: 6/25 – 7/12);
Shakespeare On Tour: 8/31 – 11/06 (Performances: 9/18 – 11/06)
For questions on auditions and audition preparation, please contact Alan Klem at
aklem@nebraskashakespeare.com. Auditions are by reservation. To schedule an audition, please email
lmarsh@nebraskashakespeare.com.
Personnel
Artistic Director: Alan Klem;
Director (MND): Amy Lane;
Director (SiL): Anthony Clark-Kaczmarek;
Director of Education: Katie Becker Colón
Seeking
Equity and non-equity actors for Nebraska Shakespeare’s 2020 season, seeking male and female performers to comprise the principal and ensemble roles.
Preparation
Please bring two copies of your headshot and resume, stapled together. Prepare one comedic Shakespearean monologues and a brief song excerpt (up to 16 bars) to be sun a capella.
To be considered for Shakespeare On Tour (non-equity only), please also prepare 14 lines of non-comedic Shakespearean text to present at call-backs.
Other
Nebraska Shakespeare seeks to hire a racially-diverse and gender-inclusive ensemble that reflects the diversity of our audiences.
To be considered for the Shakespeare On Tour production of MACBETH, actors should be prepared to provide their education/teaching experience.
Roles
Theseus* Male. 30’s-40’s. Any ethnicity. The Duke of Athens. Recently won a war against the Amazons and is set to marry their queen, Hippolyta, in a politically advantageous match. [Will double with Oberon]
Hippolyta* Female. 30’s-40’s. Any ethnicity. Queen of the Amazons. Regal and graceful, strong and athletic, powerful. In an arranged marriage with Theseus but determined to make the match successful. [Doubles with Titania]
Egeus Any gender. 40’s-50’s. Any Ethnicity. :Parent of Hermia. A sterling defender of old-fashioned ways, Egeus intends either to have Hermia marry the man Egeus chooses or to execute her. Egeus has no fondness for Lysander.
Hermia Female. 20’s. Any Ethnicity. Daughter of Egeus, in love with Lysander. She refuses to marry Demetrius despite the threat of death for her refusal. Possesses a fierce temper. Feisty and short. She and Helena were inseparable friends as children; it is Demetrius’ misplaced love that has separated them.
Lysander Male. 20’s. Any Ethnicity. In love with Hermia and willing to risk all for her love. A young man of Athens, of good fortune and family. Lysander is a romantic who possesses a poet’s soul coupled with a sharp wit.
Demetrius Male. 20’s Any Ethnicity. Suitor to Hermia, and former lover of Helena. He is confident to the point of arrogance. Having wooed Helena, he shifts his attentions to Hermia, who will have none of him, though he is favored by Egeus.
Helena* Female. 20’s. Any Ethnicity. Helena was previously betrothed to Demetrius and remains obsessively, even masochistically, in love with him even after Demetrius met and fell for Hermia. Helena is tall, depressed over a bad break-up, determined, enterprising, willing to risk it all for love.
Philostrate Any gender. 20’s+. Any Ethnicity. Master of the Revels. Theseus' Master of the Revels. Announces the entertainment for the wedding ceremony. [Might double with Puck]
Peter Quince Any gender. 20’s+. Any Ethnicity. A carpenter with literary aspirations who organizes fellow workers into preparing a play they have written to present to Theseus and Hippolyta on their wedding day. Well-respected by their fellows, Bottom sets great store by their writing abilities. They are able to keep Bottom under at least some control.
Nick Bottom* Any gender. 20’s-30’s Any Ethnicity. The overconfident weaver chosen to play Pyramus in the Quince’s play. Bottom is full of self-confidence and happy to give their thoughts, but frequently makes silly mistakes and misuses language. Their simultaneous nonchalance about Titania’s sudden love for them and unawareness that Puck has transformed their head into that of an ass mark the pinnacle of their foolish arrogance.
Francis Flute Male. 20’s-30’s. Any Ethnicity. A bellows-mender and participant in Quince’s play. Forced to play a young girl in love, the bearded craftsman determines to deliver an expert interpretation despite his limited acting abilities.
Tom Snout Any gender. 20’s+. Any Ethnicity. A tinker and participant in Quince’s play. The tinker chosen to play Pyramus’ father in marriage celebration. They end up playing the part of Wall, dividing the two lovers.
Snug Any gender. 20’s+ Any Ethnicity. A joiner and participant in Quince’s play. Not the most quick-witted, and therefore cast as the lion to avoid having to learn lines.
Robin Starveling Any gender. 20’s+. Any Ethnicity. A tailor and participant in Quince’s play. Starveling is chosen to play Thisbe’s Mother, but eventually portrays Moonshine in Quince’s play.
Oberon* Male. 30’s-40’s. Any Ethnicity. King of Fairies. Proud, angry, and vengeful. Thinks he has power and control over Titania, and excited by her resistance. Fond of Puck, but not blind to his anarchic tendencies. Jealous of Titania’s attention to a young changeling child. [Doubles with Theseus]
Titania* Female. 30’s-40’s. Any Ethnicity. Queen of Fairies. Proud, obstinate, and careful of her duties. Smart and loving. Has a history with Oberon that is based on mutual attraction, but also respect for the other’s power. [Doubles with Hippolyta]
Robin Puck Goodfellow* Any gender. 20’s. Any Ethnicity. A Mischievous sprite with magical powers, who delights in playing pranks on the mortals. Puck’s enchanting, mischievous spirit pervades the atmosphere, and Puck’s antics – both those that are deliberate and those done by mistake - are responsible for complications that propel the story. [Might double with Philostrate]
Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth and Mustardseed Any gender. Teens+. Any Ethnicity. Fairy servants to Titania, ordered to attend on Bottom after Titania falls in love with him.
Changeling Child Any gender. 8-12. Indian. A ward of Titania. According to Titania, the child’s mortal mother died in child-birth and, being a friend of the woman, Titania vowed to care for the baby. According to Oberon, Titania stole the child from a king. Oberon is jealous of the affection Titania shows the child and wants the changeling for himself.
Will Shakespeare* Male. Late 20’s/Early 30’s. Caucasian. A passionate poet and playwright who alternates between brooding over his writer’s block and boasting all the cocky confidence and charm expected from one of England’s most renowned playwrights. is searching for his muse, which he finds in Viola.
Kit Marlowe* Male. Late 20’s/Early 30’s. Any Ethnicity. Will’s more successful fellow playwright and friend. Marlowe never suffers from the writer’s block that currently plagues Will. Smooth and charming, Kit is perpetually good-humored and encouraging.
The De Lesseps House
Viola De Lesseps* Female. 20’s. Any Ethnicity. A noblewoman with dreams of being an actor, in a time when women were forbidden from the stage. Viola disguises herself as Thomas Kent in order to perform in Shakespeare’s latest play. Engaged to Lord Wessex, a man whom she hardly knows and cares even less for, Viola escapes to the stage where she thrives in reciting the playwright’s poetry and falls in love with Will.
Nurse* Female. 30+. Any Ethnicity. A servant and friend for Viola. The Nurse helps her lady, with kindness and humor, to dress as an actor and avoid Lord Wessex.
Lord Wessex Male. 30’s-40’s. Any Ethnicity. A cash-poor nobleman, who becomes engaged to Viola. Wessex is smarmy to the queen, but hateful to nearly everyone else. A shameless misogynist, Wessex is primarily interested in Viola for her father’s wealth.
Sir Robert De Lesseps Male. 40+. Any Ethnicity. Viola’s father, who thinks of his daughter as a piece of property to be given to Lord Wessex. [Will double with Edmund Tilney]
Catling Male. Any Ethnicity. A guard at De Lesseps Hall. [Actor will perform Multiple Roles including Lambert & Nol (See Potential Track A below)]
The Rose Theatre
Henslowe* Male. 35+. Caucasian. The owner and manager of the Rose theatre, which will host Shakespeare’s newest comedy. A businessman with increasing debt. His money frustrations make the plans and stories he spins as varied and inventive as the many endeavors he undertakes to save a dime and turn a profit.
Fennyman Male. 40+. Any Ethnicity. The money. A ruthless loan shark with little humor, Hugh Fennyman is the producer for Shakespeare’s new comedy.
John Webster Male. Early-/Mid- Teens. Caucasian. A street urchin who aspires to be an actor and possesses an unsettling fondness for stories of pain and gore, foreshadowing a future career of dark and gruesome playwriting.
Wabash Male. Any Ethnicity. A stammering would-be actor and Henslowe’s tailor. He delivers the Prologue in Will’s play.
Nol Male. Any Ethnicity. An amateur actor, who plays Benvolio and Sampson in Shakespeare’s play. [Actor will perform Multiple Roles including Lambert & Catling (See Potential Track A below)]
Lambert & Frees Male. Any Ethnicity. No-nonsense and of few words, Lambert and Frees are Fennyman’s flunkies who forcefully help him collect debts owed. [Actors will perform Multiple Roles (See Potential Tracks A and B below)]
Robin Male. Any Ethnicity. An actor. Plays Lady Capulet and Abraham in Will’s play. [Actor will perform Multiple Roles including Frees (See Potential Track B below)]
Ralph Male. Any Ethnicity. A tavern server with acting ambitions, who is cast to perform as Juliet’s Nurse and Petruchio in Will’s play. [Actor will perform Multiple Roles including Boatman (See Potential Track C below)]
Adam Male. Any Ethnicity. An actor who plays Gregory. A servant to the Capulets; and a Servingman. [Actor will perform Multiple Roles including Peter (See Potential Track G below)]
The Chamberlain’s Men
Richard Burbage Male. 35+. Caucasian. Lead actor of the Chamberlain’s Men, a rival troup of the Admiral’s Men, and owner of the Curtain Theatre, becomes enraged and instigates a sword fight with Will when he discovers the playwright gave Romeo and Juliet to the Admiral’s Men.
Chamberlain’s Men Actors in the Chamberlain’s men playing company. [Will be performed variously by actors in Tracks C, F, and/or G]
The Admiral’s Men
Ned Alleyn Male. Late 20’s/Early 30’s. Caucasian. The lead actor of the Admiral’s Men. Accustomed to being cast in lead roles, Ned is confident, pompous, and boisterous. Ned seeks the lead in Will’s play but is convinced to play Mercutio.
Sam Male. Early-/Mid- Teens. Any Ethnicity. A sweet young actor in Admiral’s Men who has a history of performing female roles. Sam is cast as Juliet but causes panic when his voice changes prior to the opening performance.
Peter Male. Any Ethnicity. An actor in the Admiral’s Men who plays Tybalt in Will’s play. [Actor will perform Multiple Roles including Adam (See Potential Track F below)]
The Palace
Queen Elizabeth I Female. 50’s. Caucasian. England’s shrewd monarch who loves the theatre (especially comedies involving dogs). Not afraid to take charge of whatever room she enters, the Queen sternly commands in proclamations that are dryly amusing, but overall seeks to be fair. [Will Double with Molly]
Edmund Tilney Male. 40+. Any Ethnicity. Lord Chamberlain and courtier to Queen Elizabeth I. Tilney is excessively servile to the Queen and manages the court entertainment. Strict and exacting, Tilney is highly censorious to Will’s plays. [Will Double with Robert De Lesseps]
Other Characters
Molly and Kate Female. Any Ethnicity. Tavern “workers” who flirt with Will and the other tavern patrons. Their wide array of work range from pouring drinks to more intimate services. [Molly will Double with Queen Elizabeth I. Actor portraying Kate will perform Multiple Roles including Mistress Quickly and Queen’s Attendant (See Potential Track D below)]
Mistress Quickly Female. Any Ethnicity. The wardrobe mistress at Whitehall palace. [Actor will perform Multiple Roles including Kate and Queen’s Attendant (See Potential Track D below)]
Boatman Male. Any Ethnicity. A chatty aspiring playwright. [Actor will portray Multiple Roles including Ralph (See Potential Track C below)]
Dancers, Courtiers, [Will be performed variously by actors in Tracks A-G]
Attendants and Actors
POTENTIAL Actor Tracks
Track A (Male. Any Ethnicity.) will play Nol/Benvolio/Sampson, Lambert, and Catling, among others.
Track B (Male. Any Ethnicity.) will play Robin/Abraham/Lady Capulet, Frees, and Henchman #1, among others.
Track C (Male. Any Ethnicity.) will play Ralph/Nurse/Capulet, Boatman, Actor, and Dancer, among others.
Track D (Female. Any Ethnicity) will play Kate, Mistress Quickly, Henchman #2, Dancer, Musician, Heavy, and Queen’s Attendant, among others.
Track E (Female. Any Ethnicity.) will play Waitress, Maestra, Dancer, Musician, and Queen’s Attendant, among others.
Track F (Male. Any Ethnicity.) will play Peter/Petruchio/Abraham, Actor/Valentine, Dancer, and Musician, among others.
Track G (Male. Any Ethnicity.) will play Adam/Gregory, Actor/Proteus, Barman, Dancer, Musician, Heavy, and Queen’s Attendant, among others.
Macbeth Male-identifying. Any ethnicity. A successful soldier. Deeply in love with his wife. Ideal actor will possess excellent facility with language and stage combat experience.
Lady Macbeth Female-identifying. Any Ethnicity. Intelligent, quick to action, committed and connected to her husband. Ideal actor will possess excellent facility with language.
The Weyward Sisters Any Gender. Any Ethnicity. Imaginative, influential, and alert humans. Ideal actors will possess excellent facility with language and movement experience. Singing and instrumental music experience a plus.
Macduff Any Gender. Any Ethnicity. A powerful soldier. Ideal actor will possess excellent facility with language and stage combat experience.
Banquo Any Gender. Any Ethnicity. Straight-forward and earnest. Ideal actor will possess excellent facility with language and stage combat experience.
Duncan Any Gender. Any Ethnicity. A generous ruler. Ideal actor will possess excellent facility with language.
Malcolm Any Gender. Any Ethnicity. Heir to the throne. Ideal actor will possess excellent facility with language.
Lady Macduff Any Gender. Any Ethnicity. Protective of their family. Ideal actor will possess excellent facility with language.
Fleance Any Gender. Any Ethnicity. Banquo’s child who narrowly escapes murder. Ideal actor will possess excellent facility with language.
Ross Any Gender. Any Ethnicity. Acts in service of something greater than themselves. Ideal actor will possess excellent facility with language.
*denotes potential Equity Contract
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