Other than primary leads cast will play multiple roles & characters. You will be busy!

Shakespeare
The Bard. Over the top with a huge ego (It’s hard to be The Bard – sexy but hard). Rarely goes anywhere without his 4 back-up singers and dancers.
Gender: play male, Age: 25 to 40
Seeking a comedic actor (improv skills a plus) with a killer pop/rock voice, tap dance skills a plus.
(Rock Tenor)

Nick Bottom
A struggling renaissance writer at the end of his rope. Nigel’s older brother. Incredibly jealous of the success of William Shakespeare and will do anything to beat him.
Gender: play male, Age: 25 to 40
Seeking a great comedic actor (improv skills a plus) who sings, tap dance skill a plus.
(Baritone)

Nigel Bottom
Nick’s younger brother. A sweetly naïve young writer and poet, perhaps a little awkward. He falls in love with Portia and ultimately finds confidence in himself through art and love.
Gender: play male, Age: 18 to 30
Seeking a great comedic actor (improv skills a plus) who sings very well.
(High baritone/tenor).

Bea Bottom
Nick’s wife and “Right Hand Man”. She loves and supports him despite his questionable decision making and lack of success. Bea resorts to dressing up like a male to make ends meet and to prove to Nick she can be an actor.
Gender: play female, Age 25 to 40
Seeking a comedic (improv skills a plus) actress who sings very well.
(Belter, mezzo-soprano/alto)

Portia
An adorably quirky Puritan girl whom Nigel meets on the street. They fall madly in love with each other over their mutual love for Shakespeare and poetry.
Gender: play female, Age 18 to 30
Seeking a great comedic actress (improv skills a plus) who sings very well.
(Youthful Soprano with a strong mix)

Thomas Nostradamus
An older soothsayer who almost sees the future correctly. A bit loony. He predicts that Nick and Nigel will write a musical.
Gender: play male, Age: 40s to 60s
Seeking a comedic actor (improv skills a plus) who sings and moves very well.
(Baritone)

Minstrel
The Minstrel will not only sing the opening number but also plays some side characters throughout the show (TBA) and ensemble.
Gender: play male, Age: 40s to 60s
Seeking charismatic comedic actor (improv skills a plus).
(Baritone)

Brother Jeremiah
Portia’s father. A Puritan with deeply repressed homoerotic tendencies. He despises playwrights, poets and all things ungodly.
Gender: play male, Age: 40s to 60s.
Seeking a great comedic actor who sings.
(Baritone).

Shylock
An old Jewish moneylender. The Bottoms are in debt to him.
Gender: play male, Age: 40s to 100.
Traditionally played by “Minstrel” but another member of ensemble may play this character.

Lord Clapham
A flamboyant theatre producer.
Gender: play male, Age: 30s to 60s
Traditionally played by “Minstrel” but another member of ensemble may play this character.

ENSEMBLE CHARACTER ROLES
All genders, ethnicities, ages 16 to 100+
Seeking quirky character types who are singers. Seeking also a core group of dancers (tap a plus) but we don’t expect everyone to be experienced dancers. Play multiple roles and special groups (The Bard’s back-up group, the Bottom’s acting troupe, etc…)

When is the show?
8pm Fridays & Saturdays, 2pm Sundays July 10^th – 19^th at the Theater at Violet Woods (formerly Wigwam Theater) just 2 minutes off of I70 in Pickerington. We will be using a live orchestra.

What is the rehearsal schedule?
Fridays 7pm – 9:30pm (first one is May 1st), Saturdays 10am -2pm, Sundays 2pm -5pm. Saturday Sunday can get a bit longer as the opening date approaches.
Rehearsals are set so that you only need to be there when you are needed. There may be some optional weekday evening rehearsals for extra dance rehearsal. Tech week also includes weeknight rehearsals. Rehearsals are at Epiphany Church until we move into the theater. Saturday & Sunday could go longer as we get close to opening night.

What can I expect during the audition process?

1. Be prepared to sing part of a song of your choice (no more than a minute long). A piano is available for use and an accompanist will be provided (don’t forget your sheet music). Acapella / karaoke singing to CD or MP3 is allowed but we prefer piano accompaniment. If we raise our hand to stop you it means we have heard enough – it is NOT an indication of whether we liked you. Try to choose a song appropriate for the show (Broadway musical). Do not sing a song from this production!
2. We will have a simple dance audition (performed in small groups). We are also looking for featured dancers, tap experience a plus. For chorus roles we only need to see basic movement. We don’t expect everyone to have dance experience.
3. If seeking a speaking role, please be prepared to stay for cold readings from the script.

What if I absolutely cannot make any of the audition dates?
We do allow video auditions if that is your only option. Send the following to pct@insight.rr.com (deadline April 24th):
A completed audition form plus resume if you have one, a headshot, a video with 1-minute or less of a song (as described above) & a short monologue of the role you seek (unless you are only looking for chorus or featured dancers). Monologues are plentiful on-line. If you cannot find one choose a character from another show similar to the one you are auditioning for. Also, let us know what dance experience you have (if any).

What if I only want a certain role and will not accept anything else?
While we appreciate your honesty we would hope you would accept any role as, when you do get a lead, you would want a strong supporting cast / ensemble. Ensemble will play multiple roles. There are soloists needed in songs and supporting characters with lines. Set aside your ego & have fun. Trust the production staff to help you create a show you can be proud of (you will be busy and on stage plenty)! All that said, please be honest as we realize there are many factors determining whether you participate in a production. Note you must be 16 to audition. Gender does not matter for roles.

What about call backs and the final cast list?
You will receive a phone call Saturday evening if you have been called back for a lead role. If you are not called back this does not mean you will not be cast nor does it mean you will not have a speaking or supporting role. We may not even need call backs. Final cast list will be sent via email no later than Wednesday night, April 29th and posted on our website. Please do not be discouraged if you do not get a lead role or do not make the cast. There are a lot of people auditioning and we can only fit so many people on stage. Casting a show involves a lot a variables – it’s not always the best singer or actor or dancer that gets the lead. The production staff’s toughest job is casting the show. We wish we could cast everyone. If you do not get cast, consider helping backstage, with publicity, set building, costumes, make-up, stage crew, etc…

Is there a participation fee to be in the show?
Yes, for performers it is $30 ($60 limit per family). Everyone listed in the show program gets one 1 comp ticket. It costs thousands of dollars to put on this show (licensing, venue use, costumes, etc…)! We are a 501(c) non-profit, all-volunteer organization.

What else should I know?
We will be attending other events before the show opens to promote this production (for example, we will walk in the Pickerington 4^th of July Parade, appear on “Good Day Columbus”, etc…). We have 6 performances and believe all can be a sell-out.

Questions? Email the director, Chris Gallaugher at pct@insight.rr.com