SUMMER SHAKESPEARE AUDITIONS
Open Auditions: Saturday, May 17, 10 AM – 2 PM at The Vineyard Playhouse, 24 Church Street, downtown Vineyard Haven for As You Like It b y William Shakespeare and directed by Nicole Galland. All roles are open. Seeking young non-equity actors of all ethnic backgrounds, with access to housing on Martha’s Vineyard.

Audition Information:

• Requirements: Arrive at the audition any time during the scheduled hours and sign up for an appointment that day. Everyone who comes to the audition will be seen.
• Actors should come prepared to perform a short (under 2 minutes) Shakespearean monologue from any play.

Show information:

• Show dates: July 23 – August 10 on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 5 PM plus Sundays August 3 and August 10.
• Number of performances: 14 scheduled (Rain dates to be worked out)

Rehearsal Information:

• A rehearsal schedule will be set by the stage manager as soon as the casting is complete. All rehearsals (unless it’s raining) will be held at the Tisbury Amphitheater.
• For Principal Roles: Beginning July 1. Approximately 20-30 hours per week to be scheduled during daylight hours. No Sunday rehearsals.
• For Supporting Roles: Beginning July 7 (Full cast read-through prior to this date). Approximately 15-20 hours per week to be scheduled during daylight hours. No Sunday rehearsals.

This will be a highly energetic show, so please be realistic about your physical health and abilities. The show will be rehearsed and performed outdoors in the Tisbury Amphitheater. This means “roughing it” - bottled water, bug spray and Porto-potties. But it will also be lots of fun and a chance to be a part of a strong acting ensemble!

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN for Shakespeare’s AS YOU LIKE IT

FEMALE:

• ROSALIND: Female lead, arguably Shakespeare’s strongest comic lady. “More than common tall,” witty, energetic, smart - this is a real tour de force.
• CELIA: Rosalind’s cousin/cohort/best friend. Cute, playful, clever, girlish (and ideally shorter than Rosalind).
• PHEBE: The most articulate, shrewishly analytical shepherdess in history. A hoot.
• AUDREY: Dim but good-hearted (and buxom) country wench. Smallest female role, but nice opportunities for physical comedy with Touchstone.

CASTING NOTE: IDEALLY, EITHER AUDREY OR PHEBE WOULD ALSO PLAY CHARLES THE WRESTLER AT COURT.

MALE:

• ORLANDO: Romantic male lead. Earnest, attractive, passionate and naïve.
• TOUCHSTONE: Court jester. Probably Shakespeare’s most verbally nimble fool. Most of what he says will go over the audience’s head, so attitude is everything here.
• JACQUES: Aka “the melancholy Jacques.” A philosophical, curmudgeonly follower of the banished Duke. Delivers the play’s most famous speech.
• DUKE FREDERICK/DUKE SENIOR: Ideally a generation older than most of the cast, one man to play both the banished duke (an aristocrat playing at being a woodsman) and his usurping brother (unstable, paranoid, power-hungry).
• SYLVIUS: An emotionally silly but verbally sophisticated young shepherd, hopelessly in love with Phebe. (Also CHARLES THE WRESTLER if no woman does it.)
• ADAM/CORIN: Oldest characters. Adam, Orlando’s ancient, devoted servant; Corin is an old shepherd with a Zen-like outlook. This person also plays SECOND LORD in scenes.
• OLIVER: Orlando’s older brother. Arrogant and cruel, but repents and proves himself a good guy. Falls in love with Celia.
• LE BEAU/FIRST LORD/MARTEXT/WILLIAM: This combo calls for quick-changes and a wide range in a character actor. Le Beau is a foppish courtier; First Lord is Duke Senior’s cheerful companion; Martext is an eccentric country vicar; William is a very affable, stupid suitor of Audry’s.

MALE OR FEMALE

• MUSIC DIRECTOR, AKA AMIENS: Must obtain, learn, teach and perform the songs in the play. (Must be able to sing boisterously and also play an instrument that can be heard, unamplified, outdoors.)

VOLUNTEERS
If you would like to volunteer or usher for the Playhouse contact us at info@vineyardplayhouse.org