Midsummer Audition

AUDITION ANNOUNCEMENT for The Repertory Players production of:

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM by William Shakespeare
Directed by Tadziyana D. Bvumbe
17 July - 27 July 2024 (1 preview and 10 performances)
Reps Theatre Main Stage

The Repertory Players is an amateur theatre company devoted to the art of live performance. We welcome all, members and non-members, to audition for this production. This is a non-paying production.

One of William Shakespeare’s most enduring and popular plays, this is a beautiful tale full of love, magic, mistaken identities and jealousy, packed with humour and action. The play takes place in Athens around the nuptials of the Duke and his Amazonian bride. Two sets of lovers and a hapless troupe of amateur actors find themselves in the forest ruled over by the quarreling King and Queen of the fairies.

We are looking for 11-15 performers (3 female, 4 male, 4-8 gender flexible roles).

ROLES (ages listed are just guides and all ages are invited to audition)

Puck (gender flexible, 25 - 45) – mischievous, enchanting, not always competent fairy attendant to Oberon. Will also play Philostrate, Theseus’s Master of the Revels, responsible for organizing the entertainment for the duke’s marriage celebration.

Oberon (male, 25+) - The king of the fairies. May also play Theseus.

Titania (female, 25+) - The beautiful queen of the fairies. May also play Hippolyta.

Lysander (male, 16 - 25) - An Athenian youth, in love with Hermia.

Demetrius (male, 16 - 25) - An Athenian youth, initially in love with Hermia and ultimately in love with Helena.

Hermia (female, 16 - 25) - Egeus’s daughter, an Athenian youth. Hermia is in love with Lysander and is a childhood friend of Helena. Should be shorter than Helena.

Helena (female, 16 - 25) - An Athenian youth, in love with Demetrius. Should be taller than Hermia.

Egeus (male, 40+) - Hermia’s father.

Theseus (male, 25+) - duke of Athens, engaged to Hippolyta. May also play Oberon.

Hippolyta (female, 25+) - The legendary queen of the Amazons, engaged to Theseus. May also play Titania.

Nick Bottom (male, 25+) - The overconfident weaver chosen to play Pyramus in the mechanicals’ play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Bottom is full of advice and self-confidence but frequently makes silly mistakes and misuses language.

Peter Quince (gender flexible) - A carpenter and the nominal leader of the mechanicals’ attempt to put on a play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Quince is often shoved aside by the abundantly confident Bottom. During the craftsmen’s play, Quince plays the Prologue.

Francis Flute (gender flexible) - The bellows-mender chosen to play Thisbe in the mechanicals’ play for Theseus’s marriage celebration.

Robin Starveling (gender flexible) - The tailor chosen to play Thisbe’s mother in the mechanicals’ play for Theseus’s marriage celebration, ends up playing the part of Moonshine.

Tom Snout (gender flexible) - The tinker chosen to play Pyramus’s father in the mechcanicals’ play for Theseus’s marriage celebration, ends up playing the part of Wall, dividing the two lovers.

Snug (gender flexible) - The joiner chosen to play the lion in the mechanicals’ play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Snug worries that his roaring will frighten the ladies in the audience.

Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, And Mustardseed and First Fairy (gender flexible) - The fairies ordered by Titania to attend to Bottom after she falls in love with him. May be played by mechanicals.

Each audition will be approximately 15 minutes. Please be on time for you chosen slot. A 1-2 minute memorized Shakespearean monologue is preferred but not required. Those without a prepared piece will be asked to do a cold read from our selection.

Auditions will be held at Reps Theatre on 4 and 5 May. Please follow the instructions below to sign up for an audition slot. You will get an email confirmation, please save it as you will need it to change or cancel your slot. If you cannot make the audition, please cancel as soon as possible to free up the slot for someone else.

Follow the below FOUR steps:
1. Click "JOIN" on your desired date and time.
2. Enter your FIRST and LAST name.
3. Enter your e-mail address.
4. Click "JOIN".

First rehearsal is scheduled for the week of 13 May, 2024.

If you have any questions, please email t.d.bvumbe@gmail.com and use Midsummer Audition in the subject line.