Professional Casting for "The Book of Will" Play
In search of male and female performers for "The Book of Will" show. For more information see the details listed below. About the project: William Shakespeare’s been dead for three years. His friends and fellow actors miss him and his beautiful plays. When a pirated, badly botched Hamlet (“To be or not to be, there’s the point…”), they realize Shakespeare’s lines are disappearing into the forgetful memory of time. They need a book—a definitive copy of his original plays, but to make one, they have to battle an unscrupulous publisher, a boozy poet, and their own mortality. Lauren Gunderson’s look at Shakespeare’s First Folio is a lively, funny, poignant love letter to theatre and the printed word. Additional info: - Please arrive a little earlier in order to fill out a contact form. - Performance Dates: April 21st, 7 pm Saturday April 22nd, 2pm Sunday April 23rd, 2pm - Rehearsals: Run from March 12th - April 20th, and occur about 3 times a week on rotating weeknights and Sundays. - Auditions will consist of reading sides from the play. Copies of sides (scenes) will be provided at the audition, but there are pdf versions of them below if you would like to take a look at them ahead of time. Not all roles will have sides so please pick the side closest to the characters you wish to portray (again, casting may assign you to a “track” with multiple roles). Feel free to read for as many roles as you like. You may be asked to cold-read material on the audition day. Please stay at the audition until you have been dismissed. - See the attachment for the sides. If interested, please apply.
10 roles
Henry Condell: Feisty and hopeful. Shakespeare’s friend, and actor in the King’s Men.
John Heminges: Reasonable and serious,Shakespeare’s friend, and financial manager of the King’s Men. He is a good man, a gentleman, and owner of the Globe Tap House.
(Plays Burbage, William Jaggard, and Horatio) Richard Burbage:A seasoned lion of the stage, loud and proud, and famous across England. William Jaggard: Successful if shady publisher of books, plays, and playbills, William is confident in his ability to get what he wants. He is very experienced, very connected, willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done, but an a*s. Horatio, an actor playing this role.
(Plays Elizabeth, Emilia and Fruit Seller) Elizabeth Condell: Savvy and fun, Elizabeth is Condell’s wife. Emilia Bassano Lanier: A fiery Italian feminist and poet, an independent woman, and a lover of life (and of Shakespeare). Fruit Seller.
(Plays Rebecca, Anne Hathaway, and Marcellus) Rebecca Heminges: John’s wife, Rebecca is strong, busy with their grocery business, and a woman who has weathered much but loves her husband, and her sons. She is a good wife. Anne Hathaway Shakespeare: Shakespeare’s now ailing wife. Anne is strong-willed, a classy lady, a survivor. Marcellus, an actor playing this role.
(Plays Ralph Crane, Barman, Compositor and Francisco) Ralph Crane: Humble scrivener of the King’s Men, Ralph is quick, sure, and quiet. Compositor, of the Folio. Barman, drunk ruffian. Francisco, an actor playing this role.
(Plays Alice and Susannah) Alice Heminges: John’s daughter and alewife, knows everyone, and hangs with the boys. Susannah Shakespeare: A good girl and daughter of Shakespeare.
(Plays Issac and Ed Knight) Ed Knight: “Stage manager” for the King’s Men, Ed is self-serious and particular. Isaac Jaggard: William’s son, Isaac will inherit the business. He is sensitive, an artist at heart.
(Plays Marcus, Crier, Boy Hamlet, Bernardo) Marcus: Printer’s apprentice at the Jaggard print shop, nosy but honest. Boy Hamlet: A young actor. Crier: A newsboy. Bernardo, an actor playing this role.
(Plays Ben Johnson, Barman 2, Sir Edward Dering) Sir Edward Dering: (any gender, 50-60's) A book and theatre lover, Edward is the first customer of The First Folio. Ben Jonson: (male, 30's - early 40's) Poet laureate of England and friend/rival of Shakespeare, Ben is an amazing drunk, a bear of a man, and surprisingly weepy. Barman 2, drunk ruffian.
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