Seeking Actors for "A Midsummer Night's Dream" Play

Commanding presence. Excellent speaking and movement skills; needs sense of authority, sexual presence, ability to be goofy when necessary. Should have an edge of danger but also needs to be compassionate and capable of forgiveness. Both men come from paternalistic, authoritative ways of thinking and of ruling. Please note, there’s potential for physical intimacy with this role.

Both are strong, formidable women. Titania is the more poetic of the two; and must possess strong speaking and movement skills as well as a sense of authority, sexual presence, and be able to be silly when called upon to do so (must be adolescently smitten by Bottom when he is transformed into an ass); protectress of the Changeling Child and loyal to her court. Please note, there’s potential for physical intimacy with this role.

Needs to be youthful with excellent speaking and movement skills. There’s a sense of mischief who can’t quite get their orders right, easily distracted, loves stirring things up. Philostrate is more constrained and committed to doing their job well; parallels Puck in that they serve a King and Queen.

To play late teens-mid twenties; smaller of stature than Helena;, romantic, poetic, idealistic and feisty; more of a dreamer than Helena, more likely to end up living in a Parisian garret than Helena; bold enough to take matters into her own hands, defy her father (and the Athenian law), and run away to the woods with the man she loves, excellent speaking and movement skills. Please note, there’s potential for physical intimacy with this role.

To play late teens-mid twenties; taller than Hermia, smart–and a real problem solver, always countering Demetrius with an answer or a solution; works tirelessly to overcome obstacles along the path to true love, operates from her head more than she does from her heart (though her heart is clear, pure, and true) but also bold and feisty; excellent speaking and movement skills. Please note, there’s potential for physical intimacy with this role.

To play late teens-mid twenties; of the two young men, the more poetic and romantic; the more likely to become an artist, actor, or poet, might end up living in a Parisian garret; believes that the course of true love never does run smooth, and that he and Hermia–like all lovers of legend and history–are destined to be together because theirs is already a bumpy path; not a practical thinker;

To play late teens-mid twenties; of the two young men, the more rigid and uptight, the more likely to end up a stock broker on Wall Street; the guy dad and mom would choose; certain sense of entitlement; capable of cruelty, but also learns forgiveness late in the game. Excellent speaking and movement skills. Please note, there’s potential for physical intimacy with this role.

The central figure in the subplot involving the craftsmen’s production of Pyramus and Thisbe. Bottom dominates their fellow actors with an extraordinary belief in their own abilities, their love for the theatre and and their comical incompetence. The humor surrounding Bottom often stems from the fact that he is totally unaware of his own ridiculousness. Please note, there’s potential for physical intimacy with this role.

To play late teens-late twenties; as Flute, the youngest of the Mechanicals, more of a boy, a bellows-mender by trade, an inexperienced actor, and very apprehensive about playing a girl (Thisbe) in the play within the play; as Cobweb, strong, and playful, protective of Titania, mistrustful of Oberon and Puck. Good speaking skills, excellent movement skills with the potential for singing. Please note, there’s potential for physical intimacy with this role.

Snug is a cabinet maker, very shy, and an inexperienced actor, does not want to frighten the audience with their impersonation of a lion in “Pyramus and Thisbe”; as Peasblossom: strong, and playful, protective of Titania; mistrustful of Oberon and Puck. Good speaking skills, excellent movement skills with the potential for singing.

Starveling is a tailor, and probably more of a precise fuss-budget than the other Mechanicals, concerned with detail, getting things right, and although not an experienced actor, wants to appear in “Pyramus and Thisbe” in a really good costume. As Moth: strong, playful; protective of Titania; mistrustful of Oberon and Puck. Good speaking skills, excellent movement skills with the potential for singing. Will work alongside a live dog.

Tom Snout is a Tinker (pot and pan repairman) by trade, an inexperienced actor, not a terribly adept memorizer of lines. As Mustardseed, they may be the most acrid of the supernatural attendants to Titania; strong, and playful; protective of Titania; mistrustful of Oberon and Puck. Good speaking skills, excellent movement skills with the potential for singing.

A carpenter and aspiring playwright, leader of the Mechanicals (and, apparently, the Athenian amateur theatrical troupe), patient and caring; kind, shy, and retiring, especially compared and contrasted to their leading actor, Nick Bottom. Good language skills; excellent comic instincts; warm and endearing. The role is potentially doubled with Egeus.

Egeus is presented as an overbearing and controlling father who is a product of his environment within the patriarchal system of Athens, where he is a courtier to the Duke, Theseus. Hermia’s wish to marry her one true love Lysander means nothing to Egeus, who is determined to see Hermia wed his choice of suitor and refuses to let his daughter defy him. The role is potentially doubled with Peter Quince.