Theater Casting Call for "Arcadia" Play
ONLY LOCAL TALENT WILL BE ACCEPTED. Searching for performers for production of "Arcadia". Please, see the details below. About the play: Moving back and forth between 1809/1812 and post-Thatcher Britain (1990s), Arcadia takes place at the Coverley family estate. In 1809, the grounds are being landscaped into picturesque gardens that include a hermitage. They follow the brilliant Thomasina (who ages from 13 to 16) and her tutor Septimus as they discuss mathematics, science and the nature of sexuality and romance. In the modern-day timeline, Coverley family descendants and scholars try to unearth the truth about a possible scandal at the estate – that may have involved Lord Byron. Often called “a play for thinkers,” the production will focus on the heart – telling the story simply and honestly and focusing on the relationships between the characters. Arcadia weaves a spectacular story that will not only touch the mind but also the heart. Rate: Those auditioning must be non-Equity performers and understand that this is a non-paying production. They do not enter into any contracts or agreements with CAEA or ACTRA. Additional information: Thefirst read-through will be held on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 7:30 pm. Most rehearsals will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings (7:30-10:30 pm) and Sunday afternoons (1:30-5:30 pm) beginning Sunday, March 22, 2026. Some rehearsals and all performances are in Scarborough. Additional rehearsals may be added as directors move closer to the production opening, especially the week of opening. On the form that directors send you before you audition, you will need to list ANY potential conflicts with rehearsals or performance times. Auditions must be booked in advance. When applying, please indicate the role in which you are interested. Auditions are booked in 10-minute slots.
10 role s
(1800s): the lady of the house in the early 1800s, she can be forthright, romantic, imperious, foolish, set in her ways… often all in rapid succession
1990s: an author and academic (although less rigorously academic than Bernard or Valentine), she is caught up in her own world of research and doesn’t always relate well to others; she may come off as “cold,” but she’s really just how circumstances have shaped her and she is certainly passionate about her research.
The daughter of the house in the 1990s, she is “less serious” than the other characters around her, but she certainly pursues her interests rigorously.
1800s: tutor to Thomasina Coverly, a romantic character who is idealized and who has relationships with (at least) two women of the household and feels deeply enough to become the hermit of Sidley Park.
Butler at Sidley Park, responsible in his duties but enjoys indulging in gossip
A failed poet with a performative sense of honor but a guilelessness that allows him to be easily distracted.
A captain in the Royal Navy and brother to the lady of the house, he is more primarily with (distracting from) his amorous adventures.
Landscape architect at Sidley Park, strongly committed to romantic ideals as opposed and overturning the classical, maybe a bit of a “blowhard”.
(Mostly he is slightly older than Hannah, 1990s): a don at Oxford, vain, self-important and academically ambitious – to the point of being a bit of a peacock – he allows his belief in his own (incomplete) work to silence the doubts of others… to his own downfall.
A contemporary academic, possibly somewhat shy and effacing or possibly just too self-involved to relate well with others.
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