OPEN AUDITIONS - As You Like It

As You Like It

By William Shakespeare

Conceived by Sarah Sheldrick

Directed by Harriet Owen-Nixon

Script adaptation by Rachel Kohler

Music provided by The Flatt Stanley Incident

Open Auditions: May 19 and 20

Rehearsal Timeframe: May - July

Evening Performances (6:30pm): July 12, 13

Content Label: G

This theatre is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and to creating a welcoming place for actors of all backgrounds to explore their craft. We are eager to work with artists of color and other artists from marginalized communities. All auditions are free and open to the public. This audition is for an amateur, volunteer production. Theatre staff and volunteers do not discriminate on the basis of age, national origin, race, gender, ethnic background, ability, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or any protected class.

Auditions will be held in person at the Majestic Theatre.

SHOW SYNOPSIS

A wistful tale of exile, disguise, love, and reconciliation. Duke Senior, the rightful ruler of the nation, has been exiled to the Forest of Arden by his usurping brother Duke Frederick. While Frederick allows Senior’s daughter Rosalind to remain at court to please his own daughter Celia, eventually his patience wears thin, and he banishes her as well. Celia, unable to bear the thought of being separated from Rosalind, goes with her, and the two of them assume disguises to aid in their escape—Celia becomes the shepherdess Aliena; Rosalind, the gallant young man Ganymede. Meanwhile, the haughty Lord Oliver similarly exiles his younger brother Orlando. Everyone ends up in the idyllic Forest of Arden, where the powers of love (and music!) triumph over bitter jealousies, mistaken identities, and thwarted affections to achieve restoration and reconciliation.

FROM THE DIRECTOR, Harriet Owen-Nixon

We are excited to take this show on the road, literally, and we hope you will join us!

Performances will be at Starker Arts Park in Corvallis, a beautiful park with a lovely amphitheater; lush green grass, trickling water, meandering walkways, adorable ducks, and now featuring Shakespearean actors.

We would love to see you at auditions. If you have ANY questions or want to chat about this upcoming adventure, please email me at h.owen.nixon@gmail.com; I am very happy to discuss concerns or share some of the wonderful ideas we have.

Let’s play in the park with friends!

PREPARATION NOTES

No need to prepare a reading/monologue, just bring your lovely self, clad in comfortable clothes, and ready to move, do some Shakespeare, and enjoy connecting with some fellow humans.

CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS

All characters do not have a specific race or ethnic background; we're excited to see a diverse pool of actors audition for all roles. Ages listed are the approximate ages of the characters themselves. We invite actors ages 15 and up to audition for any role. Actors with any degree of mobility are invited to audition for all roles; character movements will be adapted to the comfort of the actor cast in the role.

Orlando

Character Age: 20s-30s

Character Race: Any.

Character Ethnicity: Any.

Character Gender: Male-presenting

Desired Actor Gender: any

Ability/movement/intimacy: Some choreographed intimacy with the actor playing Rosalind.

Line Burden: Heavy

Character Description: Orlando is the younger brother of Oliver who falls madly in love with Rosalind at first sight. Chivalrous, dashing, and impetuous.

Oliver

Character Age: 20s-30s

Character Race: Any.

Character Ethnicity: Any.

Character Gender: Male-presenting

Desired Actor Gender: any

Ability/movement/intimacy: Some choreographed intimacy with the actor playing Celia.

Line Burden: Medium

Character Description: Oliver is Orlando’s older brother, the heir to their father’s estate. For reasons even he can’t articulate, he hates his younger brother. Spiteful and unkind . . . until he isn’t.

Adam

Character Age: 40+

Character Race: Any.

Character Ethnicity: Any.

Character Gender: Male-presenting

Desired Actor Gender: any

Ability/movement/intimacy: nothing specific, just be ready to have some fun.

Line Burden: Light; may be doubled

Character Description: Adam is a servant who has been employed by Orlando’s family for many years. Likes Orlando way more than Oliver. Generous and loyal.

Charles

Character Age: 20s-40s

Character Race: Any.

Character Ethnicity: Any.

Character Gender: Male-presenting

Desired Actor Gender: any

Ability/movement/intimacy: Some very light choreographed combat.

Line Burden: Light; may be doubled

Character Description: Charles is a famous wrestler, come to court to entertain Duke Frederick. Oliver tries to get him to kill Orlando through the power of the suplex. Cocky and strong.

Rosalind

Character Age: 20s-30s

Character Race: Any.

Character Ethnicity: Any.

Character Gender: Female-presenting

Desired Actor Gender: any

Ability/movement/intimacy: Some choreographed intimacy with the actor playing Orlando.

Line Burden: Heavy

Character Description: Rosalind is the daughter of Duke Senior, the cousin of Celia, and is madly in love with Orlando. She spends most of the play disguised as a young man called Ganymede. Sassy and bold with a streak of melancholy. 

Celia

Character Age: 20s-30s

Character Race: Any.

Character Ethnicity: Any.

Character Gender: Female-presenting

Desired Actor Gender: any

Ability/movement/intimacy: Some choreographed intimacy with the actor playing Oliver.

Line Burden: Heavy

Character Description: Celia is the daughter of Duke Frederick and the cousin of Rosalind. She is fiercely devoted to Rosalind. She spends most of the play disguised as a shepherdess called Aliena. Eventually marries Oliver. Kind and devoted, likes to tease.

Touchstone

Character Age: 18+

Character Race: Any.

Character Ethnicity: Any.

Character Gender: Any; pronouns can be changed.

Desired Actor Gender: any

Ability/movement/intimacy: Some very light choreographed combat.

Line Burden: Medium

Character Description: Touchstone is the jester at Duke Frederick’s court. Loves to banter. Witty and a charmingly annoying.

Le Beau

Character Age: 20+

Character Race: Any.

Character Ethnicity: Any.

Character Gender: Any; pronouns can be changed

Desired Actor Gender: any

Ability/movement/intimacy: Some very light choreographed combat.

Line Burden: Medium

Character Description: Advisor to Duke Frederick. Big wrestling fan. Not nearly as mean as his boss.

Duke Frederick

Character Age: 40+

Character Race: Any.

Character Ethnicity: Any.

Character Gender: Male-presenting

Desired Actor Gender: any

Ability/movement/intimacy: Some very light choreographed combat.

Line Burden: Medium

Character Description: Usurped his brother Duke Senior, banishes his niece Rosalind, yells at his daughter Celia. Generally not a nice guy until he repents his evil ways at the end of the play.

Duke Senior

Character Age: 40+

Character Race: Any.

Character Ethnicity: Any.

Character Gender: Male-presenting

Desired Actor Gender: any

Ability/movement/intimacy: Some very light choreographed combat.

Line Burden: Medium

Character Description: Banished by his brother Duke Frederick before the play starts, he’s been happily camping out in the woods with his loyal lords ever since. Father to Rosalind. Kind and gallant, inspires loyalty.

Amiens

Character Age: 20+

Character Race: Any.

Character Ethnicity: Any.

Character Gender: Any; pronouns can be changed

Desired Actor Gender: any

Ability/movement/intimacy: singing will be involved -  fair warning, could be good or could be bad, just know Amiens will be singing

Line Burden: Light; may be doubled; may have to learn some songs

Character Description: One of Duke Senior’s loyal followers. Musically inclined.

First Lord

Character Age: 20+

Character Race: Any.

Character Ethnicity: Any.

Character Gender: Any; pronouns can be changed

Desired Actor Gender: any

Ability/movement/intimacy: Singing will be involved -  fair warning, could be good or could be bad, just know Amiens will be singing

Line Burden: Light; may be doubled

Character Description: One of Duke Senior’s loyal followers.

Corin

Character Age: 40+

Character Race: Any.

Character Ethnicity: Any.

Character Gender: Any; pronouns can be changed

Desired Actor Gender: any

Ability/movement/intimacy: There might be a little choreographed jig, nothing fancy, but fun

Line Burden: Medium; may be doubled

Character Description: A shepherd living near the Forest of Arden. Helps Celia and Rosalind buy and tend a farm. Grandfatherly and kind.

Silvius

Character Age: 20s-30s

Character Race: Any.

Character Ethnicity: Any.

Character Gender: Male-presenting

Desired Actor Gender: any

Ability/movement/intimacy: Some choreographed intimacy with the actor playing Phoebe.

Line Burden: Medium; may be doubled

Character Description: A shepherd living near the Forest of Arden. Madly in love with the shepherdess Phoebe. Kind of a limp noodle.

Jaques

Character Age: 20+

Character Race: Any.

Character Ethnicity: Any.

Character Gender: Any; pronouns can be changed

Desired Actor Gender: any

Ability/movement/intimacy: nothing unusual, just a pungent air of melancholy and disdain

Line Burden: Heavy

Character Description: One of Duke Senior’s loyal followers. A melancholy courtier given to long, philosophical speeches that greatly amuse Duke Senior. Takes themselves VERY seriously.

Phoebe

Character Age: 20s-30s

Character Race: Any.

Character Ethnicity: Any.

Character Gender: Female-presenting

Desired Actor Gender: any

Ability/movement/intimacy: Some choreographed intimacy with the actor playing Silvius.

Line Burden: Medium; may be doubled

Character Description: A shepherdess living near the Forest of Arden. Silvius is in love with her, but she is scornful of his advances. Then she falls in love with Rosalind, thinking she’s a man. Eventually comes around to marrying Silvius.