MAJESTICPIECE THEATRE PRESENTS: Romeo & Juliet
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Nancy Homan
Adapted by Nancy Homan for the digital stage
Auditions due Monday, November 9 by 5pm
To be performed Saturday, November 21 at 7:30pm on Facebook Live
Readthrough on Thursday, November 12 at 7pm
Rehearsal on Wednesday, November 18 at 7pm
Dress rehearsal Friday, November 20 at 7pm
VIDEO AUDITION SUBMISSIONS DUE NOVEMBER 9 AT 5 PM!
The Majestic Theatre (a division of the City of Corvallis Parks and Recreation Department) is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and to creating a safe place for actors of all backgrounds to explore their craft. We are particularly 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. The Majestic Theatre staff and volunteers do not discriminate on the basis of age, national origin, race, gender, ethnic background, disability, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation.
From the director:
At first glance, Verona might not seem an ideal travel destination. In our current world of plagues, orange skies and murder hornets; who wants to spend more time with a tragedy? I hope you might consider it. This IS Romeo and Juliet. It has all of the things that people remember and love about the play: the balcony scene, the banter, the sword fights, and more. It is also NOT Romeo and Juliet. There is humor and there is hope.
Synopsis:
Our story takes place in present day. A troupe of actors will present a modern-day zoom production of Romeo & Juliet taking place in the City of Verona Italy or maybe Verona, New Jersey during the time of Covid 19. Our feuding Capulets and Montagues are on opposite sides of one of the biggest debates of the day; to mask or not to mask. Everyone in the city of Verona has chosen a side. The rational and responsible Capulets are Team Mask while the independent individualist Montagues are Team Freedom. Our intrepid band of performers try to navigate the challenges of zoom, internet connectivity, and Bob to bring this production to life.
Please choose ONE of the following sides. Record a video on your phone or computer of you reading the side, and email it to homanfpe629@gmail.com by 5PM on Monday, November 9. Feel free to include what role you’re interested in within the body of the email. Some guidelines:
- Perform while seated, trying to frame yourself from the shoulders up. This is what you’ll look like in the video chat during the performance, so we’ll want to see how well you can emote in this limited space.
- Props and costume pieces are encouraged! Whatever you have lying around. Just keep in mind that we can only see your torso and head!
- Actors of any gender, age, race, or ability are invited to audition for any role. We will be casting 13 performers and one Emergency Backup Actor, an understudy for all roles who can hop into the digital performance at any time to cover for another actor who might be experiencing technical difficulties.
- In order to participate in the performance, you’ll need a stable internet connection; a smartphone, computer, or tablet that can run Zoom; and a pair of headphones.
- If you have any questions, feel free to email and ask!
CHARACTERS
DIRECTOR: Zany, stressed- your typical director. They are not super tech-savy and maybe just a little afraid of Bob.
Character Age: Any
Character Race: Any.
Character Ethnicity: Any.
Desired Actor Gender: Any.
BOB: Stage manager for the production, heard off stage over the God Mike.
Character Age: Any
Character Race: Any.
Character Ethnicity: Any.
Desired Actor Gender: Any.
ROMEO: Team Freedom. Son of Montague.
Character Age: Any
Character Race: Any.
Character Ethnicity: Any.
Desired Actor Gender: Any. Character will present as male.
JULIET: Team Mask. Daughter of Jessica Capulet. She’s bored so she decides to sneak out to a costume party at Montague’s. She won’t stay long and everyone will be wearing masks—what could go wrong?
Character Age: Any
Character Race: Any.
Character Ethnicity: Any.
Desired Actor Gender: Any. Character will present as female.
JESSICA CAPULET: Mother of Juliet. Team Mask. The Capulets are one of the oldest and richest families in the city. She is principal of Verona High School.
Character Age: Any
Character Race: Any.
Character Ethnicity: Any.
Desired Actor Gender: Any. Character will present as female
Montague: Father of Romeo. Captain of Team Freedom. The Montagues are another old Verona family but they are not rich. Montague is successful as the owner/operator of Montague’s, a very popular local night spot before Covid closures.
Character Age: Any
Character Race: Any.
Character Ethnicity: Any.
Desired Actor Gender: Any. Character will present as male
Jennifer Capulet: Pediatric nurse. She is Juliet’s Aunt and Jennifer’s sister. She is currently self-isolating from her family in the downstairs portion of Jessica’s house and definitely on Team Mask.
Character Age: Any
Character Race: Any.
Character Ethnicity: Any.
Desired Actor Gender: Any. Character will present as female
Mercutio: Friend to Romeo. Team Freedom. Loyal to his friends and eager to cause a little mischief.
Character Age: Any
Character Race: Any.
Character Ethnicity: Any.
Desired Actor Gender: Any. Character will present as male.
Benvolio: Friend to Romeo. Team Freedom.
Character Age: Any
Character Race: Any.
Character Ethnicity: Any.
Desired Actor Gender: Any. Character will present as male.
ESSENTIAL WORKER: This actor will play every servant, worker, page in the show. In every scene they will have a different job. Definitely Team Mask!
Character Age: Any
Character Race: Any.
Character Ethnicity: Any.
Desired Actor Gender: Any
FRIAR LAURENCE: Team Freedom. He’s not anti-science. He’s a patriot!
Character Age: Any
Character Race: Any.
Character Ethnicity: Any.
Desired Actor Gender: ANY. Character will present as male.
PRINCE/PARIS: These 2 characters will be played by one actor. The Prince is a city authority trying to keep the peace between these two crazy families. Team Mask. Paris is one of the city’s most eligible bachelors but he’s looking for love at the Capulet house.
Character Age: Any
Character Race: Any.
Character Ethnicity: Any.
Desired Actor Gender: Any. Character(s) will present as male.
TYBALT/FRIAR 2: These 2 roles will be played by one actor. Tybalt is a lawyer in the Capulet family. Team Mask. / Friar 2 will step in during the production for zoom mishaps encountered by Friar Laurence. Team Freedom.
Character Age: Any
Character Race: Any.
Character Ethnicity: Any.
Desired Actor Gender: Any. Character(s) will present as male.
Sides
ROMEO:
But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? (Ducks down to be ‘hiding’)
It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!
It is my lady; O, it is my love!
O that she knew she were!
She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that?
Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
I am too bold; 'tis not to me she speaks.
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
See how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!
JULIET:
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy.
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name;
And for that name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.
MONTAGUE:
Welcome, gentlemen! Ladies that have their toes
Unplagu'd with corns will have a bout with you.
Ah ha, my mistresses! which of you all
Will now deny to dance? She that makes dainty,
She I'll swear hath corns. Am I come near ye now?
You are welcome, gentlemen! Come, musician, play.
(WORKER starts or plays music)
More light, you knaves!
(WORKER lights a candle, flips a switch)
And quench the fire, the room is grown too hot.
Ah, sirrah, this unlook'd-for sport comes well.
NURSE:
Now, afore God, I am so vexed that every part about me quivers. Scurvy knave!
Pray you, sir, a word; but first let me tell ye,
if ye should lead her into a fool's paradise, as they say,
it were a very gross kind of behavior, as they say;
for the gentlewoman is young; and therefore, if you should deal double with her,
truly it were an ill thing to be off'red to any gentlewoman, and very weak dealing.
DIRECTOR:
Tybalt draws a knife and he and Mercutio come to blows. Romeo, yelling for Benvolio to help him, steps in between the 2 combatants to try and break up the fight. Under Romeo’s arm, Tybalt stabs Mercutio. Reaching around behind Romeo, he grabs Mercutio by the neck with one hand while pulling his mask down with his knife hand. He licks Mercutio’s face. The looks on his face says it all. If the knife wound won’t kill him, Covid will.
BENVOLIO: (Using visual aids (puppets, white board, etc), BENVOLIO describes the following below)
Tybalt, here slain, whom Romeo's hand did stay.
Romeo, that spoke him fair, bid him bethink
How nice the quarrel was, and urg'd withal
Your high displeasure. All this
Could not take truce with the unruly spleen
Of Tybalt deaf to peace, but that he tilts
With piercing steel at bold Mercutio's breast;
Romeo he cries aloud,
'Hold, friends! friends, part!'
CAPULET:
Monday! ha, ha! Well, Wednesday is too soon.
Thursday let it be- a Thursday, tell her
She shall be married to this noble earl.
Will you be ready? Do you like this haste?
For hark you, Tybalt being slain so late,
It may be thought we held him carelessly,
Being our kinsman, if we revel much.
Therefore we'll have some half a dozen friends,
And there an end. But what say you to Thursday?
MERCUTIO:
O, then I see Queen Mab hath been with you.
She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes
In shape no bigger than an agate stone
On the forefinger of an alderman,
Drawn with a team of little atomies
And in this state she 'gallops night by night
Through lovers' brains, and then they dream of love-
BACK UP FRIAR:
Banish'd the new-made bridegroom from this city;
For whom, and not for Tybalt, Juliet pin'd.
You, to remove that siege of grief from her,
(B FRIAR loses audio and mouths the words to next two lines)
Betroth'd and would have married her perforce
To County Paris. Then comes she to me
Now understanding that their audio has gone out, BACK UP FRIAR continues to mouth their lines but now adds in big gestures and body languge. It’s turning into a game of charades.
BACK UP FRIAR: (mouths)
To rid her from this second marriage,
Or in my cell there would she kill herself.