Griffith Park Shakespeare Festival 2026 Equity Principal Actors - Independent Shakespeare Co. Auditions

Griffith Park Shakespeare Festival 2026 - LA EPA

Independent Shakespeare Co. | Los Angeles, CA

Notice: Audition Call Type: EPA

AUDITION DATE

LOCATION

Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Actors' Equity Association LA Audition Center
5636 Tujunga Ave
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (P)
North Hollywood, CA 91601
Break: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

PERSONNEL

• Directors: Melissa Chalsma & David Melville
• Playwright: William Shakespeare
• Production & Operations Manager: Gabby Bruno

CONTRACT

LOA: $600 weekly minimum (LOA ref. LORT).

Expected to attend: Melissa Chalsma (Director of Comedy of Errors; Artistic Director, Co‑founder), David Melville (Director of Coriolanus; Managing Director, Co‑founder), and Gabby Bruno (Production & Operations Manager).

SEEKING

Equity actors for roles in Griffith Park Shakespeare Festival's 2026 season (see breakdown). We seek actors who love language plays, want to explore the building blocks of storytelling, and wish to be part of an ensemble whose foundational values are creativity, connection, integrity, excellence, and joy.

ISC’s team on stage and off stage reflects the Los Angeles community and we encourage BIPOC actors to audition. Local Los Angeles actors are encouraged to audition. EPA procedures are in effect for this audition. All roles will be understudied. An Equity Monitor will be provided.

For more information:
www.indieshakes.org

PREPARATION

Please prepare one 2‑minute speech from Shakespeare or any poetic dramatic author. Please bring your headshot and resume stapled together. Always bring your Equity Membership card to auditions.

Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimination. Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to attend every audition.

BREAKDOWN

CORIOLANUS

Aufidius — Male, any age (30s–40s). General of the Volscians and Coriolanus’s great rival — and dark mirror. Where Coriolanus is rigid, Aufidius is adaptable and strategic. Their relationship is charged with obsession, admiration, and homoerotic intensity. This is not a mustache‑twirling villain but a charismatic tactician. Possesses gravitas, intelligence, and a strong physical and emotional connection to Coriolanus.

Menenius Agrippa — Male, any age (50s–60s). A seasoned Roman senator and surrogate father figure to Coriolanus. Witty, political, and deeply pragmatic. He understands people — especially the crowd — in a way Coriolanus never will. Often provides humor, but the role carries real moral weight. Possesses warmth, verbal dexterity, and subtle authority.

Virgilia — Female, any age (30s–40s). Coriolanus’s wife — gentle, private, and emotionally sincere. She represents an alternative life Coriolanus cannot choose: domestic peace over public glory. Quiet but powerful, especially in contrast to Volumnia. Possesses emotional clarity, restraint, and strong listening skills.

The Tribunes (Brutus & Sicinius) — Any gender, any age. Political operatives representing the Roman people. Sharp, strategic, and opportunistic rather than purely villainous. They exploit Coriolanus’s arrogance but do not create it. Often doubled. Comfortable with rhetoric, crowd manipulation, and ensemble play.

COMEDY OF ERRORS

Adriana — Female, any age (30s–40s). Wife to Antipholus of Ephesus. Passionate, intelligent, and emotionally volatile. Fiercely invested in marriage and deeply wounded by perceived neglect. Often read as comic, but the role carries real emotional stakes. Possesses comic power, emotional honesty, and verbal dexterity.

Dromio of Syracuse — Male, any age (20s–40s). Servant twin to Antipholus of Syracuse. Quick‑witted, imaginative, and verbally agile. Often the first to sense something is “off,” though no one believes him. An excellent physical comedian, with strong wordplay, and stamina.

Dromio of Ephesus — Male, any age (20s–40s). Servant twin to Antipholus of Ephesus. Earthier, more cynical, and used to taking abuse — physical and verbal. His comic relationship with his master contrasts sharply with his twin’s. Often doubled with the other Dromio. A fearless physical comedian with sharp comic rhythm.

The Duke of Ephesus — Any gender, any age. Ruler of Ephesus. Authority figure presiding over chaos with increasing disbelief. Often a steady presence amid madness. Possesses composure, clarity, and understated humor.

Courtesan — Female, any age (25–40). Smart, opinionated, and independent. Excellent singing skills a plus.