The Acting Company | New York, NY
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 — Actors' Equity New York Audition Center, 165 W 46th St, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10036
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM (E)
Lunch 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Contract: Written by William Shakespeare
Translation: A modern verse translation by Lisa Peterson
Salary: $633 weekly minimum
Directed by: Chika Ike
Producing Artistic Director: Devin Brain
Executive Director of Institutional Advancement: Hillary Cohen
General Manager: Shelley Little
Casting Director: Claire Yenson, CSA
Local NYC actors are encouraged to audition.
Expected to attend: Devin Brain, Producing Artistic Director; Claire Yenson, CSA, Casting Director
Rehearsals (in NYC): April 6 - 26, 2026
NYC School Tour: April 27 - May 17, 2026
Public Performances (in NYC): May 18 - May 24, 2026
Please prepare a short classical monologue of your choosing. Please bring your headshot and resume, stapled together. If you are not able to make the EPA, please email your materials to
submissions.cky.casting@gmail.com.
EPA procedures are in effect for this audition. An Equity Monitor will be provided.
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. Always bring your Equity Membership card to auditions.
The Acting Company develops actors by touring professional theater across America. Founded in 1972 by John Houseman and Margot Harley with the first graduating class of the Drama Division of The Juilliard School, The Company has launched the careers of some 400 actors, including Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, Mary Lou Rosato, Keith David, Rainn Wilson, Lorraine Toussaint, Frances Conroy, Harriet Harris, Lisa Banes, Jeffrey Wright, Hamish Linklater, Jesse L. Martin, Roslyn Ruff, Jimonn Cole, Kelley Curran, among many others, while bringing sophisticated theater to hundreds of communities from coast to coast.
Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, has returned home for his father’s funeral and his mother’s marriage to his uncle Claudius. The ghost of his father appears to him, accusing his brother of his murder and asking Hamlet to avenge him. Hamlet, distrusting the spirit, begins to look for proof of this murder while distracting attention by feigning madness. All the while, his mother and uncle seek to discover what is troubling him, setting his friends to spy on him and trusting their counselor Polonius when he says that Hamlet is in love with their daughter. After Hamlet sets a trap for Claudius—a play showing how Claudius murdered the old Hamlet—he mistakenly murders Polonius. He is exiled to England, where Claudius plans to have him murdered. He escapes this plot, leaving Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to die in his place. Returning home, he discovers that Ophelia, Polonius’ daughter, has committed suicide and that her brother Laertes has sworn vengeance against him. The story climaxes in a fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes, with Hamlet playing a game while Claudius and Laertes plot to kill him (a poisoned blade and a poisoned goblet). Laertes, Hamlet, Gertrude, and Claudius are all killed as the plots are implemented and then exposed, leaving only Horatio, Hamlet’s friend, to tell the tale.
This trunk-show production brings the story into NYC public schools, followed by a week of public performances. A 75-minute cut of the play is brought to riveting life with only the simplest of theatrical devices, the power of Shakespeare’s verse, and the skill of its ensemble. This production is designed to excite and entertain students, letting them see themselves reflected in this most famous of tragedies.
We are seeking a company of flexible, transformative collaborators who are game to portray multiple roles. This is a trunk-show production with limited technical resources and which is performed in close quarters with students of many ages. A strong command of classical text, comfort working with students, and adaptability to new venues are essential.
TRACK 1: He/him, They/Them. Early to mid-20s. HAMLET: The Prince of Denmark. Lost. Angry. In mourning for his father. May portray additional roles as cast.
TRACK 2: She/her, They/Them. Early to mid-20s. OPHELIA: Lady of the Court, daughter of Polonius. Hamlet’s lover. HORATIO: Hamlet’s best friend from school. Will portray additional roles as cast. Actors with strong movement, clown, or dance backgrounds are encouraged to audition.
TRACK 3: She/her. Mid 30s–40s. GERTRUDE: Queen of Denmark. Will portray additional roles as cast.
TRACK 4: He/him. 30s–40s. CLAUDIUS: King of Denmark. Will portray additional roles as cast.
TRACK 5: He/him. Mid to late-20s. LAERTES: Son of Polonius. Will portray additional roles as cast.
TRACK 6: He/Him. 30s–40s. POLONIUS: First counselor to the King and Queen of Denmark. Will portray additional roles as cast.
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