LOVE'S LABOR'S LOST Equity Principal Auditions - The Public Theatre/NY Shakespeare Festival Auditions

LOVE’S LABOR’S LOST – Equity Principal Auditions

The Public Theater/NY Shakespeare Festival (NYC) LORT; $765/week minimum

A New Musical. Songs by Michael Friedman
Book Adapted by Alex Timbers
Based on the play by William Shakespeare

Directed by Alex Timbers

The Public Theater/Delacorte

Casting by Jordan Thaler/Heidi Griffiths

First Rehearsal: 6/17/13. Runs: 7/23/13 - 8/18/13 at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park

This irreverent musical spin on Shakespeare’s classic tale introduces us to the debonair, super-eligible King and his old college buddies, who have gathered in a resort for their five year college reunion. When they cross paths with the Princess and her friends, the two camps quickly enter into a hormone-driven battle of wits and genders. Banter flies as chaos and comedy ensue.

We are aggressively seeking to cast a diverse company. We welcome actors of all cultures, ages, disabled and non-disabled.

SEEKING:

THE KING:

Mid 20’s. Handsome a study in elegance and sophistication. He has all the breeding of a natural leader, as well as the overdeveloped sense of entitlement that comes with being royalty. Torn between his desire to be a strong-willed adult, and the more mercurial, compelling desires of youth. His quest for knowledge is inspired by a need to find his true self. Baritone.

BEROWNE:

Mid 20’s. Attractive and rakish. Sexy. Sees himself as an upper middle class everyman. Possesses an extremely quick wit and even sharper tongue—but too often he uses his wit to protect himself from vulnerability and lingering self-doubt. Longs to live life to the fullest. Cynical and skeptical in his views of love, until he meets his match. High baritone or tenor to solid A.

PRINCESS:

Mid 20’s. Lovely, sophisticated, and very intelligent. Sent by her father to negotiate with the King, she can match him, or any of the men in wit and intelligence. Smart, capable, and independent, but also has a fun loving side, which manifests when she’s with her girlfriends. Having been burned by love before, she’s skeptical of any expressions of genuine romantic affection. Pop belt to B, mix higher.

ROSALINE:

Mid 20’s. Clever, witty and extremely intelligent with a huge heart. She is a perfect foil—and the perfect match—for the cynical Berowne. While the others all seem reluctant to grow up, and would prefer to dance around their feelings for one another, she’s tired of playing silly games, and longs for something more substantial. A voice of honesty and reason with her friends. Pop belt to B, mix higher.

MARIA:

Mid 20’s. A classmate and friend of Rosaline & the Princess. Good-natured and incredibly earnest, without a trace of irony. A good and loyal friend. Seeking an actress with great comedic skills and the smart to play a character who is sweet and simple, and always a couple of beats behind her friends. Pop belt to B, mix higher.

BOYET:

30’s. The ladies’ stylish and smartly-dressed chaperone. Metrosexual. A scenester. Escorts the ladies to their balls and galas. Too opinionated to simply carry out his required tasks, his constant editorializing makes him the object of ridicule. But underneath his quips and social scheming, he’s an outsider who longs to fit in. High Baritone/Tenor, to G.

DULL:

40’s. The local Sheriff whose name says it all. A little slow on the uptake, but a diligent and dedicated worker. Unflappable—knock him down and he’s back for more. Resentful of the wealthy college kids and their pervading sense of entitlement. Baritone to F.

COSTARD:

early to mid 30’s. A bartender and local fixture. Tall, lithe, sexy, carefree burn-out. A bit of a weirdo. Always up for a good time, plays bongos, wears Hawaiian shirts and listens to Jimmy Buffett. But appearances are deceiving—he may seem like everyone’s buddy, but he sees everything that happens in this sleepy college town, and knows everyone’s secrets. Baritone to F or higher.

JAQUENETTA:

late 20s-early 30s. A waitress in the local bar. Blunt. Practical. The object of desire. Beneath her tough exterior she’s a closet romantic. Had big hopes of getting out of this small town, but as she gets older it’s looking like less and less likely. There's a growing sadness within her. Belt to C#.

HOLOFERNES:

40’s-60’s. Female. A university professor. She is a pompous, egotistical comic braggart, filled with joyous academic theories and a grand misguided sense of relevance. She rules the college campus. A role for an actress with strong comedic skills. Character voice.

NATHANIEL:

Late 30’ – early 40’s. Another university professor and Holofernes’ protégé. He is a good-hearted soul, who is obsessed with Holofernes and esoteric rhetoric. Character voice.

The following roles have been CAST. Actors auditioning will be considered for possible replacements if needed.

DUMAINE:

Mid 20’s. A classmate and member of the King’s tight-knit social circle. Preppy, neurotic, uptight. He has a tendency to focus so hard on his particular goals that he can’t see the forest for the trees. Classic old-school Ivy-League. A bit of a nerd. {CAST}

LONGAVILLE:

Mid 20’s. A classmate and member of the King’s tight-knit social circle. A classic “bro.” Confident, cocky, possessing a wry sense of humor and no end of swagger. He’s a charmer and a lady-killer, and is always chasing after women. {CAST}

KATHERINE:

Mid 20’s. A classmate and friend of Rosaline & the Princess. A bone-dry, bitingly deadpan sense of humor. She has a quip for everything. A bit of a stoner. {CAST}

DON ARMADO:

Mid 20’s. A former international student, his father is an important and wealthy Spanish Duke. Never part of the in-crowd, he still yearns for their acceptance. Has the romantic heart of a poet, and an over-the-top, flamboyant spirit that opens him up to ridicule. Dreams and loves with abandon. In love with Jaquenetta. {CAST}

MOTH:

18+, to play age 17. Armado’s young servant. A quick-witted, observant smart-aleck. A verbal trickster with a borscht-belt comic’s sense of timing and delivery, who can run circles around his master with his world-play. {CAST}