PENNSYLVANIA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL 2027 SUMMER THEATRE SERIES — Principal Actors Auditions

PENNSYLVANIA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL 2027 SUMMER THEATRE SERIES - NYC EPA

Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival | Center Valley, PA

Notice: Audition

Call Type: EPA

AUDITION DATE

Monday, September 28, 2026
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM (E)
Lunch 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

CONTRACT

Independent Theatre

CONTRACT

$915 weekly minimum - 2026 rate - Mainstage
$868 weekly minimum - 2026 rate - Schubert

SEEKING

Equity actors for roles in Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival's 2027 Summer Theatre Series (See

BREAKDOWN

).

Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival is committed to hiring actors who reflect the diversity of our world. Actors of all backgrounds, races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, ages, and abilities are encouraged to audition.

All Principal roles will be understudied.

PREPARATION

Please prepare EITHER a short monologue OR a short song from your book OR a 90-second monologue and 32-bars of a song. Auditions should not exceed 2 1/2 minutes total. An accompanist will be provided. Please bring a copy of your headshot and resume.

LOCATION

Actors' Equity New York Audition Center
165 W 46th St
16th Fl
New York, NY 10036

PERSONNEL

Expected to attend:
Connie Behringer: Associate Producer and Festival Casting Director
See

BREAKDOWN

for production specific

PERSONNEL

.

OTHER DATES

See

BREAKDOWN

for production specific dates.

OTHER

www.PAShakespeare.org

EPA Procedures are in effect for this audition. An Equity Monitor will be provided.

Equity's

CONTRACT

s 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.

BREAKDOWN

ABOUT THE THEATER

A leading Shakespeare festival with a recognized national reputation for excellence, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival is a professional theatre company hosted by DeSales University.

Each summer, PSF produces a season of Shakespeare and other classics, musical theatre, and children's theatre. About an hour north of Philadelphia and less than two hours from Manhattan, PSF is the summer home to over 200 artists from around the country, including winners and nominees of the Tony, Obie, Emmy, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Jefferson, and Barrymore awards. PSF is led by Artistic Director Jason King Jones and Managing Director Casey William Gallagher.

OTHELLO

Playwright: William Shakespeare
Performance Space: The Schubert Theatre
Director: Matt Pfeiffer
Pre-Rehearsal Week: 5/4/2027
Rehearsals Begin in Philly: 5/11/2027
Tech: 5/28/2027
Previews: 6/2/2027
Opening: 6/4/2027
Closing: 6/20/2027

Production Note: The rehearsals will be in Philadelphia, and with the spacing and performances at Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival.

Synopsis: Othello has risen through the ranks of the Venetian military on courage, intelligence, and leadership. After secretly marrying Desdemona, he becomes the target of his trusted ensign, Iago, whose manipulation turns jealousy into suspicion, then obsession, then violence. As lies replace truth and loyalty gives way to mistrust, Othello's world collapses. Shakespeare's tragedy examines love, race, power, and the cost of deception.

SEEKING:

Othello – THIS ROLE IS CAST. 30s-40s, General of the Venetian army, a Moor and outsider in Venetian society. Commanding, eloquent, and deeply in love with Desdemona. Descends from confidence into jealous rage under Iago's manipulation. Strong stage presence required.

Iago – THIS ROLE IS CAST. 20s-30s, Othello's trusted ensign, the play's antagonist. Charming, intelligent, and without conscience. Master manipulator who turns every character against each other while maintaining a mask of loyalty. Holds the audience's confidence even while plotting destruction.

Desdemona – 20s, Daughter of Venetian senator Brabantio, newly and secretly married to Othello. Brave, devoted, and outspoken in defense of her marriage. Strength gives way to confusion and fear as Othello turns against her.

Cassio – 20s-30s, Othello's lieutenant, promoted over Iago's head. Charming, well-liked, a bit naive about how he's perceived. Becomes the unwitting tool of Iago's plot against Othello and Desdemona.

Emilia – 30s-40s, Iago's wife and Desdemona's attendant. Loyal to Desdemona, sharper and more clear-eyed than her husband gives her credit for. Delivers the play's reckoning with Iago in the final act.

Brabantio – 50s-60s, Venetian senator and Desdemona's father. Proud, protective, and outraged by his daughter's secret marriage. May double with Duke of Venice or Gratiano.

Roderigo – 20s-30s, A wealthy, lovesick Venetian gentleman pining for Desdemona. Gullible and easily manipulated by Iago, who drains him for money and uses him as a pawn. Comedic undertones with a tragic end.

Bianca – 20s-30s, A courtesan in Cyprus and Cassio's lover. Spirited and quick-tempered, drawn into Iago's scheme without her knowledge.

Duke of Venice, Montano, and Lodovico – 30s-60s, Venetian and Cyprian officials who appear across the play's political scenes. Authoritative, composed. Strong candidates for doubling with each other or with Brabantio and Gratiano.

Gratiano – 30s-50s, Brabantio's brother, accompanies Lodovico to Cyprus. May double with Duke of Venice or Montano.

HAIRSPRAY

Music: Marc Shaiman
Lyrics: Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman
Book: Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan
Performance Space: Mainstage
Director/Choreographer: Ashleigh King
Pre-Rehearsal Week: 5/18/2027
Rehearsals Begin: 5/25/2027
Tech Begins: 6/11/2027
Previews Begin: 6/16/2027
Opening: 6/18/2027
Closing: 7/4/2027

Synopsis: In 1962 Baltimore, plus-size teenager Tracy Turnblad dreams of dancing on the Corny Collins Show. She wins a spot, becomes an overnight sensation, and uses her newfound platform to challenge the show's segregation policy. Along the way, she finds romance, stands up to the reigning queen of teen TV, and rallies her city toward integration. This high-energy musical comedy pairs irresistible 60s pop sound with a genuine message about acceptance and change.

SEEKING:

Tracy Turnblad – Teens, our big-hearted heroine with big hair and bigger dreams. Boundless energy, strong comedic instincts, and a passion for dance. Excellent singer/dancer, carries the show.

Edna Turnblad – 40s-50s, Tracy's mother, traditionally played by a man in drag. Insecure and housebound at the start, blossoms into a confident force by the finale. Strong comedic timing and vocal range required.

Wilbur Turnblad – 40s-50s, Tracy's father and joke-shop owner. Warm, devoted, a little goofy. Strong comedic chemistry with Edna essential.

Link Larkin – Teens-20s, heartthrob lead dancer on the Corny Collins Show. Charming, a touch vain, develops real conscience over the course of the show. Strong singer/dancer.

Penny Pingleton – Teens, Tracy's sheltered, awkward best friend. Quirky and sweet, finds her voice through her romance with Seaweed.

Seaweed J. Stubbs – Teens, Motormouth Maybelle's son and gifted dancer. Confident and charismatic, leads the push for integration on the show. Strong dancer required.

Velma Von Tussle – 40s-50s, ruthless station manager and pageant mom. Glamorous, openly antagonistic, sharp comic villainy. Strong singer.

Amber Von Tussle – Teens, Velma's spoiled daughter and reigning Miss Hairspray. Entitled, Tracy's chief rival.

Motormouth Maybelle – 40s-50s, R&B radio DJ and host of Negro Day. Powerful voice, dignified strength, anchors the show's emotional core. Showstopping vocal feature required.

Little Inez – Pre-teens-teens, Maybelle's daughter and talented dancer. Spirited and fearless.

Corny Collins – 30s-40s, charismatic TV host. Smooth, likable, becomes an ally to Tracy and Seaweed.

Ensemble – Excellent singer/dancer/actor with strong comedic timing. Includes Corny Collins Show dancers, Baltimore residents, and featured specialty roles (Prudy Pingleton, Mr. Pinky, Harriman Spritzer, The Dynamites). Parts and specialties will be assigned.

FAT HAM

Playwright: James Ijames
Performance Space: Schubert Theatre
Director: Lindsay Smiling
Pre-Rehearsal Week: 6/1/2027
Rehearsals Begin: 6/8/2027
Tech Begins: 6/25/2027
Previews Begin: 6/30/2027
Opening: 7/2/2027
Closing: 7/11/2027

Synopsis: At a backyard barbecue in the American South, Juicy grapples with grief, sexuality, and the ghost of his murdered father, who demands revenge. A queer, comic reimagining of Hamlet, Fat Ham trades the Danish court for a family cookout and trades tragedy for the possibility of breaking the cycle altogether. Funny, sharp, and deeply moving, the play asks what happens when a young man refuses to inherit his father's violence.

SEEKING:

Juicy – 20s, our soft-spoken, introspective protagonist, a queer Black man working on an online college degree. Sensitive, witty, and burdened by his father's legacy. Carries the show, real emotional range and sharp comic timing.

Rev / Pap – 40s-50s, Juicy's uncle (and new stepfather), plus the ghost of Juicy's murdered father. Pap is menacing and demanding; Rev is charming on the surface, controlling underneath. Strong vocal presence, commanding physicality.

Tedra – 40s-50s, Juicy's mother, newly remarried to Rev. Vibrant, sensual, fiercely loving toward Juicy though often oblivious to his pain. Strong comedic instincts paired with real emotional depth.

Larry – 20s, Rev's son, a Marine home on leave. Disciplined and guarded on the surface, secretly in love with Juicy. Requires stillness and control, with an undercurrent of longing.

Opal – 20s, Rabby's daughter, queer and unapologetically herself. Sharp-tongued, confident, uninterested in the gender expectations everyone keeps pushing on her.

Rabby – 40s-50s, family friend and Opal's mother, devoutly religious. Comedic, a bit rigid, genuinely loving underneath her judgment.

Tio – 20s, Juicy's cousin and best friend. Goofy, loyal, and unexpectedly wise. Strong comedic timing, grounds the show's heart alongside Juicy.

KING LEAR

Performed in Repertory with NOISES OFF

Playwright: William Shakespeare
Performance Space: Mainstage
Director: Jason King Jones
Pre-Rehearsal Week: 6/4/2027
Rehearsals Begin: 6/11/2027
Tech for King Lear Begins: 7/17/2027
Previews for King Lear Begin: 7/22/2027
Opening for King Lear: 7/24/2027
Tech for Noises Off: 7/9/2027
Previews for Noises Off: 7/14/2027
Opening for Noises Off: 7/16/2027
Closing for Noises Off: 8/7/2027
Closing for King Lear: 8/8/2027

Synopsis: Aging King Lear divides his kingdom among his three daughters, rewarding flattery and banishing the one daughter who loves him honestly. The decision unravels his family, his sanity, and his kingdom, plunging Lear into madness and Britain into civil war. Shakespeare's tragedy is a brutal study of power, loyalty, and the cost of pride, building toward one of the most devastating final acts in the canon.

SEEKING:

King Lear – THIS ROLE IS CAST. 60s-80s, aging King of Britain. Proud, imperious, and undone by his own vanity. Descends into madness over the course of the play. Enormous range and stamina.

Goneril – 30s-40s, Lear's eldest daughter. Calculating, ambitious, ruthless in pursuit of power.

Regan – 30s-40s, Lear's second daughter. Cruel and competitive with Goneril, capable of real savagery.

Cordelia – THIS ROLE IS CAST. 20s-30s, Lear's youngest daughter, banished for refusing to flatter him. Honest, dignified, and devoted despite her exile.

Earl of Gloucester – THIS ROLE IS CAST. 50s-70s, a nobleman with two sons, blind to his own son's treachery until it costs him his sight. Strong emotional range required.

Edgar – 20s-30s, Gloucester's legitimate son, wrongly accused of betrayal. Disguises himself as Poor Tom to survive. Versatile, strong physical and vocal range.

Edmund – 20s-30s, Gloucester's illegitimate son, the play's chief schemer. Charismatic, ruthless, and openly contemptuous of social order. Strong stage presence.

Earl of Kent – 40s-60s, Lear's loyal advisor, banished early for defending Cordelia, disguises himself to continue serving the king. Steady, commanding presence.

The Fool – THIS ROLE IS CAST. Adult, Lear's jester and conscience. Sharp wit, strong comedic timing balanced with genuine pathos. Often doubles or is paired closely with Cordelia in staging tradition.

Duke of Albany – 30s-50s, Goneril's husband, increasingly disturbed by his wife's cruelty. Measured, develops a moral backbone as the play progresses.

Duke of Cornwall – 30s-50s, Regan's husband, brutal and remorseless. Strong physical presence for the play's violent turns.

Oswald – 20s-40s, Goneril's steward, loyal to a fault and willing to do her dirty work. Often doubled.

King of France – 30s-50s, Cordelia's suitor and later husband, recognizes her worth when others reject her. Often doubled.

Duke of Burgundy – 30s-50s, Cordelia's other suitor, withdraws his offer once she's disinherited. Often doubled.

Curan, A Gentleman, A Knight, A Herald, A Doctor, An Old Man – Various ages, supporting roles throughout the court and countryside scenes. Strong candidates for doubling across the ensemble.

NOISES OFF

Performed in Repertory with KING LEAR

Playwright: Michael Frayn
Performance Space: Mainstage
Director: Jennifer Childs
Pre-Rehearsal Week: 6/4/2027
Rehearsals Begin: 6/11/2027
Tech for King Lear Begins: 7/17/2027
Previews for King Lear Begin: 7/22/2027
Opening for King Lear: 7/24/2027
Tech for Noises Off: 7/9/2027
Previews for Noises Off: 7/14/2027
Opening for Noises Off: 7/16/2027
Closing for Noises Off: 8/7/2027
Closing for King Lear: 8/8/2027

Synopsis: A touring theater company struggles to mount a creaky British sex farce called Nothing On, and everything that can go wrong does. Act One shows a disastrous dress rehearsal. Act Two flips the set around to reveal the offstage chaos, jealousy, and sabotage unfolding backstage during a later performance. Act Three shows the show in complete collapse weeks later. A backstage farce about a farce, demanding pinpoint physical comedy and split-second timing.

SEEKING:

Lloyd Dallas – THIS ROLE IS CAST. 30s-50s, the increasingly exasperated director of Nothing On. Dry wit, mounting desperation, caught in the middle of his cast's offstage entanglements.

Dotty Otley – THIS ROLE IS CAST. 50s-60s, plays Mrs. Clackett in Nothing On, an aging actress who's sunk her savings into the production. Warm, scattered, prone to forgetting props and lines alike. Strong physical comedy required.

Garry Lejeune – 30s-40s, plays Roger in Nothing On, Dotty's jealous and excitable boyfriend offstage. Explosive energy, exceptional physical comedy, demands real stamina (notably the staircase and trousers sequence).

Brooke Ashton – 20s-30s, plays Vicki in Nothing On, a self-absorbed young actress who loses her contact lens at the worst possible moments. Deadpan delivery, unwavering commitment regardless of chaos around her.

Frederick Fellowes – 40s-60s, plays Philip Brent in Nothing On, a nervous, nosebleed-prone actor who needs constant motivation for his choices. Gentle, anxious energy, strong comic timing.

Belinda Blair – THIS ROLE IS CAST. 40s-50s, plays Flavia Brent in Nothing On, the company's peacemaker, married offstage but aware of everyone's secrets. Warm, quick, holds the group together.

Selsdon Mowbray – THIS ROLE IS CAST. 60s-70s, plays the Burglar in Nothing On, an elderly actor with a serious drinking problem who keeps vanishing before his cues. Excellent comic timing, scene-stealing presence in small doses.

Tim Allgood – 20s-30s, the company's overworked stage manager, drafted into performing when an actor goes missing. Frantic, good-natured, stretched far too thin.

Poppy Norton-Taylor – 20s-30s, the assistant stage manager, quietly pregnant and quietly devoted to Lloyd. Anxious, eager to please, often overlooked.

THE WINTER'S TALE

Playwright: William Shakespeare
Performance Space: Schubert
Pre-Rehearsal: 7/13/2027
Rehearsals Begin: 7/16/2027
Previews Begin: 7/21/2027
Opening: 7/23/2027
Closing: 8/8/2027

Synopsis: King Leontes of Sicilia is gripped by sudden, baseless jealousy, convinced his wife Hermione has betrayed him with his oldest friend, Polixenes. His rage destroys his family and sets a tragedy in motion, but the play turns toward forgiveness and wonder as time passes, a lost daughter is found, and a statue seems to come to life. Part tragedy, part fairy tale, The Winter's Tale moves from jealousy and loss to reconciliation and grace. Actors for this production will be paid to come to the first rehearsal off-book and will utilize original practices to stage the production themselves.

Many roles will be double cast.

SEEKING:

Leontes – 30s-50s, King of Sicilia, consumed by sudden and irrational jealousy. Commanding presence required, must chart a believable descent into paranoia and a long road toward remorse.

Hermione – THIS ROLE IS CAST. 30s-40s, Queen of Sicilia, falsely accused of infidelity by her husband. Dignified, resilient, must hold the audience's sympathy through public humiliation and years of absence.

Polixenes – 30s-50s, King of Bohemia and Leontes's childhood friend, wrongly accused of betraying him. Warm and reasonable, his friendship with Leontes must feel genuine to make the king's jealousy land as tragedy.

Paulina – 30s-50s, Hermione's fierce and outspoken attendant. Sharp tongue, moral backbone, the one character bold enough to challenge Leontes directly. Strong comedic timing and commanding presence.

Perdita – Teens-20s, Leontes and Hermione's daughter, abandoned as an infant and raised as a shepherdess. Open-hearted, graceful, central to the play's turn toward renewal in the second half.

Florizel – Teens-20s, Prince of Bohemia, Polixenes's son, in love with Perdita despite the difference in their stations. Earnest, romantic, willing to defy his father.

Autolycus – 20s-40s, a charming rogue, pickpocket, and peddler. Excellent comic timing, musicality, and improvisational energy required. Often the audience's favorite.

Camillo – 40s-60s, a loyal Sicilian lord who refuses to murder Polixenes and flees with him instead. Steady, principled, the moral center of the Sicilian court.

Antigonus – 40s-60s, a Sicilian lord ordered to abandon the infant Perdita, met with a famously abrupt end. Gentle, sympathetic, strong physical commitment for the play's most notorious stage direction.

Old Shepherd – 50s-70s, finds and raises Perdita as his own. Warm, plainspoken, strong comedic instincts.

Clown (Young Shepherd) – 20s-30s, the Old Shepherd's son. Goofy, good-natured, strong comic timing.

Time – Adult, the choral figure who narrates the sixteen-year gap between the play's two halves. Commanding vocal presence.