In collaboration with Brevity Shakespeare

Directed by Karl Sikkenga

 Auditioners! Welcome!
Please be prepared to perform one of the five monologues below.
You can memorize it, but you don’t have to.
You will also be asked to do some scene reading with other auditioners.
Hooray Shakespeare!

Callbacks will consist of readings from the script.
Please complete the online form prior to attending auditions if possible.
Paper forms and conflict calendars will also be available at auditions.

NOTE: Rehearsals will generally take place Sunday through Thursday at 7:00 pm.

AUDITION DATES
Sunday, August 17 7-9 pm
Monday, August 18 7-9 pm
Callbacks (if needed) Wednesday August 20 7-9 pm
Riverside Arts Center, 76 N. Huron, Ypsilanti, MI 48197

PERFORMANCE DATES
November 13-16 & 19-22, 8 shows at the Riverside Arts Center:
Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays at 7:30pm
Sunday 11/16 & Wednesday 11/19 matinees at 2pm

SYNOPSIS
Othello is a general in the United States Army. He is newly married to Desdemona. Othello’s aide-de-camp, Iago, sets out to destroy Othello by convincing him that Desdemona is cheating on him with Cassio, a dashing lieutenant. Iago’s wife, Emilia, has her suspicions.

This is a Shakespearean tragedy, so it doesn’t end well for anyone.

CHARACTERS
Our production of Othello is set in San Francisco and Santa Catalina, California, in 1881.

All characters except Duke and Brabantio are involved in some stage combat. Othello and Desdemona share physical intimacy onstage, and that's even before he smothers her to death.

Iago. Officer in the United States Army. Married to Emilia. 210 lines. Any race, any gender, any age.
Othello. General in the United States Army. Married to Desdemona. 201 lines. Black, male, late 20s and up.
Desdemona. A highborn lady. Married to Othello. 135 lines. Any race, female, younger than Othello.
Emilia. Maid to Desdemona. Married to Iago. 82 lines. Any race, female presenting, any age.
Cassio. Officer in the United States Army. 82 lines. Any race, probably male, any age.
Roderigo. A rich dandy. Sweet on Desdemona. 43 lines. Any race, probably male, any age.
Brabantio. Wealthy widow. Mother to Desdemona. 25 lines. Any race, female presenting, older.
Duke. Commanding officer in the United States Army. 24 lines. Any race, probably male, older.
Bianca. Owner and proprietor of the Shady Brady saloon. 19 lines. Any race, probably female, probably young.
Armino. Attendant to Othello and Desdemona. 17 lines. Any race, any gender, any age.
Montano. Sheriff and Governor of Santa Catalina Island. 17 lines. Any race, any gender, any age.
Lodovico. Officer in the United States Army. Cousin to Brabantio. 16 lines. Any race, any gender, any age.
Lorenzo. Officer in the United States Army. 10 lines. Any race, any gender, any age.
Gratiano. Soldier in the United States Army. 9 lines. Any race, any gender, any age.
Tosca. Piano player at the saloon. 3 lines and a lot of piano playing. Any race, any gender, any age.

MONOLOGUE OPTIONS

What judgment shall I dread, doing no wrong?
The pound of flesh which I demand of him
Is dearly bought; ‘tis mine, and I will have it.
If you deny me, fie upon your law:
There is no force in the decrees of Venice.
I stand for justice. Answer: shall I have it?
Merchant of Venice

Know, sir, that I will not wait pinioned at
Your master’s court. Shall they hoist me up
And show me to the shouting varletry
Of censuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt
Be a grave to me! Rather i’ th’ Nile’s mud
Lay me stark naked! Rather make my
Country’s high pyramids my gibbet,
And hang me up in chains!
Antony and Cleopatra

Come gentle night, come loving black-brow’d night,
Give me my lover; and when he shall die
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night,
And pay no worship to the garish sun.
O, I have bought the mansion of a love, but not possess’d it.
Romeo and Juliet

They told me here at dead time of the night
A thousand fiends, a thousand hissing snakes,
Ten thousand swelling toads, as many urchins,
Would make such fearful and confused cries
As any mortal body hearing it should straight fall mad.
No sooner had they told this hellish tale,
But straight they told me they would bind me here
And leave me to this miserable death.
Titus Andronicus

I will be horribly in love with her. I may chance have
Some odd quirks and remnants of wit broken on me
Because I have railed so long against marriage:
But doth not the appetite alter? A man loves the meat
In his youth that he cannot endure in his age. No.
The world must be peopled. When I said I would die
A bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married.
Much Ado About Nothing  

In reference to character descriptions: We will list race/ethnicity when specific to the character but are otherwise seeking all races and ethnicities and encourage actors of all types to audition. Additionally, most characters we encounter currently are on the binary and are written with he/him or she/her pronouns and you will see that in the descriptions. However, our casting seeks to be as inclusive as possible and we invite gender non-conforming, genderqueer, transgender and non-binary actors to submit for the roles they most identify with. Also, we will list disability when specific to a character but are otherwise seeking actors with disabilities as well as non-disabled actors for all roles.