Auditions: The Dream, A Musical, Austin Shakespeare: Saturday, February 20 by appointment only

Received directly:

Auditions for Austin Shakespeare:
SHAKESPEARE’S A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM with 1960’s inspired music, directed by Ann Ciccolella

Saturday, February 20, 2010 1:30 pm- 3:30 pm
Blue Theatre, 916 Springdale Road

Actors Equity contracts under SPT 1

Rehearsals begin Sunday, March 28Performances Thursday, April 29 - Sunday, May 30

TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TIME CONTACT: auditions@austinshakespeare.org

Austin Shakespeare warmly encourages actors of all ethnic/racial backgrounds to audition.

Auditioners are asked to prepare a 1- 2 minute speech from any classic or Shakespeare play, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The piece may be memorized or read, but actors should be thoroughly familiar with the text.

Later auditions for The Dream will include singing a 1960’s style song. All characters will have one song.

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All roles are currently open.

THE DREAM’S SITUATION (All language will be from Shakespeare’s original text.)

This is the story of lovers who go into the forest to escape, and become bewitched. The lovers’ songs will be inspired by Beatles-style tunes. The fairies are both benevolent and mischievous – their spirit will be reflected in a harder sound perhaps inspired by the Rolling Stones. The workman/mechanicals are rather goofy and their songs may reference Monkey,The Beach Boys, etc. The leaders of Athens are more traditional types and may reference earlier Rock 'n' Rollers such as Elvis, or Pat Boone. Some double casting including both men and women as faires and Mechanicals.

Entire original script is available at http://shakespeare.mit.edu/midsummer/full.html

[illustration: Faerie Gardians by Howard David Johnson at www.howarddavidjohnson.com]

About the Director: Ann Ciccolella has been artistic director for Austin Shakespeare for the past 2 seasons staging Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and “Much Ado About Nothing,” “Measure for Measure” and Oscar Wilde’s “An Ideal Husband.” Previously, she was Managing Director for Zachary Scott Theatre and executive director for Austin Circle of Theatres. Ann also served as artistic director for ZACH’s Project InterAct, (1996-8) which toured professional productions throughout central Texas. At ZACH, Ann served as stage director for: Cabaret, Vagina Monologues, Full Gallop, Closer, Master Class, and Misery. in Zilker park (1990) she directed Sondheim's Into the Woods, and A Midsummer Night's Dream (1992) for the Austin Shakespeare Festival.

Before moving to Austin, Ann served as associate director for Shakespeare-on-Wheels from the University of Maryland Baltimore Country. For ten years, she led the Renaissance Theater Company as Artistic Director, producing and directing Off Broadway and along the East Coast including an outdoor uncut Romeo and Juliet and Measure for Measure in Washington Square Park, after she graduated from NYU. These days, Ann also leads a professional weekly training for actors and directors, “Shakespeare Studio.”

About AUSTIN SHAKESPEARE

Austin Shakespeare presents professional theatre of the highest quality with an emphasis on the plays of William Shakespeare, bringing to the public performances that are fresh, imaginative, thought-provoking, and eminently accessible, connecting the truths of the past with the challenges and possibilities of today. Celebrating its 25th Anniversary season. Austin Shakespeare is the only professional classic theater company in Central Texas.