audition notice - LADIES IN WAITING: THE JUDGEMENT OF HENRY VIII - Southwest Shakespeare Company/Tier 5 Theatre Project - February 26 & March 4

Tier 5 Theatre Project presented by Southwest Shakespeare Company
James Cougar Canfield & Hilary Kelman, producers; Mitchell Glass, director;
James Cougar Canfield, playwright

Casting non-equity actors for Ladies in Waiting: The Judgement of Henry VIII.

Synopsis:
What’s a Tudor monarch to do when he has to face all six of his wives in the afterlife?

Ladies in Waiting finds King Henry VIII in a purgatory-like situation, where one by one
he must confront and face off with each of his wives. Through dark humour,
devastating truths, sexy seductions, and powerful revelations, Henry comes face to
face with what his legacy has become: one entirely defined by women.

Production details:
After touring throughout the United States and United Kingdom, Ladies in Waiting is
proud to make its regional theatre debut with Southwest Shakespeare Company. Featuring returning original cast members, James Cougar Canfield as Henry VIII and Hilary Kelman as Catherine of Aragon, directed by Mitchell Glass.

Winner of the 2017 Hollywood Fringe International Award
Nominated for the 2016 Drayton Arms Theatre’s Eddies Award
The Edinburgh, Hollywood, and Capital (D.C.) Fringe Sell Out Drama

Roles

Anne Boleyn Female-identifying, playing age 25-35
English (performer must be proficient in RP dialect or demonstrate skill in learning dialects).
Intelligent, calculating, passionate, unashamed by her desires. She and Henry know how to push each other’s buttons. Her family forced her on an ambitious path, but she has always been determined to take ownership in her promotion. A tough exterior but deeply human.

Jane Seymour Female-identifying, playing age 20-30
English (performer must be proficient in RP dialect or demonstrate skill in learning dialects).
Intelligent, principled in faith and family. While she can be perceived as wholesome or near an ingénue, she is quietly strategic, sweet but with a surprisingly tough core.

Anne of Cleves Female-identifying, playing age 25-35
German (performer must be proficient in a German dialect or demonstrate skill in learning dialects). Intelligent, funny, and possesses an infectious energy. She is able to read a room. She can pick up on the unspoken dynamics, emotions or inner-workings of her surroundings. This is a key attribute that helped her maintain an amicable relationship with Henry. While she defaults to wit and grace, she has a deep vulnerability.

Catherine Howard Female-identifying, playing age 16-25 (all performers must be over 18 years old)
English (performer must be proficient in RP dialect or demonstrate skill in learning dialects).
Younger and received less formal education than the other wives of Henry. She was not raised in court. These circumstances left her at a disadvantage in aspects of her marriage and life, vulnerable and open to exploitation. Naiveté and lack of sophistication aside, she is resourceful in other ways and not to be underestimated.

Katherine Parr Female-identifying, playing age 25-40
English (performer must be proficient in RP dialect or demonstrate skill in learning dialects).
Intelligent, a scholar and writer, twice widowed before her marriage to Henry and eventually became his widow. She is capable of humor but also possesses gravitas and maturity from her life experience.

Henry VIII Has been cast.
Catherine of Aragon Has been cast.

Rehearsal and Production Dates & Locations

First read through March 18, 2018. Rehearsals begin March 24, 2018.
(Most scenes consist of two people, so performers will not be required at every rehearsal.)
Runs April 12-15 & 19-22, 2018 at Taliesin West in Scottsdale, AZ.

Compensation

Pay: $400 stipend

Auditions:
PHX ART LAB II / ASIDE THEATRE
Mercury Building 3508 N 7th St, Suite 130B, Phoenix, AZ 85014 (shares parking lot with Urban Beans)
Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:30-10pm
Sun Mar 4, 2018 6:30-10pm

Callbacks: Mon Mar 5, 2018 6:30-10pm (Performers may be asked to return on this date for a callback or on Sun Mar 4 depending on availability.)

Reserve an appointment at: ladiesinwaitingplay@gmail.com (Headshot/Résumé in attachment please)
Walk-ins are welcome and will be seen at earliest availability.

Please prepare a contemporary monologue no longer than 2 minutes. Performers may be asked to stay to read sides from the play. Please bring a headshot and résumé.

Additional Details

The production contains some moments of intimacy. No nudity or undress is involved. All scenes will be discussed, choreographed, rehearsed, and performed with transparency, openness, agreement, and consent between involved performers, director, and production team.

Age range of characters based on significant/peak times they shared with Henry. Suggested playing age range of cast is between 16-40, but all performers must be 18 or older.