Description:

Sandbox Theatre Collective is holding auditions for Richard II, by William Shakespeare.

The production, co-directed by Em DeMaio & Sam Luis Massaro, aims to be bare-bones where actors will be playing multiple roles, sometimes in the same scene. This is a devised piece and collaboration will be encouraged/needed to build this ensemble. STC’s Richard II is a collective endeavor.

Sandbox Theatre Collective, based in Chicago, is a collective with a shared-ownership structure. STC's mission is to foster a safe and enthusiastic environment for resident artists to pitch their ideas and receive support and funding to help them come to life.

Play synopsis:
"Richard II" by William Shakespeare is a historical tragedy that revolves around the turbulent reign and eventual downfall of King Richard II of England. The play unfolds as Richard's arbitrary and tyrannical rule alienates both nobles and commoners, sparking a rebellion.

Audition details:
Auditions will take place from 1:30pm-8:00pm on Saturday, January 27th at The Edge Theatre (5451 N Broadway, Chicago).

The roles listed below are the characters that are most representative of the tracks. Note: the role of Richard II has been cast.

-Bolingbroke - Strong, optimistic, resolute. Joel from Last of Us meets CJ from West Wing

-Gaunt - Richest in the land, strong willed and loyal. Logan Roy from Succession meets Waymond from Everything Everywhere All at Once

-Duke of York - Persistent, teacher's pet, protective. Wayne Hays in True Detective meets Neal Sampat from The Newsroom

-Mowbray - Fierce, empathetic, restrained. Katherine G. Johnson in Hidden Figures meets Nigel in Devil Wears Prada.

-Northumberland - Transient, analytical, restless. Felicity in The Menu meets Mildred Hayes from Three Billboards

-Aumerle - Loving, rebellious, driven. Jobu Tupaki from Everything Everywhere All at Once meets Rose from Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

-Duchess of Gloucester - Passionate, spiritual, mighty. LuLu from Shucked: The Musical meets Dewey Finn from School of Rock

-Exton - Sly, Quick-witted, sharp. Oberyn Martell from GOT meets Regina from Mean Girls.

In reference to the characters - most we encounter are on the binary and are written with he/him or she/her pronouns. As limiting as the original script is, our casting seeks to be as inclusive as possible. We want each artist to portray the roles in a way that feels truthful to them. Therefore, we encourage you to change the pronouns of a character in the sides to align with the truth you wish to explore, and we will be doing so in rehearsal/production with each actor.

We invite gender non-conforming, genderqueer, transgender, and non-binary actors to read for the roles they most identify with. We strongly encourage actors who identify as a part of the Global Majority to audition. We will list disabilities when specific to a character but are otherwise seeking actors with disabilities as well as non-disabled actors for all roles.

(Language inspired by: Emily Tarquin, Kevin Kantor and Marilee Talkington)

Pay: Revenue Share. Actors will be paid first and equally from monies raised. This production is committed to financial transparency amongst all involved.