Description:

CENTERSTAGE in Lake Forest is now accepting video auditions for our early August through mid-September 2024 production of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. Perhaps William Shakespeare's most brilliant comedy, Much Ado About Nothing is the prototypical rom-com. The show abounds in warmth, wit, and wackiness, with some of Shakespeare's most quotable observations on love and affairs of the heart. It has been adapted to the silver screen many times in many forms, including Kenneth Branagh's 1993 classic and the recent "Anyone But You," starring Sydney Sweeney.

SEEKING 12 actors of all body types, ethnicities, genders, etc. to audition for the following roles:

DON PEDRO: kindly Prince of Aragon; a successful military commander; likes to play matchmaker (age 30's-50's).

DON JOHN: Don Pedro's silent, surly, saturnine, envious, malicious, and melancholic bastard (both base-born and evil!) younger brother; resents being in Don Pedro's "shadow"; "a plain-dealing villain" (20's-40's).

BENEDICK: a confident, mirthful, witty lord of Padua; "of a noble strain, of approved valor and confirmed honesty," but an unsentimental misogynist (woman-hater); foil to Claudio. "He hath twice or thrice cut Cupid's bowstring, and the little hangman dare not shoot at him" (30's-50).

CLAUDIO: a gallant, impulsive young lord and "proper squire" of Florence; a somewhat conventional "Monsieur Love"; possessed of the "May of youth and lustihood"; is enamored of Hero (20's).

BORACHIO: villainous follower of Don John; has won the favor of Hero's gentlewoman Margaret and uses this relationship in plotting with Don John to ruin Hero's reputation and upset wedding plans with Claudio (20's-40's).

FRIAR FRANCIS: a sensible, helpful priest who suggests the plan for re-establishing Hero's wounded reputation; the local voice of reason (40's-60's).

BEATRICE: unconventional niece of Leonato/a; "dear Lady Disdain"; "a pleasant-spirited," witty "Lady Tongue," but one who on occasion "speaks poniards and every word stabs"; strong minded and passionate in her beliefs, she says she scorns all men ans will not marry until God makes men "of some other metal than earth" (30's-40's).

HERO: "Leonato[a]'s short daughter"; sweet, mild, loving; but still fun, with a sense of humor; foil to the "wise-cracking" Beatrice (20's). URSULA: gentlewoman attending on Hero; like Hero, she is milder of temper, but also fun-loving (20's).

CONSTANCE: gentlewoman attending on Hero; ambitious social climber; secret mistress to Don John (late 20's-early 30's).

LEONATO or LEONATA: impulsive, caring Governor of Messina; may be played by a male or female (30's-50's).

ANTONIO or ANTONIA: Leonato/a's devoted, supportive brother or sister; may be played as a male or female (30's-50's).

Pay: $100 Stipend, plus a profit-sharing bonus.