Description:

In Harken's Hold, England, a Duke prepares for his grand wedding to the future Duchess. Local law states a daughter must obey her father's every command, and that does not sit well with Hermia, whose father insists that she give her hand in marriage to a man she does not love. In defiance, Hermia sets off with the one she truly loves into the neighboring Far Forest, intending to marry him outside of their region's jurisdiction. She swears her dearest friend Helena to secrecy along the way. Helena in turn galvanizes her own bruised heart, for she loves the man Hermia is evading.

As the menagerie of lovers trek deeper into the trees, crossing paths with the woods' enchanted inhabitants and an amateur acting troupe, the Far Forest becomes center stage for pandemonium driven by infatuations both sincere and insincere... and the Forest dwellers do not take kindly to the presence of trespassers and defilers.

This new, musical adaptation of William Shakespeare's beloved play, A Midsummer Night's Dream paints the timeless tale in a fresh, spellbound coat. With heightened fantastical elements paying homage to folklore, no shortage of hilarity, and a multitude of original songs, Helena & Hermia & the Enamored Odyssey explores themes of self-discovery, unrequited love, lost love, and more. Join Helena, Hermia, and The Impostors on a high-flying quest to change fate.

Character Breakdown:
The Impostors Theatre Company desires to work with all kinds of artists. We encourage people of all backgrounds, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, ethnicities, disabilities, and religions to submit for consideration.

THESEUS (25-45, masc, baritone, race non-specific)
The Duke of Harken's Hold. Engaged to be married to Hippolyta. A fantastic narrator. Emblazoned and bold. ALSO PLAYS: OBERON - King of the Fairies.

HIPPOLYTA (25-45, femme, mezzo, race non-specific)
Queen of the Amazons. Engaged to be married to Theseus. Regal, mythical, powerful, and an empath to the nth degree. ALSO PLAYS: TITANIA - The Fairy Queen.

HERMIA (21-35, femme, soprano, race non-specific)
A young woman escaping an unwanted marriage to Demetrius, arranged by her father. Lover of Lysander. Pleased, assured, and loyal.

LYSANDER (21-35, masc, tenor, race non-specific)
Lover of Hermia. Devises a plan with her to escape into the Far Forest to be married outside of the jurisdiction of a law. DEMETRIUS (25-45, masc, baritone, race non-specific)
In love with, but unloved by, Hermia. Follows Lysander and Hermia into the forest in attempts to win her love.

PUCK, the raccoon fairy (25-45, mezzo, race non-specific)
A fairy of the Far Forest. A particularly mischievous sprite who acts as Oberon's lackey.

NICK BOTTOM (25-40, masc, baritone, race non-specific)
A man with three occupations: A good weaver, a serviceable bard, and a shoddy actor. Co-leader of the Mechanicals; an amateur group of thespians.
-EGEUS, the Troll, Hermia's vile-hearted foster father.
-ENRAGED AUDIENCE MEMBER, an impatient American play-viewer.
-PYRAMUS, a character in the play performed at the Duke's wedding.

PETRA QUINCE (25-35, femme, mezzo, race non-specific)
Co-leader of the Mechanicals; she acts as both playwright and director for all of their productions.
-PLEASEBLOSSOM, A Fairy of the Far Forest.
-SERVENT, a servant to Hippolyta.
-MERMAID, a Fish-tailed magical being who dwells in a lake.

FRANCIS FLUTE (21-35, tenor, race non-specific)
A member of the Mechanicals.
-COBWEB, a Fairy of the Far Forest.
-THISBY, a character in the play performed at the Duke's wedding.
-HARKEN KNIGHT 1, a knight dressed in armor, armed with a sword.

ROBIN STARVELING (21-35, tenor, race non-specific)
A member of the Mechanicals.
-MOTH, a Fairy of the Far Forest.
-HARKEN KNIGHT 2, a knight dressed in armor, armed with a sword
-MOONSHINE, a character in the play performed at the Duke's wedding.
-LION, a crudely-constructed puppet operated by Starveling.

TAMSIN SNOUT (25-35, femme, mezzo, race non-specific)
A member of the Mechanicals.
-MUSTARDSEED, a Fairy of the Far Forest
-JULIET, a young girl in the wrong play at the right moment.
-WALL, an object in the play performed at the Duke's wedding.

*The character of HELENA has already been cast.

Audition & Callback Dates:
Auditions will be done by video submission. Please record a 1 minute contemporary monologue using a British RP accent. Additionally, please record 32 bars (or about a minute) of a musical theatre song. If you are able to accompany yourself on an instrument, please do. Otherwise, a backing track works well!

All submissions are due by 5pm (CST) on Saturday, November 16. All tapes submitted before November 16 will be accepted. Please submit your headshot, resume, and video submission to impostorstheatre@gmail.com with the subject "HELENA & HERMIA (YOUR NAME)." Additionally, please fill out the attached audition form found HERE (or below) and send along as a PDF with your required material.

*Callback: Tuesday, November 19, 5PM - 10:40PM (Callbacks will be split into groups. Details are provided on the attached audition form. Actor must be available for part of one of the callback time slots. Time slots will be 5:00PM-6:40PM; 7:00PM-8:40PM; 9:00PM-10:40PM)

*We will try our utmost to fit you in closest to the time slot you request. However, there is no guarantee. Callbacks will be held at:
The Edge Theater, 5451 North Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640.

Pay: There is a $200.00 stipend