A Midsummer Night's Dream

by William Shakespeare
Directed by Kyle Smith

Production Kickoff: March 28, 2023

Audition: April 02, 2023

Performance Dates

June 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, & 24, 2023 at 8:00PM
June 11 & 25, 2023 at 2:00PM

Unless specifically noted, all roles are open to all regardless of race or ethnicity.

  • We will be casting for 10-12 actors of any and all genders to play multiple roles..
  • Actors 18 and older preferred.

  • Theseus – Duke of Athens who doesn't let his impending nuptials stop him from hearing petitions.
  • Hippolyta – Queen of the Amazons, about to wed Theseus after her defeat in combat.
  • Egeus – Father of Hermia, very upset that she wants to marry Lysander and not Demetrius.
  • Hermia – Daughter of Egeus, betrothed to Demetrius, but in love with Lysander.
  • Lysander – Hermia's lover. That about sums it up.
  • Demetrius – Hermia's suitor, formerly Helena's lover. Not the nicest guy in the play.
  • Helena – Hermia's friend, hopelessly in love with Demetrius.
  • Philostrate – Master of the Revels, the government official in charge of all entertainment.
  • Peter Quince – A carpenter and the leader of the mechanicals, in other words: the put-upon director.
  • Nick Bottom – A weaver set to play Pyramus in the mechanicals' play whose aspirations of stardom might make an ass of him.
  • Francis Flute – A bellows-mender who gets the role of Thisbe, much to his consternation.
  • Tom Snout – The tinker who plays the Wall.
  • Snug – A joiner who plays the Lion in the play-within-a-play, much to his relief since he doesn’t have to learn lines.
  • Robin Starveling – The tailor, who plays Moonshine in Pyramus and Thisbe.
  • Oberon – The King of the Fairies, whose marital disquiet with Titania is one of the driving forces of the play.
  • Titania – The proud Queen of the Fairies whose quarreling with Oberon has dire consequences.
  • Puck – Also called Robin Goodfellow, Oberon's servant who nudges the play along with his mischief.
  • Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustardseed – Fairies who attend Titania.

As the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta draws near, all is not well: Hermia and Lysander wish to wed, but Hermia's father wants her to marry Demetrius. Furthermore, Hermia's best friend Helena is in love with Demetrius, but he only has eyes for Hermia. The young lovers flee into the woods hoping to escape their problems, only to be followed by Helena and Demetrius, and all four of them find themselves in the crossfire of the discord between the king and queen of the fairies. Throw in a group of blue-collar workmen trying to mount a play for Theseus and Hippolyta, and you have Shakespeare's classic tale of love, betrayal, and forgiveness.

Kyle Smith is an actor and first-time director. Kyle is a graduate of the Shakespeare & Performance graduate program at Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, Virginia where he added a punch to his "Shakespearean Friars" card, and developed an unhealthy obsession with John Lyly. While at Mary Baldwin, Kyle had the immense privilege of being able to study the original staging conditions of the Early Modern English theater, namely by studying and working in the Blackfriars Playhouse, a recreation of Shakespeare's indoor playhouse and home of the American Shakespeare Center. With a sensibility informed by the energetic performances produced there, Kyle hopes to bring that same enthusiasm to Curtain Players and beyond.

When

  • Production Kickoff: Tuesday, March 28, 2023, 6:30 pm
  • Audition: Sunday, April 02, 2023

Where

Script review, auditions, and performances take place at:
Curtain Players Theatre
5691 Harlem Road, Galena, OH 43021

Curtain Players offers an information session for each of its productions as a help for actors seeking roles, but attendance is not required to audition. The event is an opportunity for actors to become acquainted with the community theatre organization, to discuss the play with the director, and to ask questions about the audition process, rehearsal period, and production plans. Those interested in working behind the scenes are also invited to attend.

Curtain Players conducts open auditions for its productions. Roles are not cast in advance, and, unless specified otherwise in the role's description, are open to all without regard to race or ethnicity. Casting decisions are made by the director and a casting committee comprised of a member of the theatre board, a general member of the organization, and individuals of the director's choosing.

Please be prepared to perform a memorized ten-to-fifteen line monologue of early modern verse in addition to the usual cold readings. We plan to play live music in this show, so any and all musical expertise is greatly welcomed. If you have any, you are encouraged to prepare a thirty-bar excerpt to be performed after your monologue. If you need help selecting a monologue or have questions about performing verse, please reach out to Kyle!

Requests for an early audition for A Midsummer Nights Dream must be made no later than March 19, 2023.

Questions related to the audition process may be directed to production@curtainplayers.org.

Rehearsals will be held (availability dependent) on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:00 pm with a hard stop at 9:00. Early rehearsals will involve coaching in the performance of verse. Monday rehearsals will be devoted to rehearsing the live music performances.

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Curtain Players is an award-winning theater serving the central-Ohio area. We have been routinely recognized by AACT, OCTA, and Theatre Roundtable for our tradition of excellence. Learn more about who we are!