SEQUIM — Auditions for Olympic Theatre Arts’ annual Shakespeare Renaissance Faire, planned late this year, are scheduled for 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
The auditions will be at the OTA main stage at 414 N. Sequim Ave.
The fundraiser showcase, subtitled, “King’s, Queens and Royal Scenes,” will be held Aug. 21-22, performed outdoors in the back parking lot of OTA where an outdoor medieval faire setting will be set up complete with tents, food, a “pub”/beer garden, and entertainers in Renaissance garb.
The main entertainment for this event will be a series of scenes excerpted from the plays of William Shakespeare, all involving scenes with royalty — hence, the kings and queens.
“Some of the richest, most dramatic scenes in the Shakespeare canon are in this showcase,” said Richard Stephens, one of the three co-directors of the seven main scenes being performed.
“These are juicy roles from very familiar shows as well as some plays that are not as well known but have fascinating characters with delicious dialogue.”
Scenes for the showcase include excerpts from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Hamlet,” “King Lear,” “Henry VI,” “Anthony and Cleopatra,” “Henry V” and “A Winter’s Tale.”
Actors wanted
Showcase scenes will be directed by Shakespeare veterans Stephens, Marissa Meek and Tim Thorn.
Actors of all ages (including children), ethnic backgrounds and experience are encouraged to audition.
In Shakespearean tradition, there may be the opportunity for men to play women’s parts — as they did in the time of Shakespeare — as well as women to play men’s parts, as female characters sometimes did in the Bard’s plays.
Besides the roles in the Shakespearean scene showcase, there are additional key roles to be performed during the faire. These include Beefeaters (the armed guards who will escort Queen Elizabeth I), ladies in waiting to Her Majesty, Sonnet purveyors, insult knaves and dueling provocateurs, a town crier and other characters that add color and historical flavor to the royal proceedings.
Those auditioning will be asked to perform readings from some scenes of the play. Any actor who has prepared a monologue of a minute to a minute-and-a-half will be invited to share that as well.
Audition materials, including the scenes that will be used for auditions, are available to preview at olympictheatrearts.org.
Those unable to attend Saturday’s audition but hoping to be considered for a role are encouraged to contact Meek, the showcase co-director, at 562-212-1144 or marissa.l.meek@gmail.com.
Rehearsals will be primarily in the evening with a few rehearsals on Saturday and some work done by Zoom.
OTA is also looking for creative people to fill out the production team. Those interested in helping out behind the scenes with costumes, sets, lights, sound or other creative endeavors are asked to contact OTA. Call 360-683-7326 between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
