


AUDITION INFO

AUDITION SUBMISSIONS
Audition submissions are being accepted for the spring production of SOMETHING ROTTEN. This production will engage 35% of the cast under the Equity DOT Agreement and all others through honourarium as is the practice of The Shakespeare Company.
Commitment information can be found below.
Submission Deadline is October 15, 2023.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
Minstrel
Male, mid 20s to 40s. Seeking a charismatic actor with a thousand faces. The Minstrel will not only sing the opening number, but also play almost ALL of the side characters throughout the show, including SHYLOCK (an old Jewish moneylender), LORD CLAPHAM (a flamboyant theatre producer) and a handful of other small parts. (Baritone)
Nick Bottom
Male, mid 20s to late 30s. A struggling renaissance writer at the end of his rope. Nigel’s older brother. Incredibly jealous of the success of William Shakespeare and will do anything to beat him. Seeking a great comedic actor who sings, tap dance skills a plus. (Baritone)
Nigel Bottom
Male, mid 20s to 30s. Nick’s younger brother. A sweetly naive young writer and poet, perhaps a little awkward. He falls in love with Portia and ultimately finds confidence in himself through art and love. Seeking a great comedic actor who sings very well. (High baritone/tenor)
William Shakespeare
Male, mid 20s to 30s. A renaissance rock star. Think Mick Jagger or James Brown. Seeking a comedic actor with a killer pop/rock voice, tap dance skills a plus. (Rock tenor)
Thomas Nostradamus
Male, 40s to 60s. A soothsayer who almost sees the future correctly. A bit loony. He predicts that Nick and Nigel will write a musical. Seeking a comedic actor who sings and moves very well. (Baritone)
BEA
Female, mid 20s to 30’s. Nick’s wife and “Right Hand Man”. She loves and supports him despite his questionable decision making and lack of success. Bea resorts to dressing up like a man to make ends meet and to prove to Nick she can be an actor. Seeking a comedic actress who sings very well. (Belter)
Portia
20’s to 30’s Female. An adorably quirky Puritan girl whom Nigel meets on the street. They fall madly in love with each other over their mutual love for Shakespeare and poetry. Seeking a great comedic actress who sings very well. (Youthful soprano with a strong mix)
Brother Jeremiah
Male, 40s to 50s. Portia’s father. A Puritan with deeply repressed homoerotic tendencies. He despises playwrights, poets and all things ungodly. Seeking a great comedic actor who sings.
Ensemble
Various ages / ethnicities. Seeking traditional dancers and quirky character types who are strong singers and dancers (tap is an assett).
We have now closed our 2023/24 Auditions.
We thank everyone who has submitted for consideration.
If you made a submission, the following are key dates to know:
MUSIC MAN CALLBACKS - date to be determined
MISCAST - Candidates will be contacted in the fall
Casting is a tricky process, and many decisions are made in the days following the callbacks.
Everyone will be contacted, regardless of their acceptance into a show or callback, by the end of our process.


WHY NOT PAY THE ACTORS?
We are committed to our emerging artists and giving them a platform to learn and grow.
Paid contracts ARE NOT offered to our performers in our shows.
We encourage all our artists looking to take that next step to paid theatre contracts to do so with the many professional theatres in and around Alberta and beyond. We wish them all the best in their pursuit. We also welcome them to take part in our season, to continue to learn and grow until the time comes that they can pursue this craft full-time.
We feel our actors are being given an opportunity to network and elevate themselves to their next level of success. Our mandate is to offer a quality production experience by engaging working theatre professionals off stage to provide "on-the-job training," thus bridging the gap between the emerging and professional communities. We have seen the benefits of this setup and watched many of our actors move on to professional careers in theatre and film.
StoryBook should be considered an opportunity to learn and grow. Therefore, we put focus on our ability to provide an opportunity to our artists in a variety of ways, such as:
Free Professional Workshops
Opportunities for growth and learning beyond production are few and far between. Therefore, anyone cast in an SBT production will be invited to take part in what could be weekly FREE professional development workshops, like "accounting for artists", "improv", "how to ace a dance call", and "audition workshops", to name a few.
Matinee Bursary
Once cast in a show, a drawback may be your need to take time off from your regular job to do our shows. Each production will be limited to a select number of matinee bursaries, and submission for this bursary should not be contingent on your participation in a show.
We focus on supporting the emerging in their artistic growth and learning and ensuring that StoryBook is a stepping stone in their theatre development and not simply a landing place.
Ultimately if you are auditioning with an idea or expectation of compensation beyond your personal growth, this may not be the organization to work with. Please understand that SBT is a learning environment. We want to set up ALL our artists with the skills to see them succeed - whether that's for recreational development in your passion for performing or working towards a goal of performing in paid professional shows. For emerging artists exploring a career on the stage, we hope your experience with us puts you that much closer to gaining regularly paid contracts.
COMMITMENT
It is expected that should you be cast in the production, you will be available for 80% of all rehearsals and 100% of all tech* rehearsals and performance dates. We ask that you please review the commitment for each production.
If you cannot attend all performance dates due to regular employment, we encourage you to continue to audition, as alternative arrangements may be available to support your inclusion. This is not a guarantee but should not stop you from participating in the audition process.
*Tech is the time when all show elements come together, lighting, costumes, set, props, sound and more. Having all actors present for this part of the process is key to the show's success.
IS THIS ALL VOLUNTEER?
The short answer is yes.
For the last 45 years has dedicated itself to providing Calgary with quality family programming. During that time, it has undergone several variations on who and what it is, but at its core; volunteers have always been integral to our success. We provide those artists willing to volunteer their time and artistry with us an opportunity to grow their craft and finish the season as better artists and community builders.

CALLBACKS
Wed, July 5 - 6:30pm to 10:30pm
REHEARSALS
PERFORMANCES
TECH WEEKS
September 10 to October 5
Saturdays & Sundays - 2:30pm to 10pm
Tuesday to Thursdays - 6:30pm to 10:30pm
October 7 to 12
Saturdays & Sundays - 1pm to 11pm
Tuesday to Thursdays - 5pm to 11pm
October 12 to November 4
Saturdays - 2pm & 7pm
Sundays - 2pm
Mondays - DARK
Tuesday - 10am & 7pm
Wednesdays - 10am
Thursdays & Fridays - 7pm

directed by
ELIZABETH STEPKOWSKI TARHAN

CALLBACKS
Sun, June 25 - 1pm to 9pm
REHEARSALS
PERFORMANCES
TECH WEEKS
October 15 to November 16
Saturdays & Sundays - 2:30pm to 10pm
Tuesday to Thursdays - 6:30pm to 10:30pm
November 18 to 23
Saturdays & Sundays - 1pm to 11pm
Tuesday to Thursdays - 5pm to 11pm
November 24 to December 30
Saturdays - 2pm & 7pm
Sundays - 2pm
Mondays - DARK
Tuesday - 10am & 7pm
Wednesdays - 10am
Thursdays & Fridays - 7pm
*see Full Schedule for Holiday shows

directed by
JAVIER VILALTA


CALLBACKS
Mon, June 26 - 6:30pm to 10:30pm
REHEARSALS
PERFORMANCES
TECH WEEKS
January 7 to February 1
Saturdays & Sundays - 2:30pm to 10pm
Tuesday to Thursdays - 6:30pm to 10:30pm
February 3 to 8
Saturdays & Sundays - 1pm to 11pm
Tuesday to Thursdays - 5pm to 11pm
Febraury 9 to March 9
Saturdays - 2pm & 7pm
Sundays - 2pm
Mondays - DARK
Tuesday - 10am & 7pm
Wednesdays - 10am
Thursdays & Fridays - 7pm

directed by
SHELBY REINITZ

CALLBACKS
Sun, June 25 - 1pm to 9pm
REHEARSALS
PERFORMANCES
TECH WEEKS
March 31 to May 2
Saturdays & Sundays - 2:30pm to 10pm
Tuesday to Thursdays - 6:30pm to 10:30pm
May 3 to 9
Saturdays & Sundays - 1pm to 11pm
Tuesday to Thursdays - 5pm to 11pm
May 10 to June 1
Saturdays - 2pm & 7pm
Sundays - 2pm
Mondays - DARK
Tuesday - 10am & 7pm
Wednesdays - 10am
Thursdays & Fridays - 7pm

directed by
JP THIBODEAU

To be invited to join MisCast everyone is asked to submit an audition for the StoryBook Season.
REHEARSALS
PERFORMANCES
TECH WEEK
March 9 to April 21
Saturdays - 1pm to 10:30pm
Mondays - 6:30pm to 10:30pm
April 22 to 25
Monday - 5pm to 11pm
Thursday - 5pm to 11pm
Friday, April 26 at 7:30pm
Saturday, April 27 at 7:30pm


Tthe following is the planned schedule for this production. Changes may be made.
REHEARSALS
PERFORMANCES
TECH WEEK
March 3 to April 2
Saturdays & Sundays - 2:30pm to 10pm
Tuesday to Thursday - 6:30pm to 10:30pm
March 31 to April 4
Saturday & Sunday - 1pm to 11pm
Monday to Thursday - 5pm to 11pm
April 5 to 21, 2024
Saturdays - 2pm & 7pm
Sundays - 2pm
Tuesdays - 10am & 7pm
Wednesdays - 10am
Thursdays & Fridays - 7pm
