Announcing Auditions for Brick by Brick Player’s Summer Show, Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare

Dive into one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, complete with clowns, music, and the promise of light after darkness.

Our production will explore how a community endures intense upheaval and finds meaning in the aftermath, and will feature original melodies for Shakespeare’s lyrics, as well as a nightly pre-show performance of Appalachian folk music by the cast. As such, we are particularly interested in actors who sing and/or play musical instruments.

We are also seeking a STAGE MANAGER for this production. More information at the bottom of this post. Interested applicants should send a resume to hadleyen@gmail.com

AUDITION DATE

Sunday, April 26th, 1pm-8pm

CALLBACKS on Sunday, May 3rd, 1pm-8pm

St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church

60 N Kent Street, Saint Paul MN

CONTRACT

Production

Small stipend based on percentage of box office.

SEEKING

Non-union actors to fill the following roles. We are looking for vocal clarity, specificity of thought, and the ability to share breath and eye contact with a scene partner.

The audition process is open to actors of all races and ethnicities, genders, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities. Please don’t let any societal expectations of what these characters might look like dissuade you from auditioning–we’re actively looking for age-diverse, size-diverse, and BIPOC actors.

FESTE–any gender, any age. Our connective tissue through the show, bringing joy and levity to a punishing world. Caring, community minded, and witty. Sings and self-accompanies on an instrument.

VIOLA–Female, 25-40. A trauma-survivor turned lover remaking her world after tragedy. Open, observant, and intelligent.

OLIVIA–Female, 25-40. A woman overcome with grief, yet rebuilding her life and community. Unapologetically high status, privately hurting and wickedly funny.

ORSINO–Male, 25-50. A lover, caring and determined, if slightly self-centered. Sings, ability to play an instrument a plus.

MARIA–Female, any age. Brings a grounded, powerful playfulness to a reconstructed world. A strong physical actress with easy mastery over text.

SEBASTIAN–Male, 25-40. Viola’s long-lost twin. Still in the early stages of grieving; brought back to life by Olivia and Viola.

ANTONIO–Any gender, any age. A disgraced sailor, madly in love with Sebastian. Loyal, impulsive, open, and kind. Stage combat experience is a plus.

MALVOLIO–Any gender, any age. Olivia’s right hand–stuffy, boorish, entitled, and overburdened. Seeking a strong physical actor with mastery over tonal shifts.

PREPARATION

Please bring a printed headshot and resume.

Please prepare sides for the character you are auditioning for. If you would like to be seen for multiple characters, you are welcome to bring in sides for a maximum of two of the listed tracks. You may be asked to read additional sides in the room. A reader will be provided, or you may read with another auditionee if slots fill up and we need to double up. Sides can be found here. Twelfth Night Sides

Please come prepared to sing 15-30 seconds of acapella folk music. This production will feature music based heavily on the The Carter Family, so if you’re not sure what to sing try Keep on the Sunny Side, Will the Circle be Unbroken, or even This Land is Your Land. We’re not looking for technical perfection here, just actors that are comfortable singing onstage and who can sustain a simple melody and rhythm.

If you play a musical instrument at any level of proficiency, please show us. If you would like to self-accompany your song you may, or you may sing and play separately. We are particularly interested in actors who play guitar, mandolin, banjo, and/or fiddle.

LOCATION

Auditions will be held at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church, at 60 N Kent Street, Saint Paul, MN. Please arrive at least ten minutes before your chosen slot, and enter through the side door (the entrance on Kent Street, not on Portland Ave.) There will be an audition form to fill out and signs to point you into the room.

PLEASE SIGN UP FOR AN AUDITION SLOT:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4EACAF22A4F5C34-63362380-twelfth

We will see walk-ins if we have time.

For actors who absolutely cannot make the in person auditions, video auditions will be accepted at hadleyen@gmail.com until April 26th at 12pm. In-person auditions are distinctly preferred.

PERSONNEL

Expected to attend:

Hadley Evans Nash (Director, Brick by Brick Founder and Artistic Director)

Logan McCarty (Assistant Director, Brick by Brick Associate Artistic Director)

OTHER DATES

First rehearsal–Monday, May 31st

Rehearsals 5:30pm-10pm M-TH and 12pm-5pm Sundays

Performances 7:00pm July 16-20 and July 23-25 at Bumbling Fools Meadery. [Possibility of morning outreach performances any of these dates]

This production may tour to Ramsey County Juvenile Detention Center and a local elder-care facility. As such, all actors must be able and willing to pass a criminal background check.

OTHER

This production will have post-apocalyptic echoes of modern Minneapolis and America. We may utilize current political signage in the background of our set.

Brick by Brick Players is a twin-cities based company focused on what Artistic Director Hadley Evans Nash calls Theatre of Joy in the Traumatized Body, or theatre that sees those that have been traumatized as full humans capable of immense and revolutionary joy. We strive to continue to create accessible art that focuses on healing, reclamation of text, and ensemble driven work. More information about the company can be found here:

https://www.brickbybrickplayers.org/

Any questions can be sent to Hadley Evans Nash at hadleyen@gmail.com

SALARY

Stipend

This stipend serves as a token of our respect and an offset of travel costs.

UNION

NON-AEA

STAGE MANAGER

We are seeking a driven and ensemble-minded candidate to serve as Stage Manager for this production. Responsibilities will include attending rehearsals, generating rehearsal reports, monitoring breaks to equity standards, calling the show, and correspondence with the cast.

There is a $200 stipend for this role, with the hope to increase that based on ticket sales.

Interested applicants should send a resume to hadleyen@gmail.com. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as they come in, so apply early.