Mary Stuart Audition Form Logo

  • Audition Form

  • Thank you for interest in audition for Mary Stuart, by Friedrich Schiller (adapted from the translation by Flora Kimmich) and directed by Abby Burlingame.

    Please read through the information on this form carefully and complete it to the best of your ability. If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out to ad@inlandclassical.com. 

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  • Audition Format

  • We will be holding separate auditions for the Queens (Mary and Elizabeth) and the rest of the ensemble. 

    Auditions for the Queens will take place on Sunday, October 5th from 12pm-2pm. Callbacks will immediately follow auditions from 2pm-4pm. Queens auditions will take place at The Hive, Studio E. 

    Auditions for the ensemble will take place on Sunday, October 12th from 10am-2pm. Callbacks will immediately follow auditions at 3pm. Ensemble auditions will take place at Stage Left Theatre. 

    We will send out confirmation and reminder emails in advance of auditions. 

     

  • Character Breakdown

  • We are looking to cast 10 actors, including 2 female presenting actors to alternate the roles of Mary and Elizabeth. 

    While roles in Mary Stuart will likely be cast according to the indicated age and gender below, they will not necessarily be cast according to the race, ethnicity, or other identities traditionally associated with these characters.

    Please feel free to express your interest in any role.

     

    The Queens*

    MARY - F - 30s-40s - Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland. She is Catholic, passionate and has been imprisioned under false charges as a rival of Queen Elizabeth.

    ELIZABETH - F - 30s-40s - Queen Elizabeth I, Queen of England. She is Protestant, controlled, and cannot seem to bring herself to order Mary's execution. 

    *Two actors will share both roles. Before each performance, a coin will be flipped in front of the audience to determine who will play which role for that performance. See more details below. 

     

    The Ensemble

    LEICESTER - M - 30s-50s - Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. A former romantic favorite of Elizabeth, he is a secret supporter of Mary. 

    TALBOT - M - 50s-70s - George Talbot, Earl of Shrewbury. Mary was imprisioned under his care, and thus he is partial to her and urges Elizabeth to show mercy. 

    BURGHLEY - M - 40s-50s - Baron Burghley, William Cecil, Lord High Treasurer. A man of great politic power who is staunchly against Mary's survival and urges Elizabeth to have her executed.  

    PAULET - M - 40s-50s - Amias Paulet, knight. He is Mary's keeper while she is imprisoned. Believes Mary is a threat to the realm, but also believes it is duty to keep her safe while she is in his care. 

    MORTIMER - M - 20s-30s - Paulet's nephew. Secretly converted to Catholicism and plots to set Mary free and start a rebellion.

    DAVISON - M - 20s-40s - William Davison. State secretary. A man just trying to do his job. 

    KENNEDY - F - 40s-60s - Hannah Kennedy. Mary Stuart's nurse. Fiercely protective of Mary.

    AUBERSPINE - M - age flexible - Count Auberspine. French ambassdor to Mary's court. Trying to secure a marriage between Elizabeth and the French prince. 

    There will be some double casting with additional smaller roles such as Mevil, O'Kelly, Officer, Sheriff, and Page. 

  • The Queens Audition Information

  • Queens auditions will take place on Sunday, October 5th from 12pm to 2pm at The Hive. We will see everyone in 10 minute slots and will then invite select Queens back at 2pm for callbacks and cold reads. 

    We are looking for two dynamic and special actors who are excited by the challenge this concept presents. Here are some key pieces of information to know about the roles of the Queens:

    • Memorization. The Queens will essentially have to memorize two lead roles. While we will absolutely be there to help in any way we can and our director is intentionally cutting the script with this in mind, there is no escaping the fact that the line load is quite high. 
    • Rehearsing in November. The Queens will begin rehearsing ahead of the rest of the cast. We anticipate 2-3 rehearsals a week in November. These rehearsals can be flexible and we will work around our Queens' schedules. This time will be used for tablework, as well as a deep dive into the character arcs of both Queen tracks, so when full rehearsals begin in December, they are set up for success. 
    • The decision for who will play each role each night will be left up to chance. That said, we are planning to have at least two performances with the Queens set in advance. That way, the Queens are guranteed at least one performance as each Queens and audiences can plan in case they want to see a specific Queen arrangement. 

  • Audition preparation

    Once you submit your form, we will send out two short (~1 minute) speeches that we would like to see memorized for auditions. You can preview the speeches here.

    We will also confirm your time slot at that time. 

  • The Ensemble Auditions

  • The Ensemble auditions will take place from 10am to 2pm on Sunday, October 12th at Stage Left Theatre. Callbacks will follow auditions at 3pm the same day.

    The Ensemble form the court around the two Queens. With the exception of Hannah Kennedy, the nurse, all these roles are written as men. We are looking to keep these roles as male presenting individuals. However, if you are passionate about the project and don't fit these descriptions as written, we still strongly encourage you to audition. We never know exactly where the chips will land during the audition process. 

    While the Ensemble are not changing roles like the Queens, we are still looking for dynamic actors who are prepared to act across from alternating Queens and who are interested in letting their character and performance evolve and change in response to what is offered by their scene partners.

  • Audition preparation

    Once you submit your form, we will send out a selection of speeches from the play. Please select one to prepare and share with us. You do not need to memorize it, but you are welcome to, if you want. You can also preview the speeches here. 

    We will also confirm your time slot at that time. 

  • Tentative Rehearsal Schedule

  • Our rehearsal period for this show will be slightly longer than an average 6-8 week rehearsal period. Here is a tentative breakdown.

    October 5th and 12th Auditions
    First week of Nov First read through, one on one character meetings 
    Rest of November Queens tablework and track work. Approx. 2-3 rehearsals a week 
    Nov 30th to January 22nd

    Rehearsals begin with Queens + Ensemble. Approx. 4 rehearsals a week on weekday evenings and/or Sunday during the day. Will work around holiday conflicts, such as Christmas and New Years. 
    Jan 25th to Jan 28th Tech rehearsals at Blue Door Theatre
    Jan 29th to Feb 8th Performances (Thus, Fri, Sat at 7:30pm, Sun at 2pm)

    If you are visual, you can view a calendar version here. 

  • We understand that this is very much a unique theatre experience for all actors involved. If you have any questions, comments or concerns about the roles, the process or the schedule, please don't hesitate to ask.

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