AUDITION ANNOUNCEMENT!
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S JULIUS CAESAR
Director: PETER HERRICK
Assistant Director: BRIAN K. HERRICK
Rehearsals: Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings, beginning on Sunday, January 12th.
Performances: March 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 26, 28, 29, 30 (with possible 10AM student matinees to be added)
Audition Process:
- 1st Round: Self-tapes sent to [email protected] by Monday, December 2nd. Strict 5PM deadline.
- Callbacks: By invitation only, at the Ritz, Monday, December 9th, beginning at 7PM
The Ritz Theatre Company is currently seeking a diverse cast of 16-18 non-union artists (ages 18+) for our upcoming production of William Shakespeare’s JULIUS CAESAR. All genders and ethnicities are encouraged to submit. Experience with classical text is preferred, but not mandatory.
All performers will receive a stipend between $150-$250, depending on the role.
SYNOPSIS:
“Beware the Ides of March!” One of Shakespeare’s most enduringly popular and influential works, JULIUS CAESAR is the ultimate story of political intrigue, ambition, betrayal, and the fall of the mighty Roman Republic. In the play, Brutus joins a conspiracy led by Cassius to assassinate emperor-ascendant Julius Caesar, striving to prevent him from becoming an absolute tyrant. After the deed is done, Caesar’s right-hand man Mark Antony stirs up public hostility against the conspirators, thrusting Rome into the throes of a dramatic civil war.
CHARACTERS:
(Please note that most cast members will double as other characters.)
BRUTUS: A supporter of the republic who believes strongly in a government guided by the votes of senators. While Brutus loves Caesar as a friend, he opposes the ascension of any single man to the position of dictator, and he fears that Caesar aspires to such power.
JULIUS CAESAR: A great Roman general and senator, recently returned to Rome in triumph after a successful military campaign. While his good friend Brutus worries that Caesar may aspire to dictatorship over the Roman republic, Caesar seems to show no such inclination, declining the crown several times.
ANTONY: A friend of Caesar. Antony claims allegiance to Brutus and the conspirators after Caesar’s death in order to save his own life. Later, however, when speaking a funeral oration over Caesar’s body, he spectacularly persuades the audience to withdraw its support of Brutus and instead condemn him as a traitor.
CASSIUS: A talented general and longtime acquaintance of Caesar. Cassius dislikes the fact that Caesar has become godlike in the eyes of the Romans. He slyly leads Brutus to believe that Caesar has become too powerful and must die.
PORTIA: Brutus’s wife; the daughter of a noble Roman who took sides against Caesar. Portia, accustomed to being Brutus’s confidante, is upset to find him so reluctant to speak his mind when she finds him troubled.
CALPURNIA: Caesar’s wife. Calpurnia invests great authority in omens and portents. She warns Caesar against going to the Senate on the Ides of March, since she has had terrible nightmares and heard reports of many bad omens.
OCTAVIUS: Caesar’s adopted son and appointed successor. Octavius, who had been traveling abroad, returns after Caesar’s death; he then joins with Antony and sets off to fight Cassius and Brutus.
CASCA: A public figure opposed to Caesar’s rise to power.
CICERO: A Roman senator renowned for his oratorical skill. Cicero speaks at Caesar’s triumphal parade.
LEPIDUS: The third member of Antony and Octavius’s coalition. Though Antony has a low opinion of Lepidus, Octavius trusts his loyalty.
THE SOOTHSAYER: A citizen of Rome who accurately predicts Caesar's impending death. He tells Caesar to “beware the Ides of March,” but is not taken seriously.
CINNA (the Conspirator): One of the conspirators who allies himself with Brutus and Cassius. He delivers the famous line “Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!” after Caesar is assassinated.
CINNA (the Poet): An innocent poet who is beaten to death by an angry mob after being mistaken for the conspirator Cinna. His death highlights the chaos that descends over Rome after Caesar is killed.
METELLUS CIMBER: A citizen of Rome whose brother was banished by Caesar before the events of the play take place. He is also one of the conspirators.
FLAVIUS & MURELLUS: A pair of Roman tribunes. In the text’s opening scene, they condemn the plebeians for their fickleness in cheering for Caesar, when once they cheered for Caesar’s enemy Pompey.
DECIUS: A member of the conspiracy. Decius convinces Caesar that Calpurnia misinterpreted her dire nightmares and that, in fact, no danger awaits him at the Senate.
TREBONIUS: A member of the conspiracy favored by Caesar over many years and made consul by him in 45 BC. He keeps Antony away from the Senate.
LUCIUS: Young, loyal servant to Brutus and Portia.
For the first round of auditions, please send an email containing your headshot, resume, and self-tape to [email protected] with the subject line CAESAR. Due to expected volume, submissions will NOT be accepted after the above deadline.
For the self-tape, actors should record a 2-minute classical dramatic monologue. YouTube links are preferred. If sending via Google Drive, please ensure anyone provided the link can access the video. Successful candidates from the first round will be invited to attend the in-person callback round.
