Shakespeare in the Woods
Manchester, VT
US

DESCRIPTION

Seeking Northeast non-union performers for roles in Shakespeare in the Woods’ 2026 Season. SitW’s 6th year of programming will include LEAR and MERRY WIVES in repertory (rehearsals begin July 5; runs Aug 12 - 30). The 2026 Season will be one of Chaos and Folly - drawing on themes including love, control, jealousy, deception, nature, and community. SitW is an outdoor theatre company committed to leading bold theatrical experimentation through a modern, radical, and gender expansive queer lens, in pursuit of a reimagined Shakespeare Canon for the here and now. Please read the breakdown thoroughly before applying.

Seeking actors (21+) of all genders, ethnicities, races, sizes, and abilities, with a strong command of Shakespeare's language to build a company of 9 performers for the rep season. We're looking for actors with dynamic range and depth, as well as those with strong physical comedy, comedic timing, and who enjoy activating transformational physicality when character building.

SitW is a company that disrupts the traditional gendered and binary casting in the canon. We believe there is a richness of opportunity in intentionally and mindfully looking at Shakespeare’s work through a gender expansive and queer lens in the here and now. We heavily encourage our trans, non-binary, and gender expansive siblings to submit for any and all desired roles. For additional info on SitW's company practices & ethos, visit www.shakespeareinthewoods.org

We will specify any criteria for a character relating to gender, race and/or ethnicity, ability, age, or physicality. Any gender specificity stated in the breakdown reflects the gender expression of the character, not the actor. Any age ranges stated in the breakdown reflect the character's age, not the actor's.

We invite and encourage actors to bring the fullness of their lived experiences and identities into the shaping of the plays’ worlds. We approach casting conscious of the real world systemic dynamics affected and reflected in our storytelling when deciding to put specific actors in specific roles.


MERRY WIVES
From dir. Jaz Hall: "Ain’t no party like a peafowl party cause a peafowl party don’t… squawk?! Step right up, you don’t want to miss the PEACOCK PROMENADE. Domesticity be damned; in this quick witted, anachronistic envisioning, our merry “Mistresses of Ceremony” manage the most (systemically) popular show on Earth. Step right up, it’s burlesque.. it’s drag… it’s… the PERFORMANCE OF MASCULINITY! Thaaaaat’s right, grounded in one of Mutha Nature’s most fabulous displays of virility, this delightfully absurd production subverts societally expected and accepted expressions of “masculinity” simply with an exchange of modus operandi (the method of expression). *Please note that peafowl may not be the only fowl within this society. The chickens, et. al., are likely to come home to roost. This production is gender expansive and welcomes submissions for roles that resonate. Please note, this director is interested in the *concepts* of masculinity and femininity as “performances of socially constructed behaviors.” These concepts exist independent of the gender identity and/or physical characteristics of the actor embodying them. Comfortability with drag king and/or queen make-up, performance and aesthetics is beneficial. This production will feature doubling, with those roles to be determined."

Characters:

*OUR EMCEES (MISTRESSES OF CEREMONY)*
MISTRESS FORD - (any gender, 30s-50s, any ethnicity) Married to MISTER FORD
MISTRESS PAGE - (any gender, 30s-50s, any ethnicity) Married to MISTER PAGE

*THE DIVAS*
SIR JOHN FALSTAFF - (any gender, 30s-60s, any ethnicity) A confusingly charismatic knight. Rich in ego, poor in purse; his pride is as fat as that ass. And if you asked him, fat is spelled P-H-A-T
MISTER FORD - (any gender, 30s-50s, any ethnicity) Married to MISTRESS FORD
MISTER PAGE - (any gender, 30s-50s, any ethnicity) Married to MISTRESS PAGE
DOCTOR CAIUS - (any gender, 20s-40s, any ethnicity) A French doctor. Unsuccessful suitor to ANNE PAGE [CAST]
ABRAHAM SLENDER - (any gender, 20s-40s, any ethnicity) A young gentleman, nephew to SHALLOW. Unsuccessful suitor to ANNE PAGE
SIR HUGH EVANS - (any gender, 30s-60s, any ethnicity) A Welsh parson
ROBERT SHALLOW - (any gender, any age, any ethnicity) A visiting justice of the peace. Uncle to SLENDER

*BIRDS OF A DIFFERENT FEATHER*
ANNE PAGE - (any gender, 18-24, any ethnicity) Daughter of MISTER & MISTRESS PAGE
FENTON - (any gender, 20s-30s, any ethnicity) A gentleman, suitor to ANNE PAGE
HOST OF THE GARTER INN - (any gender, 30s-60s, any ethnicity)
MISTRESS QUICKLY - (any gender, 30s-60s, any ethnicity) Housekeeper to DOCTOR CAIUS
JOHN RUGBY - (any gender, any age, any ethnicity) Servant to DOCTOR CAIUS
ROBIN - (any gender, any age, any ethnicity) Page to FALSTAFF
BARDOLPH - (any gender, any age, any ethnicity) A follower and friend of FALSTAFF
PISTOL - (any gender, any age, any ethnicity) A follower and friend of FALSTAFF
NYM - (any gender, any age, any ethnicity) A follower and friend of FALSTAFF
JOHN - (any gender, any age, any ethnicity) Servant to the FORDs
ROBERT - (any gender, any age, any ethnicity) Servant to the FORDs
SIMPLE - (any gender, any age, any ethnicity) Servant to SLENDER


LEAR
From dir. Elizabeth Dinkova: "A powerful monarch is ready to pass the reigns to their descendants, but the youth have other plans. As society fractures under the weight of the old guard’s expectations and the new guard’s machinations, everyone’s true self will be revealed. This production will feature doubling, with those roles to be determined."

Characters:

CORDELIA - (any gender, late teens to early 20s, any ethnicity) Lear’s youngest child, a rebel and truth teller.

GONERIL - (any gender, 30s, any ethnicity) Lear’s oldest child, a bully hiding decades of pain behind a tough exterior.

REGAN - (any gender, late 20s, any ethnicity) Lear’s middle child, a manipulator who is nonetheless yearning to be finally seen and recognized as an agent of change.

GLOUCESTER - (any gender, 40s-50s, any ethnicity) a politician who’s weathered many scandals and somehow made it out only barely scathed, until negligence and hedonism catches up.

EDGAR - (any gender, late teens to early 30s, any ethnicity) Gloucester’s “legitimate” child, forced to confront his naiveté and privilege for the first time.

EDMUND - Gloucester’s "illegitimate" child. [CAST]

KENT - (any gender, 30s-40s, any ethnicity) Lear’s friend and caretaker, wrongfully exiled by Lear but unable to let go of the faith that Lear is, in their core, a good person

THE FOOL - (any gender, any age, any ethnicity, sings and plays guitar or another instrument that can offer solo accompaniment) A troubadour/performance artist with the leeway to criticize the old regime but not the freedom to leave it

CONTRACT

Pays $450/wk for 8 wks ($3,600 for duration)

Production states: "If an actor is hired for an additional creative job (ex: fight choreographer, intimacy director, sound design/composer) they will receive an additional $20/hr. pay for rehearsal hours spent working on these responsibilities. The contract also includes fully furnished, shared local housing within 15 minutes of rehearsal & performance venue and roundtrip transportation to/from VT from within the Northeast USA. If traveling from outside the Northeast, production guarantees contributing the sum of $150 towards the necessary travel costs. If you plan on driving/keeping a car during the contract, you will receive gas reimbursement, and be provided with an additional $12/wk gas stipend for rehearsal carpooling trips during the contract. Please note, we are unable to provide housing or daily transportation for the 1 week of New York City rehearsals, but can assist with finding, if needed."

Key Rehearsal and Production Dates & Locations:

New York City in person rehearsal runs July 5-10th (Sun-Fri)

Manchester, VT rehearsals begin July 13th (Mon-Fri)

Arrival travel to VT on July 12th; Departure travel on August 31st

Tech: July 27-Aug 7th

Previews: Aug 8-9th

Repertory Performance Schedule: August 12-30th (Weds-Sun shows).

There is the potential for 2 additional matinees during the run: a Senior/Student matinee, and a “pop up” matinee at a site-specific location within the region. All performances will be outdoors, and are rain or shine (with exception to extreme weather conditions as outlined in SitW’s company handbook).

Full 2026 Season performer contract runs July 5th - August 30th

The performer contract allows for 2 excused absences for schedule conflicts that are communicated to the Production Team in advance.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
Please email submissions to [email protected] with the subject line “2026 Actor Submission”.

Include in the email body:
- If you’d like to be considered for additional work on Movement/Dance Choreo, and/or Fight Choreo (certified or comparable experience). *If not interested, no need to indicate.
- Specifically for our TGNCNB community: If there are character genders you do not consent to be considered for. We will never cast cis actors in TGNCNB roles, but want to ensure we aren’t potentially considering TGNCNB actors in gendered roles you do not feel comfortable playing.

Include the following materials:
- Headshot & resume
- Slate of your name, pronouns, and location
- Link to a self tape of your favorite Shakespeare. Max 2mins in length (tapes new and old welcome, we just want to see you at your best!)
- If you can sing and/or play instruments, please include an example of you performing

The deadline for general submissions is 11:59pm EST on March 4, 2026.

Invited callbacks by appointment will be scheduled for March 14 & 15th in NYC; 11am-7pm (1-2pm lunch).

There will also be a virtual half day of appointments for performers outside of the tri-state area will be held on March 18th, within the hours of 11am-3pm ET.

Sides will be provided when scheduling your appointment.

DURATION

Jul 5, 2026 - Aug 31, 2026

SALARY

$450.00 – $450.00 per week

APPLY BY EMAIL

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