Two celebrated classics, one unforgettable summer with WKP...
Auditions
for
Much Ado About Nothing
directed by Jack D. Ellis
with assistant director Phillip Beattie
Measure for Measure
directed by Sandra Boynton
with assistant director Cameryn Coetzee
The war is over, but the wooing certainly isn’t. When Don Pedro’s soldiers return from war, they also return to their old lives and find the saying true: love is a battlefield. While young Claudio’s eyes finally notice Hero, Beatrice and Benedick's ancient “merry war” still wages on. While Beatrice and Benedick’s friends conspire to pair them up, Don Pedro’s bastard-of-a-brother, Don John, conspires to break Hero and Claudio apart… will love finally win, or were we all just making Much Ado About Nothing?
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In Much Ado About Nothing, we see the classic interplay of love, war, and rumors: how misunderstandings expose the deepest parts of us, and how that vulnerability can bring us closer to understanding each other. Music and revelry accompany the joy and release that arises when the truth finally comes out, amidst lies and fraud that assail us from villains on high. In the modern era of incredible news cycles punctuated by an inability to trust our own eyes and ears, we can understand how this play is “much ado about noting,” as much as “much ado about nothing.” Enemies to lovers, friends to brothers, brothers to enemies, lovers to enemies back to lovers, you name it, the relationship is there in Much Ado.
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WKP expects to cast 12-14 actors to play all the roles, some playing multi-role tracks. All roles will be played as the gender that Shakespeare wrote, but actors of any gender may be cast in any role. This production will begin rehearsals early April, begin performances in late June, and run through late August.
Disguises! Mistaken identities! Pranks and tricks! True love! And magical marriages!
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Measure for Measure exploits all the themes and devices of sweet comedy to view the usually serious world of oppressive law, untreatable disease, foolish law enforcement, coerced sex, slander and execution. Actors and audiences alike will confront ideas and situations still relevant in the 21st century—in an ultimately hope-infused 17th century incarnation.
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If you don’t know Measure for Measure well—or at all—you are in for a feast. It sports nuanced characters that resist stereotypes, complex depictions of the human condition that spark debate, and eternal struggles to balance punishment with mercy. This WKP production will be set in the early modern period, rehearsed and performed in a way that Will Shakespeare might recognize, and resolutely present the eternal newness of life. So—if you’re interested in creating a uniquely “comic" character, drawn by a playwright on the verge of becoming England’s finest tragic writer, audition to find your spot in Measure for Measure.
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WKP expects to cast 12-14 actors to play all the roles, some playing multi-role tracks. All roles will be played as the gender that Shakespeare wrote, but actors of any gender may be cast in any role. This production will begin rehearsals mid-May, begin performances in July, and run through September.
​Audition Details:
Date & Time: Saturday, January 17 and Sunday, January 18, 1:30-4:30 PM
Location: Foy Hall, Room 107, Siena University
515 Loudon Road, Loudonville, NY 12211
(parking in the lower lot behind Foy Hall will get you closest to the right doors!)
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All who audition:
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Will prepare and perform 10-20 lines of early modern verse (Shakespeare, Jonson, Marlowe, etc.). Thorough memorization is a big plus.
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Will read from sides, provided above.
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May present a special talent—a song, an instrumental solo, juggling, stand-up comedy, interpretive dance, axe-throwing (video preferred)… WKP routinely uses personal talents in production and performance and we love actors with unique skillsets.
Auditioners have a maximum of 4 minutes to present their verse selections and special talents. Auditions are open format; you will be performing in front of your peers as well as the directors and production staff. Please plan to stay for the full duration of one audition day.
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​​Available roles and casting breakdowns provided above.
Please share any and all scheduling conflicts or known obligations, from April 6 to June 26, and all June, July, August, and September weekends, when you sign up for auditions.
*Note that we are accepting video submissions this round! If you cannot make either audition date but would still like to be considered, please fill out the sign-up form and send a video of no longer than 5 minutes, featuring 10-20 lines of early modern verse, and an additional special skill unique to you, to willkempesplayers@gmail.com by 11 PM on Friday, January 16. We will respond by email confirming receipt of your submission.​​
Audition timetable:
1:15—Check in
1:30—Welcome, introductions, warm-ups, Kempe’s Jig
1:50—Verse selection and special talent presentations
3:00—Break
3:10—Reading from sides
4:20—Wrap up, Kempe’s Jig, thanks-filled farewell
Why Audition for WKP?
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Be part of an ensemble that values creativity, collaboration, and inclusivity.
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Experience Shakespeare’s works through the lens of the Original Practices technique.
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Connect with local artists who are passionate about early modern theatre.
Will Kempe's Players Cooperative is a firm believer that the theatre must be a safe space in which we strive to build a community of individuals with diverse backgrounds and life experiences, free of discrimination based on racial and ethnic origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, social economic status or religious belief.
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-All participants for WKP’s 2025 Touring Season must be able to provide proof of full COVID vaccination upon request.-
-All artists staffed on a show with WKP receive a modest stipend at the end of production.-
-WKP does not currently contract with AEA. Please contact us with any questions.-
-WKP is currently only hiring people aged 18+.-