The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
Directed by Cliff Francis
This classic Shakespearean comedy will require lots of men so get your merry selves down to the audition – although there are some great parts for women too. This promises not to disappoint audience and cast alike as the action is bawdy and irreverent – just as Shakespeare would have liked it!
Synopsis: Baptista Minola has two daughters, both of which he wants married, both of whom come with sizeable dowry’s. However, the youngest daughter Bianca, fair and chaste but much pursured cannot be married until her older sister, the foul mouthed, foul tempered elder sister, Katherina (the Shrew) is married. The problem, no one wants to marry her.
Enter Petruchio, who on hearing of Katherina and mostly importantly her dowry, immediately decides to marry her and tame her.
This then opens up the pursuit of Bianca and her 3 suitors. It will be staged as “play within a play”, once Shakespeare got an idea, he tends to run with it.
This is laugh out loud and often play, full of plotting and intrigue, lies and subterfuge.
The plan, is to set the play in period, late 16th Century Italy, so lots of fabulous costumes. It is a very fast moving, comic piece, with some physicality needed for some of the roles. It will be staged, not so much as “a play” as “an event”.
We will be auditioning each role, below I have listed details of the parts and an idea of playing age. The vast majority of the principal parts are in several scenes, with good amounts of dialogue.
If you are new to Shakespeare, this is one of the most readable of the plays, but a simple tip, read it naturally and follow the punctuation.
The Characters:
Baptista Minola (M – 50’s+) – A wealthy Pauduan, father to Katherina & Bianca
Katherina (F – 20’s – 40’s) – The Shrew, Baptista’s elder daughter
Bianca (F – 20’s – 30’s (has to be younger than Kate) Baptista’s youngest daughter, fair and beautiful (but actually a right bitch)
Petruchio (M – 20’s – 40’s)Suitor to Katherina, big, loud and dominating
Grumio (M – 40’s – 50’s) Petruchio’s servant/lackey (a very comic role)
Curtis (M any age, can also be played by F) Head of Petruchio’s household
Gremio (M 40’s +) An older suitor to Bianca
Hortensio (M 30’s – 40’s) – A suitor to Bianca, friend of Petruchio
Lucentio (M – Teens to 30’s) A Suitor to Bianca
Tranio (M – Teens to 30’s)Lucentio’s valet
Biondello (M Teens to 20’s, could also be F, but played as a boy) – servant to Lucentio
Vincentio (M 40’s +) – Lucentio’s father
Widow (F 40’s +) – Wife (ultimately) to Hortensio (also scope to double in other roles
There are other roles for servants, townsfolk, a tailor and an officer, many of which can be doubled.
I am looking to cast as many people as possible, and give you all as much stage time as possible. All of the roles listed in bold have sizable amounts of dialogue.
Samantha Powell has kindly agreed to assist with the Directing of the piece. She, and at least one other, will form a casting committee to help with the casting of the play.
Audition Dates: Sunday 29th June at 7pm & Wednesday 2nd July at 8pm
Performance Dates: Thursday 13th -Saturday 15th November 2014 at 7.45pm
Venue: The Little Theatre,
Letchworth Settlement
Nevells Road
Letchworth Garden City
SG6 4UB