Auditions

Free Shakespeare 2022: Much Ado About Nothing

SF Shakes is now accepting video submissions for our 2022 Free Shakespeare production of Much Ado About Nothing.

Please submit via email to auditions@sfshakes.org by January 31, 2022:
~ Link to one-minute Shakespeare monologue on video, waist-up 3/4, well-lit against a neutral background with clear sound
~ Digital Headshot and Resume
~ Completed audition form (submit via Google Forms)

Who’s reviewing your audition video:
~ Directing team, TBD
~ Casting Associate/Resident Artist Carla Pantoja (she/her)

About Free Shakespeare:
SF Shakes has been producing Free Shakespeare for 40 years. In 2020, when in-person performances were not possible, our Free Shakespeare in the Park production became Free Shakespeare at Home, which reached a global audience with live online performances using Unified Virtual Space, an innovative technique designed by our own technical director. Our hybrid episodic 2021 production of Pericles, Prince of Tyre, in a modern verse translation by Ellen McLaughlin, began in virtual space and finished live in the parks in Fall 2021. The current plan is for our 2022 production to be produced in-person and broadcast virtually.

Roles available:

An ensemble of 8-10 actors; some roles will be precast. SF Shakes is deeply committed to inclusive, empowering, and conscious casting. Actors of all genders and races and Disabled actors will be considered for all roles.

We are committed to hiring our local Bay Area acting community whenever possible. All actors should have access to local housing within 50 miles of San Francisco.

Pay rates:

~ 5-7 AEA Professional Actors: LORT D scale ($717/week during rehearsals and weeks with 4 performances; $143/performance for weeks with 2-3 performances; plus overtime for rehearsal on non-performance days.)

~ 1-3 non-AEA Professional Actors: ($17.92/hour, comparable to Equity rates)

~ 1-2 non-AEA current student Interns ($16.50/hour): Play small roles; understudy supporting roles

~ 2-4 AEA or non-AEA full-time understudies (same rates as professional actors above)

SF Shakes is committed to paying for all artistic work and for all hours worked. We do not work more than 40 hours/week, and we do not have 10-out-of-12 tech rehearsals - maximum hours are 8-out-of-10.

Important Dates:
SF Shakes has a Tuesday-Saturday rehearsal schedule, shifting to Tuesday-Sunday during tech/preview weeks and Thursday-Sunday during performance weeks. A script workshop may be held in March or April, with full rehearsals beginning no sooner than June 7, 2022. The production is slated to run through the end of September at this time. Regular updates will be made as information becomes available.

Casting:

Casting decisions for Much Ado About Nothing will be made by March 31, 2022. All actors will be contacted whether cast or not regarding their status.