AUDITIONS GRANTING PROGRAMS NEW WORK SUBMISSIONS
Auditions
Shakespeare in High Park 2022: As You Like It
By William Shakespeare, directed by Anand Rajaram
Please submit a resumé and headshot to the address below by 5 p.m. on November 22, 2021. Early submissions encouraged.
Shakespeare in High Park rehearsals begin June 27, 2022, previews begin July 27, 2022, and closing is September 4, 2022. All dates are subject to change.
Canadian Stage is committed to building an anti-racist, equitable and inclusive cultural institution, and is committed to diverse, inclusive casting. We work to reflect the stories, ideas, concerns, and priorities of the communities we have been entrusted to serve authentically and meaningfully.
For information on our ongoing organizational work, please click here for our 20/21 update on our continued learnings at Canadian Stage.
If you have any access needs for your audition, please contact Emily Johnston at casting@canadianstage.com.
Shakespeare in High Park is an exclusive 10 week contract and the pay scale for this venue is a CTA “E” house. It should be noted that these productions rehearse and perform outdoors in all safe weather conditions.
COVID-19: Effective Oct 1, 2021, Canadian Stage will only engage and contract individuals who are fully vaccinated. Proof of vaccination will be required for all artists auditioning for Shakespeare in High Park 2022. The Theatre will inform the Artist of current working conditions at the start of the Project and ensure that all government or Public Health guidelines, including physical distancing, PPE, and allowable gathering limits are adhered to throughout the project.
Submission Notes:
• Please include CAEA status, training, and the role for which you wish to be considered in your submission. Please do not submit for multiple roles.
• If submitting by email, please include your resume and headshot as a single PDF attachment.
• Email submissions should have subject lines in the following format:
o Name / Equity status (union or non-union) / Role for which you are submitting
• We are looking for actors with experience/proficiency with Shakespearean text
• Please indicate in your submission if you sing and/or play any musical instruments.
The character descriptions below outline the major role(s) that will be played by each performer; due to the ensemble nature of this project, all performers will also be engaged in smaller roles defined as “Cast by Consent”. These smaller roles will evolve over the course of the rehearsals and in consultation/communication with the director and creative team.
We are casting the following twelve (12) roles:
1. ORLANDO – He/Him, 20-30, all ethnicities. Younger brother to Oliver. Honourable and passionate but naïve, as he’s grown up living a life of privilege.
2. ROSALIND – She/Her, 20-30, all ethnicities. Duke Senior’s daughter and Celia’s cousin. Smart, independent, resourceful, strong-willed. Quick to adapt after she is banished by Duke Frederick.
3. DUKE SENIOR – He/Him, 50-70 all ethnicities. Rosalind’s father, living in exile after being banished by his brother, Duke Frederick. A natural but reluctant leader.
4. CELIA – She/Her, 20-30, all ethnicities. Duke Frederick’s daughter and Rosalind’s cousin. Romantic, sensitive, intelligent, recognizes her father’s cruelty and follows Rosalind when Rosalind is banished by Duke Frederick.
5. LE BEAU – He/Him, 30-45, all ethnicities. A courtier in Duke Frederick’s court. A gossip, but honourable.
6. PHOEBE – She/Her, 20-30, all ethnicities. A shepherdess in the forest, a bit unrefined.
7. OLIVER – He/Him, 20-30, all ethnicities. Older brother of Orlando, Oliver is the family heir and has lived a live of privilege. At first power-hungry and cruel to his brother, he is transformed by his love for Celia.
8. JAQUES – Any gender, 30-50, all ethnicities. A lord who goes with Duke Senior into exile. A melancholy philosopher.
9. VARIOUS ROLES – Any gender, 18-25 (must be 18+), all ethnicities. For this role we are looking for a young performer, experience with classical text and/or musical ability an asset.
10. DUKE FREDERICK – He/Him, 50-70, power-hungry and strong with a dangerous temper, Duke Frederick has seized power from his older brother, Duke Senior.
11. TOUCHSTONE – He/Him, 30-60, all ethnicities. A fool in Duke Senior’s court, very intelligent and quick-witted. He is loyal to Rosalind and accompanies her into exile.
12. AUDREY (She/Her) / ADAM (He/Him) - 25-50, all ethnicities. An unrefined shepherdess living a simple life in the forest / An elderly servant who goes with Orlando into exile. Feeble-bodied but the pinnacle of loyalty.
We thank everyone for their interest; however, only those selected for an audition will be contacted. Auditions take place starting December 2, 2021.
Applications can be e-mailed to Casting Associate Emily Johnston at casting@canadianstage.com or submitted on: www.castingworkbook.com. Please note the role for which you wish to be considered.
Deadline: November 22, 2021, 5 p.m.
No late submissions will be considered.
No phone calls or hard copy submissions please.
A message from director Anand Rajaram
General Auditions
Canadian Stage will be holding General Auditions in the Spring 2022 for our future season programming. Please join Relay, our Artist Newsletter, for the latest information on any open audition calls for either General Auditions or show specific audition calls.
If you have any questions about our audition calls or processes, please contact casting@canadianstage.com. Please note that this email is only active when auditions calls are posted.
For all other inquiries, please contact Associate Artistic Director Mel Hague (mhague@canadianstage.com)
Granting Programs
Granting programs are programs that provide direct funding to artists who are working on a specific project or process.
Ontario Arts Council Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators
Application Deadline – December 3, 2021 1PM
Grant Amount - $1000.00 – $3000.00
Canadian Stage is proud to participate in the OAC’s Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators program. These grants, funded through the OAC, provide small amounts of funding for new creation projects to Ontario based artists.
Canadian Stage is interested in applications from artists at a variety of experience levels, and we are particularly interested in proposals for:
New creations which are multi-disciplinary in form or subject
Works that are innovative in form, use of media, style or subject matter
Applications for this program are only accepted through the OAC’s NOVA Portal, and must be submitted before 1PM EST on the deadline date. You can apply to more than one company with your application. Click here to see a full list of recommending companies.
Please read through the guidelines carefully before you prepare your application.
If you have any questions about the Recommender Grants for Theatre Artists program, please contact Associate Artistic Director Mel Hague (mhague@canadianstage.com)
New Work Submissions
We are not accepting unsolicited submissions for future programming at this time.
We are always interested in meeting with artists to chat about their work, their ideas and their processes to see if there is any way we can support or intersect. If you would like to find out about our events, workshops, and programs for artists, please contact our Artist Development Coordinator Tawiah M’Carthy (tmcarthy@canadianstage.com)
If you would like to discuss our Artist Residency’s, Granting Programs or New Work Development at Canadian Stage, Associate Artistic Director Mel Hague (mhague@canadianstage.com)