CALLING ALL ACTORS!!
AUDITIONS ANNOUNCED FOR 2026-2027 SEASON:
JULIUS CAESAR
and
TARTUFFE
WHEN:
Auditions Saturday November 21, 2026 10am-6pm.
Callbacks Monday November 23rd 2026 6-10pm
WHERE: Mesa Arts Center 2nd floor - 1 E Main St in Mesa
SCHEDULE YOUR AUDITION TODAY: COMPLETE THE FORM AT THIS LINK
PREPARE: a 1-minute Classical monologue. You may prepare a bonus 1 min modern monologue but it is not required
ARE ALL ROLES PAID? Yes.
IF WE CANNOT MAKE THE IN-PERSON AUDITION CAN WE SUBMIT VIRTUALLY?
Yes. Submit by 10PM November 21st, 2027.
Subject: LASTName Audition
Include Video Link, Headshot, Resume and Conflicts
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? info@swshakespeare.org
ABOUT JULIUS CAESAR:
Rehearsals for JULIUS CAESAR start JAN, 2027, and the production performs in the Piper Repertory Theatre and runs in Repertory with COMEDY OF ERRORS. Public Performances FEB 13-28th with weekday student matinees on the 16th, 19th 24th, and 25th at 10am.
William Shakespeare's tragedy JULIUS CAESAR is a gripping political thriller that portrays the conspiracy against the Roman dictator, his assassination, and the chaotic civil war that followed. First performed in 1599, the play examines the fragile balance of power, the dangers of political ambition, and the psychological burden of betrayal, This version will pay homage to the stylistic features of Film Directors Akira Kurosawa and Quentin Tarantino. Many sources available online.
Brutus: This role has been cast.
Cassius/Dardanius: Any gender.
Marc Antony: Any Gender
Caesar/Volumnius: Male presenting 50s-70s
Casca/Titinius: Any gender
Marellus/ Cinna/ Pindarus: Any gender
Lucius/ Soothsayer: Male presenting 16-20s
Portia/Cato: Female Presenting 30s
Calpurnia/ Cinna The Poet/ Messala: Female Presenting 40s-60s
Metellus Cimber/ Lucilius: Any Gender
Trebonius/ Octavius: Male Presenting 20s
Flavius/ Decius Brutus/ Lepidus: Any Gender 40s-70s
ABOUT TARTUFFE:
Rehearsals begin FEB 2027 and the production performs in the Farnsworth Studio.
TARTUFFE by Moliere, translated by Richard Wilbur
directed by Bob Sorenson
Mesa Arts Center, Farnsworth Studio
Performances: March 19-April 4, 2027
Rehearsals: beginning mid-late February
Synopsis
Orgon, a wealthy man, becomes blindly and dangerously devoted to Tartuffe, a hypocritical religious fraud who manipulates piety to control the household and seize its fortune. His family and friends warn him as they navigate the humorous and poignant clash between virtue and vice. First performed in 1664, this razor-sharp satire skewers hypocrisy, blind faith, and social pretension, while remaining hilarious and surprisingly modern.
Roles
Orgon (male presenting, 40s/50s): a prosperous, upper-middle-class to upper class head of a household. He adores his second wife, Elmire, and his children from his first marriage, Mariane and Damis. However, he’s fallen for Tartuffe’s trickery, devoutly believing in his spiritual leadership and placing all his trust in him. Must combine power and authority with an unshakeable faith. His conviction creates some of the play's biggest comic moments, but his emotional journey must remain truthful. His abiding love for Elmire and his family makes him sympathetic and allows him to redeem
himself.
Tartuffe (male presenting, 40s+): a parasitic con artist who excels at manufacturing displays of piety which convince Orgon, if not his family, of his authenticity. Clearly, he remains a man of appetites, driven by greed, hunger and physical desire. His longing for Elmire reveals his true nature and eventually proves to be his undoing. Tartuffe has the DNA of commedia dell’arte trickster archetypes in his character, but this role should be approached with sharpness and acuity. He is a man with considerable intellectual skills and very typical human weaknesses.
Elmire (female presenting, late 20s-early 30s+): serves as one of the two moral anchors of the play; she has agency, wit, clarity and deep human intelligence. More than anyone else, she understands how to get through to Orgon, and develops a strategy to unmask Tartuffe’s true nature. In staging a scene that reveals his hypocrisy, she engineers his ultimate downfall and finally awakens her husband to the truth of his situation. She ably navigates a household in which she has few natural allies as Orgon’s second wife. She has the charisma, intelligence, and emotional maturity to command a room without ever seeming to. The role requires a clever, appealing comedienne able to win people over.
Dorine (female presenting, 20s/30s): the other moral anchor of the play, and one of Elmire’s few allies in the household. She possesses an unerring eye for the truth and the courage to say it. Her boldness and honesty are what make her truly funny. She is unafraid to speak truth to power; her relatively low social standing enables her to stay grounded in reality. She is more than simply comic relief. Instead, her wit and humor serve to puncture the various illusions entertained by Orgon and members of his family, raising the dramatic stakes rather than relieving them.
Damis (male presenting, 20s): Orgon's hot-headed son. Honest, brave, and incapable of concealing what he thinks. His impatience often undermines his otherwise sound judgment.
Mariane (female presenting, early 20s): Orgon's daughter. Thoughtful, kind, and deeply in love with Valère. Caught between filial duty and her own desires, she must find the courage to speak for herself.
Valère (male presenting, 20s): Mariane's devoted suitor. Passionate, romantic, and occasionally impulsive. Their love story provides much of the play's emotional warmth.
Cléante: (any gender, 30s/40s) Elmire's older sibling. Thoughtful, perceptive, and endlessly patient. Serves as one of the household's clearest voices of reason and moderation.
Madame Pernelle (female presenting, 60s+): a proud and stubborn lady of significant social standing, she commands the room anytime she is in it. Sharp-tongued, imperious, and utterly convinced of her own wisdom. Dame Maggie Smith energy.
Flipote (female presenting, 20s+): Madame Pernelle’s silent maid, she constantly endures her abuse.
Monsieur Loyal (male presenting 20-30s+): A deceitful bailiff who attempts to evict the family.
Police Officer (male presenting 20-30s+): The royal officer who arrests Tartuffe on the King's orders.
What to prepare: 1 Classical Monologue 45-90sec