Open auditions for A Midsummer Night's Dream will be held at Albany Civic Theater on Monday, April 20th and Tuesday, April 21st. Auditions will begin promptly at 7 PM and run until around 9 PM. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Auditioners are welcome to attend both nights of open auditions, but it is not required. Callbacks will be held by invitation-only as needed on Wednesday, April 22nd.

Plan to arrive early to fill out an audition form. If you prefer, you can download and print the form linked below and complete it in advance. Please write clearly, especially your contact information. Headshots and resumes are not required, but always appreciated.

Audition form: https://tinyurl.com/ACTMidsummer-AuditionForm-2026 

Bring a full list of your conflicts between April 23 and July 26. Please refer to the important dates listed below.

Important dates:

Take stage: June 14

Tech week: July 6-10

Tech rehearsals: July 6-10

Set strike: July 26

What to prepare/expect:

There’s no need to prepare anything specific for auditions. Auditioners will be reading from the script during auditions. Excerpts from the script will be provided at auditions. A note from the director: Please do not be afraid of Shakespearean language.

About the show:

In Albany Oregon, on the Summer Solstice of 2026, a night when Faerie magic is strongest, two groups of ordinary humans enter the forest. Two young couples seek to escape meddling parents, and a group of typical workers seek a place to practice a play to perform at the wedding of the mayor. They could be your neighbors. They could be you as, on this shortest night of the year, they encounter the woodland magic of elves and faeries. Hilarity ensues while they endure magical challenges to their hearts and to their perception of reality. Faeries and humans alike emerge from the woods in the morning with new understanding of themselves and of each other.

Note: A Midsummer Night’s Dream contains the use of stage weapons.

Actors 16+ will be considered. Actors under 18 will need permission forms signed.

Cast of characters:

THE FAERIES:

• Oberon (male presenting, age 30 - 60, large line load) -- King of the Faeries.

• Titania (female presenting, age 30-60, large line load) -- Queen of the Faeries.

• Puck (any gender, age 15 - 45, large line load) -- a trickster Faerie -- behind every bit of magical chaos.

• Dancing Faerie (any gender, can be a youth actor, small line load, can be combined with one of the named faeries) -- Titania's attendant.

• Peaseblossom (any gender, can be a youth actor, small line load, must be comfortable dancing) – Titania's attendant.

• Cobweb (any gender, can be a youth actor, small line load, must be comfortable dancing) – Titania's attendant.

• Moth (any gender, can be a youth actor, small line load, must be comfortable dancing) – Titania's attendant.

• Mustardseed (any gender, can be a youth actor, small line load, must be comfortable dancing) – Titania's attendant.

• Elf #1 (any gender, can be a youth actor, small line load) – Oberon's attendant.

• Elf #2 (any gender, can be a youth actor, small line load) – Oberon's attendant.

• Ensemble elves and faeries -- there will be an opportunity for several dancers to take part in ensemble dance numbers. No lines, but lots of fun. All of the faeries listed above will also be in these dance numbers. Again, these can be youth actors.

THE LOVERS

• Hermia (female presenting, age 18 - 30 large line load) -- young and in love with Lysander.

• Lysander (male presenting, age 18 - 30 large line load) -- young and loved by Hermia.

• Demetrius (male presenting, age 18 - 30 large line load) -- Hermia's young suitor.

• Helena (female presenting, age 18 - 30 large line load) -- young and in love with Demetrius.

THE WORKERS

• Nick Bottom (Male presenting, age 30-60, large line load; this is a comic part. Lots of stage time) – He plays Pyramus in the play-within-a-play.

• Peter (Or Penny) Quince (any gender, age 30 - 60, medium line load) – The leader of the workers, Quince organizes the play-within-a-play. Vivacious and charismatic.

• Francis Flute (male presenting, age 20-30, small line load) – plays Thisbe in the play-within-a-play.

• Tom Snout (any gender, age 25 - 80, small line load) – plays Wall in the play-within-a-play.

• Snug (any gender, age 25 - 80, small line load) – plays Lion in the play-within-a-play.

• Robin Starveling (any gender, any age, small line load) – plays Moonshine in the play-within-a-play.

CITIZENS OF ALBANY

• Theseus (Male presenting age 40 - 65, small line load) – The Mayor of Albany.

• Hippolyta (Female presenting, age 30 - 50, small line load) – Queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus.

• Egeus (Any gender, age 40 - 60, small line load) – Hermia's unreasonable parent.

• Philostrate (Any gender age 18+, small line load) – Theseus' wedding planner.