2027 General Auditions
Do you want to be a Fool?
a Company of Fools is holding general auditions for both its 2027 Shakespeare in the Park summer tour and its Theatre for Young Audiences spring tour. Actors will be auditioning for Artistic Director Kate Smith and Director Mary Ellis. Auditions will be held in Ottawa at Orpheus House (17 Fairmont Ave) on October 21st and 22nd, with callbacks scheduled for October 23rd. Professional actors whose artistic practice is based in Ottawa will be prioritized.
The shows:
Juliet: A Revenge Comedy by Ryan Gladstone and Pippa Mackie, directed by Kate Smith
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare, adapted and directed by Mary Ellis
What we’re looking for:
Actors should have a strong handle on Shakespearean text. They should be comfortable working outdoors in the summer in a variety of weather conditions. Singing, puppetry, movement, and the ability to play hand-held instruments are considered an asset - please note these in your cover letter. Actors must be able to work locally within Ottawa in March and April for the spring TYA tour, and June through August for the summer Shakespeare in the Park tour. A copy of the company’s Weather Policy for the summer show will be available at the auditions.
Actors will need to prepare either 2 classical monologues (at least one must be Shakespeare) or 1 Shakespearean monologue and 1 song excerpt one minute in length (or 32 bars), preferably from the musical theatre canon. Actors are asked to submit only if they have completed a performance training program or will complete one by June 2027. Please note that we will not be accepting self-tapes. If Ottawa actors are interested in working with us but cannot attend the audition dates, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you.
a Company of Fools encourages submissions from artists of all backgrounds, regardless of culture, race, colour, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
To submit
Please email your headshot and CV in one PDF with the file name in the format of “LAST Name, FIRST Name - CV & Headshot” to auditions@fools.ca by Sunday, October 4th at midnight. Please indicate in your email if you are an Equity member. Audition appointments will be sent out by Friday, October 9th.
Please note that only candidates selected for an audition will be contacted.
We look forward to welcoming our newest crop of Fools!