Open Call for Renaissance-era Historical Figures
Location: Simi Valley, CA (Ventura County)
Type: Theater
This Sunday, July 5th from 10a-3p, the Nottingham Festival will hold auditions for our Renaissance Masters Pavilion! This outdoor theater presentation features a wide variety of famous historical figures of great influence from the Renaissance period which are brought to life in an interactive performance setting. Imagine if Disneyland’s Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln was acted by a real person who could interact with the audience through their presence and encyclopedic knowledge of that period in history and you get the idea of what we are looking for.
For the audition, please prepare a three to five minute presentation of an historical character from the list of available roles below, or if you know of someone from the era – male or female, you’d like to portray, wow us with your research, stage presence and story telling skills! When creating your historical personae, know that we are looking for REAL PEOPLE who are also “story tellers” – not re-enactors. We don’t want you to just recite facts. *Become* the historical figure.
We encourage direct interaction with the audience. The more accessible you make your character the more the audience will be able to relate to you. Along with the historical data, feel free to take some artistic license and include unsubstantiated tidbits of info, opinions & perspectives, feelings, funny anecdotes that will help to connect you to your audience on a very basic level. Always avoid anachronisms (modernisms) and reference to contemporary issues.
No appointment to audition is necessary.
Auditions will be held July 5th from 10AM – 3PM at ARTS PERFORMANCE ACADEMY at Simi Valley Town Center, 1555 Town Center Way, SIMI VALLEY 93065. ARTS is located in the mall, a very short walk from the Apple Store.
The Nottingham Festival takes place on November 7/8 & 14/15. We will ask about your availability for one or both weekends at the auditions.
WOMEN:
VITTORIA COLONNA: Poet Italy 1492-1547 Advanced reader of the Courtier by Castaglione, and one of Michelangelo’s few female friends.
CATHERINE DE MEDICI: Politician France 1519-1589
ISABELLA DE CASTILLE: Politician Spain 1451-1504 Spanish queen
ANNE BOLEYN: Politician England 1501-1536 Henry VIII’s doomed 2nd wife
GASPARA STAMPA: Poet Italy 1523-1554 Female poet
MADDALENA CASULANA: Musician Italy 1544-1590 First female composer/singer
ISABELLA D’ESTE: Politician Italy 1474-1539 Patroness of the arts
MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS: Politician Scotland 1542-1587 Executed queen and cousin to Elizabeth
LUCREZIA BORGIA: Politician Italy 1480–1551 Famed beauty and politician, infamous “poisoner”
MARY TUDOR: Politician English 1516-1558 Sister to Elizabeth, named ‘Bloody Mary’ for religious persecution
GRACIA MENDES NASI: Portuagal 1510-1569 one of the wealthiest Jewish women of Renaissance Europe. She married into the eminent international banking and finance company Palenzuela Ha Levi Vienveniste known as the House of Mendes
BEATRIZ GALINDO: Spanish 1465-1534 Spanish Latinist and educator. She was a writer, humanist and a teacher of Queen Isabella of Castile and her children.
LADY JANE Grey: English Politician 1536-1554
MARGARET MOORE/ROPER: English Scholar 1505–1544
CATERINA SFORZA, Politician 1463-1509 Storied Italian countess who some will recognize from the Assassin’s Creed series.
MEN:
LEONARDO DA VINCI: Artist Italy 1452-1519 “Renaissance Man” – inventor, artist, student of anatomy
JUAN PONCE DE LEÓN: Explorer: Spain 1474-1521 Searched for fountain of Youth
HERNAN CORTES: Explorer Spain 1485-1547 Conquistador who brought down the Aztecs
MIGUEL DE CERVANTES: Writer Spain 1547-1616 (Wrote Don Quixote)
MARTIN LUTHER: Reformer German 1483-1546 Founder of Lutherism
COPERNICUS: Astronomer German 1473-1543 1st to suggest the Sun at the center of the universe
LUCAS CRANACH the ELDER: Artist German 1472-1553
RAPHAEL SANZIO DE URBINO: Artist Italy 1483-1520 Artist, architect
DANTE ALIGHIERI: Writer Italy 1265-1321 First great Italian writer/poet *Father to the renaissance*
CHAUCER: Writer England 1343-1400 Author, scientist – famed as first secular English writer.
EDMUND SPENSER: Writer England 1552-1599 English epic poet
HANS HOLBEIN the YOUNGER: Artist German 1497-1543 Artist to Henry VIII, designer of jewelry & design details, father of “photoshopping”
IMAD AL-DIN MAHMUDI: Iran Mid 16th century Islamic physician
ALBRECHT DÜRER: Artist German 1471-1528 Famed woodcuts, painter
JOHN KNOX: Reformer Scotland 1514-1572
WILLIAM ADAMS: Sailor England 1564-1620 English Samurai, sailor
HASEKURA TSUNENAGA: Diplomat Japan 1571-1622 First Japanese ambassador to the Americas & Europe
BARTOLOMEO SCAPPI: Chef Italy 1500-1577
JOÃO de SA PENASCO Soldier Spain 1524-1567
LUIS DE TORRES: Spain (d. 1493) Christopher Columbus’s interpreter on his first voyage and the first person of Jewish origin to settle in the Americas
SULEIMAN the MAGNIFICENT: Ruler of the Middle East, patron of arts, reformer
TYCHO BRAHAE: Dutch Astronomer 1546 – 1601
The Nottingham Festival is a 501(c)3 non-profit and all roles are voluntary. This is a unique opportunity for those pursuing the acting craft, especially for people interested in history. We hope to see many of you there! Gramercy!
Payment: Non Paid
City or Location of call: Simi Valley, CA (Ventura County)
Please submit to: This is an open call, see above for date and location by 2015-07-05
This casting notice was posted by: The Nottingham Festival