BAM! POW!
This production of Much Ado About Nothing is set in a world of superheroes! Messina is a town where the super-est of them gather to relax and be merry after long battles against supervillains. As long as there aren’t any secret supervillains in their midst, plotting to ruin their matchmaking pastimes…
Performances will be August 14-16 and 21-23, with a tech week beginning with load-in on Sunday, August 9th. The theater we’ll be performing in is on San Jacinto College’s South campus. Though we will aim to have a read-through earlier, regular rehearsals will begin on Tuesday June 23rd, and generally be on Sundays (3pm-7pm), Tuesdays (7pm-9:30pm), and Thursdays (7pm-9:30pm). Wednesday rehearsals may be added closer to the performance dates, if needed. Please come to auditions prepared with a list of any conflicts you may have.
Auditions will consist of cold reading scenes from the play. No preparation required! However, if you wish to prepare a Shakespearean monologue from a different play, you are welcome to do so.
Auditions will be held at 7:00 PM on June 7th and 8th at Webster Presbyterian Church.
Please email director Raine Hasskew with any questions.
All roles are open to gender-blind casting, though several will need to be played as a specific gender in the play. Some roles must be of certain relative ages to each other (e.g. Hero younger than her parents Leonato and Antonia, and roughly equal ages between romantic pairs), but otherwise there are no specific age requirements. Note that the roles below are not listed in order of size.
Heroes
- Don Pedro – Leader of the superhero squad, going by the name of The Prince. Enjoys playing matchmaker.
- Benedick – Member of The Prince’s squad and verbal sparring partner of Beatrice. Professes that he will remain a bachelor, but his friends have other plans.
- Beatrice – A witty and independent woman. Cousin of Hero and verbal sparring partner of Benedick. Has invisibility powers, but prefers to be seen.
- Claudio – The youngest member of The Prince’s squad, known as The Count. Falls in love with Hero at first sight.
- Hero – Gentle and obedient daughter of Leonato and Antonia. She is the target of a villainous plot by Don John.
- Leonato – Retired superhero and ruler of Messina. Hero’s father.
- Antonia – Hero’s mother and spiritual leader of the heroes. Has healing powers. This role combines the traditional roles of Antonio and Friar Francis.
Villains
- Don John – Don Pedro’s brother. Unbeknownst to the heroes, he is secretly a supervillain.
- Borachio – Henchman of Don John. Has the power of illusion.
- Conrade – Another henchman of Don John, and perhaps also his lover.
Other
- Margaret – Bartender at the local bar and a friend of Hero’s.
- Balthazar – DJ at the local bar.
- Dogberry – Chief Constable of Messina. Frequently misuses words for comedic effect.
- Watchman Seacoal – Member of the police force who happens to overhear some important information.
- Sexton – An officer of the court.