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"Something Rotten"

Book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell  
Music and Lyrics by Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick
Directed by Terri Kent
Music Directed by Jennifer Korecki
Choreographed by Jennifer Black

AUDITION INFORMATION

About (From MTI) 

“Welcome to the Renaissance and the outrageous, crowd-pleasing musical farce, "Something Rotten." Created by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Wayne Kirkpatrick, and successful screenwriters Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, "Something Rotten" was lauded by audience members and critics alike, receiving several Best Musical nominations and hailed by Time Out New York as "the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years".

Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as "The Bard." When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical. But amidst the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self, and all that jazz.”

When: November 10 & 12 – 6-10 p.m.

Where: Kent Center for the Performing Arts (CPA), D-205

Signing Up

1. Fill out and submit by Sunday, November 9 at 5 p.m.. Please be prepared to upload a headshot and performance resume (if you have one) through this form. Please indicate on your audition form which musical and/or play ("Something Rotten" and/or "Side Show" and/or "Book of Will" you’d like to be considered for). At the end of the form, there will be a link to sign up for the timeslot(s).
2. If you are auditioning for the musical(s) and "Book of Will," sign up for two timeslots (one for "Something Rotten" and/or "Side Show," and one for "Book of Will") in the appropriate areas of the sign-up sheet.
3.  Please note that if there is no audition form completed and you’ve signed up for a timeslot(s), you may be removed from your timeslot(s) until a form is submitted.

What to Prepare:

1. Auditions are open to all Kent State students
2. Auditions for "Something Rotten" and/or "Side Show" will be held together. "Book of Will" will be auditioning separately in Wright-Curtis Theatre.
3. Prepare two contrasting musical selections (e.g., uptempo and ballad, or classical and contemporary). These selections should serve both "Something Rotten" and "Side Show." Each cut should be 16–32 bars, with sheet music in the performer’s key. No a cappella singing will be permitted.

Callbacks

When: November 14 – beginning at 6 p.m.
Where: Location D-205

Callbacks will consist of a dance call, sides and songs from the show. This information will be circulated when the callback list is announced; please review them in advance of the callback.

Rehearsals

Music Rehearsals: November 18-20, 2025, 6- 10 p.m.

Staging and Choreography Rehearsals: Monday – Friday 6-10 p.m., Saturday or Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. or 12-8 p.m.

January 11-February 11, 2026

Sitzprobe: February 12, 2026

Technical Rehearsals Begin: (tentative) Friday, February 13

Performances

Friday, February 20 – Sunday, February 22, and Wednesday, February 25– Sunday, March 1

Casting Statement 

"Something Rotten" will be cast, according to the representation of ��㴫ý.

Preliminary Auditions

Open to ALL ��㴫ý students. Auditions will be held for both "Something Rotten" and "Side Show In Concert" for the Porthouse Experience. Your audition will consist of two contrasting musical selections (e.g., uptempo and ballad, or classical and contemporary). These selections should serve both "Something Rotten" and "Side Show." Each cut should be 16–32 bars, with sheet music in the performer’s key. No a cappella singing will be permitted.

Character Breakdown (from MTI)

Shakespeare - The Bard. Over the top with a huge ego.
Gender: male
Age: 30 to 40
Vocal range top: Ab4
Vocal range bottom: Ab2

Nick Bottom - A struggling writer who cannot stand Shakespeare. Nigel’s older brother.
Gender: male
Age: 30 to 40
Vocal range top: G4
Vocal range bottom: A2

Nigel Bottom - Nick’s sweet younger brother. A struggling writer who falls in love with Portia, a Puritan.
Gender: male
Age: 30 to 40
Vocal range top: A4
Vocal range bottom: Eb3

Bea - Nick’s wife. She loves Nick despite his past lack of success. She dresses up like a man to prove she can be an actor.
Gender: female
Age: 30 to 40
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: D3

Portia - A Puritan woman who loves poetry, theater and ultimately Nigel.
Gender: female
Age: 20 to 35
Vocal range top: F#5
Vocal range bottom: G3

Nostradamus - A soothsayer
Gender: male
Age: 40 to 50

Brother Jeremiah - Portia's father. A Puritan who thinks Nick and Nigel's plays are sinful.
Gender: male
Vocal range top: G4
Vocal range bottom: G3

Lord Clapham - A posh patron of the theater.
Gender: male

Shylock - An investor to whom Nick and Nigel are in debt.
Gender: male

Minstrel
Gender: male
Vocal range top: A4
Vocal range bottom: C#3

Ensemble
Roles include: Minstrel, Townspeople, Troupe, Lord Clapham, Shylock, Man Servants, Crowd, Chorus and more.

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS FOR B.F.A. MUSICAL THEATRE STUDENTS

“B.F.A. Musical Theatre candidates are required to audition for all theatre division main stage productions and accept roles if cast. Exemptions to the audition requirement may be granted under certain circumstances. Circumstances include but are not limited to: religious beliefs, moral objection, psychological triggers with the play, and physical concerns. In order to be exempted from the audition requirement, students must submit a written petition to the performance faculty prior to the beginning of the casting process for the production in question. The performance faculty will make a good faith effort to deliberate and come to a decision on the petition at the first performance area meeting after the receipt of the petition. At no point will a student be asked to disclose sensitive personal information.”

For information on all the B.F.A. Musical Theatre requirements, please go to the following. B.F.A. Musical Theatre

"The Book of Will"

By Lauren Gunderson
Directed by the 2025-2026 Roe Green Visiting Director, Tony F. Sias, CEO & President, Karamu House

AUDITION INFORMATION

About

Without William Shakespeare, we wouldn’t have literary masterpieces like "Romeo and Juliet." But without Henry Condell and John Heminges, we would have lost half of Shakespeare’s plays forever! After the death of their friend and mentor, the two actors are determined to compile the First Folio and preserve the words that shaped their lives. They’ll just have to borrow, beg, and band together to get it done. Amidst the noise and color of Elizabethan London, "The Book of Will" finds an unforgettable true story of love, loss, and laughter, and sheds new light on a man you may think you know.

Auditions: 

When: November 10 & 12 – 6-10 p.m.

Where: Kent Center for the Performing Arts (CPA), Wright-Curtis Theatre

• Auditions are open to all Kent State students 
• Please prepare two brief contrasting monologues for the audition and be prepared for some movement exercises.
• If the monologue isn’t memorized, that is fine. Please audition anyway.
• If you are new to auditioning and do not have two monologues, please select two contrasting monologues from the play; several options can be found in the script.

Signing Up

1. Fill out and submit by Sunday, November 9 at 5 p.m.. Please be prepared to upload a headshot and performance resume (if you have one) through this form. Please indicate on your audition form which musical and/or play ("Something Rotten" and/or "Side Show" and/or "Book of Will" you’d like to be considered for). At the end of the form, there will be a link to sign up for the timeslot(s).
2. If you are auditioning for the musical(s) and "Book of Will," sign up for two timeslots (one for "Something Rotten" and/or "Side Show," and one for "Book of Will") in the appropriate areas of the sign-up sheet.
3. Please note that if there is no audition form completed and you’ve signed up for a timeslot(s), you may be removed from your timeslot(s) until a form is submitted.

Preliminary Auditions

Open to ALL ��㴫ý students. Auditions will be held for "Book of Will" in Wright-Curtis Theatre. Please prepare two brief contrasting monologues for the audition and be prepared for some movement exercises.

Callbacks: 

When: Thursday, November 13 – beginning at 6 p.m. 

Where: Kent Center for the Performing Arts – Wright-Curtis Theatre

Callbacks will consist of sides (excerpts from scenes of the play) and will be circulated when the callback list is announced; please review them in advance of the callback. There may also be a movement portion to the callback.

A Note on Casting: "Book of Will" will be cast, according to the representation of KSU.

REHEARSAL & PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

Rehearsals:

Begin: Mid-Late February. Sundays 2-8 p.m., Mondays-Thursdays 6-10 p.m.

Tech: Friday, April 10, with a full tech day on Saturday, April 11 .

Performances: Thursday, April 16-Sunday, April 18, Wednesday, April 21-Sunday, April 26

ROLES:

Book of Will (from Dramatists):

Henry Condell – 40; feisty, hopeful friend and actor in the King’s Men.

John Heminges – 50; reasonable friend and financial manager of the King’s Men; owner of the Globe Tap House; a good man, a gentleman, if serious.

Richard Burbage – 50’s; seasoned lion of the stage, famous across England, loud and proud.

Alice Heminges – 35, John’s daughter and alewife, knows everyone and hangs with the boys.

Boy Hamlet – Young actor.

Barman – Ruffian.

Barman 2 – Drunk.

Ben Jonson – Poet laureate of England, friend/rival of Shakespeare. Amazing drunk. A bear of a man. Surprisingly weepy.

Elizabeth Condell – Henry’s wife, savvy and fun.

Rebecca Heminges – John’s wife. Strong, busy with their grocery business, a woman who has weathered much but loves her husband and sons and God.

Ed Knight – “Stage manager” for the King’s Men, self-serious and particular

Ralph Crane – Humble scrivener of the King’s Men. Quick, sure, quiet.

William Jaggard – Successful if shady publisher of books, plays, and playbills. He is confident in his ability to get what he wants. Very experienced, very connected, willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. An ass.

Isaac Jaggard – William’s son, will inherit the business. Sensitive, an artist at heart.

Marcus – 20, printer’s apprentice at the Jaggard print shop, nosy but honest.

Compositor – Works for Jaggard, young.

Emilia Bassano Lanier – 50, fiery Italian feminist and poet, independent woman, lover of life (and of Shakespeare).

Anne Hathaway Shakespeare – 60, Shakespeare’s now ailing wife. Strong-willed, a classy lady, a survivor.

Susanna Shakespeare – 30, good girl and daughter of Shakespeare.

Crier – Newsboy.

Bernardo, Francisco – Actors playing those roles.

Sir Edward Dering – 60, book and theatre lover

Horatio

Fruit Seller

Marcellus

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS FOR B.F.A. MUSICAL THEATRE AND M.F.A. STUDENTS

“B.F.A. Musical Theatre candidates are required to audition for all theatre division main stage productions and accept roles if cast. Exemptions to the audition requirement may be granted under certain circumstances. Circumstances include but are not limited to: religious beliefs, moral objection, psychological triggers with the play, and physical concerns. In order to be exempted from the audition requirement, students must submit a written petition to the performance faculty prior to the beginning of the casting process for the production in question. The performance faculty will make a good faith effort to deliberate and come to a decision on the petition at the first performance area meeting after the receipt of the petition. At no point will a student be asked to disclose sensitive personal information.”

For information on all the B.F.A. Musical Theatre requirements please go to the following. /theatredance/revised-requirements-bfa-musical-theatre-program

"Side Show In Concert"

THEA 42999-001 – The Porthouse Experience

Book by Bill Russell 
Music by Henry Kriger 
Additional book material by Bill Condon
Directed by Terri Kent
Music Directed by TBD

AUDITION INFORMATION

About (from Concord Theatricals)

Based on the true story of conjoined twins Violet and Daisy Hilton, who became stars during the Depression, "Side Show" is a moving portrait of two women joined at the hip whose extraordinary bondage brings them fame but denies them love. Told almost entirely in song, the show follows Violet and Daisy's progression from England to America, around the vaudeville circuit and to Hollywood on the eve of their appearance in the 1932 movie "Freaks."

With a completely reworked plot and new songs like "Very Well Connected," "All in the Mind" and "The Great Wedding Show," the 2014 revival delves deeper into the backstory of the Hilton twins. With the implementation of the twins' relationship with Harry Houdini and of a proposed separation surgery, the new book fleshes out characters and situations that endow the songs with more sophistication and truth.

When: November 10 & 12 – 6-10 p.m.

Where: Kent Center for the Performing Arts (CPA), D-205

Signing Up

1. Fill out and submit by Sunday, November 9 at 5 p.m.. Please be prepared to upload a headshot and performance resume (if you have one) through this form. Please indicate on your audition form which musical and/or play ("Something Rotten" and/or "Side Show" and/or "Book of Will" you’d like to be considered for). At the end of the form, there will be a link to sign up for the timeslot(s).
2. If you are auditioning for the musical(s) and "Book of Will," sign up for two timeslots (one for "Something Rotten" and/or "Side Show," and one for "Book of Will") in the appropriate areas of the sign-up sheet.
3.  Please note that if there is no audition form completed and you’ve signed up for a timeslot(s), you may be removed from your timeslot(s) until a form is submitted.

What to Prepare:

1. Auditions are open to all Kent State students
2. Auditions for "Something Rotten" and/or "Side Show" will be held together. "Book of Will" will be auditioning separately in Wright-Curtis Theatre.
3. Prepare two contrasting musical selections (e.g., uptempo and ballad, or classical and contemporary). These selections should serve both "Something Rotten" and "Side Show." Each cut should be 16–32 bars, with sheet music in the performer’s key. No a cappella singing will be permitted.

Callbacks

When: Callbacks: November 15, times TBD 

Callbacks will consist of songs from the show. This information will be circulated when the callback list is announced; please review it in advance of the callback.

Rehearsals

Rehearsals: Spring Semester M/W 3:20-5:00 p.m.

Brush-up Rehearsal at Porthouse: Week of June 29

Technical Rehearsals Begin: (tentative) Week of June 29

Performances

Tuesday, July 7 – Saturday, July 18

Casting Statement 

"Side Show" will be cast, according to the representation of ��㴫ý.

Casting Note (from Concord Theatricals):

“Side Show" is set in 1930s America during the Great Depression and the start of the Civil Rights movement and as such tackles themes of discrimination and racism. Certain characters should be cast accordingly to reflect the politics of the time including Buddy who should be of White European heritage and Jake who should be of Black African heritage. The use of make-up or prosthetics to alter an actor’s ethnicity is prohibited.

Preliminary Auditions

Open to ALL ��㴫ý students. Auditions will be held for both "Something Rotten" and "Side Show In Concert" for the Porthouse Experience. Your audition will consist of two contrasting musical selections (e.g., uptempo and ballad, or classical and contemporary). These selections should serve both "Something Rotten" and "Side Show." Each cut should be 16–32 bars, with sheet music in the performer’s key. No a cappella singing will be permitted.

Character Breakdown (from MTI)

VIOLET HILTON

DAISY HILTON

TERRY CONNER

BUDDY FOSTER

JAKE

SIR

3-LEGGED MAN

GEEK

FORTUNE TELLER

VENUS DE MILO

DOG BOY

HOUDINI

FEMALE COSSACK

HALF-MAN HALF-WOMAN

HUMAN PIN CUSHION

JUDGE

RAY

LIZARD MAN

SIR'S LAWYER

CAMERAMAN

TOD BROWNING

BEARDED LADY

AUNTIE

TATTOO GIRL

MALE COSSACK

DOCTORS

SUITORS

ROUSTABOUTS

ENSEMBLE

More About Porthouse Theatre