THE NEW ORLEANS SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL AT TULANE
2026 SEASON AUDITIONS
KING LEAR
by William Shakespeare
May 22 - June 7, 2026
Directed by Jana Mestecky
MACBETH
by William Shakespeare
June 26 - July 12, 2026
Directed by Graham Burk
REHEARSAL & PERFORMANCE DATES
KING LEAR
*King Lear Rehearsal Dates: April 28 – May 21, 2026 (Rehearses Tuesday - Friday evenings 6-10pm, Saturday & Sunday 12-5pm)
King Lear Performance Dates: May 22 - June 7, 2026 (May 22, 23, 28, 29, 30, June 4, 5, 6 at 7:30pm and May 24, 31, June 7 at 1:30pm).
(UN)PROMPTED SHAKESPEARE
*(un)prompted Shakespeare Rehearsal Date: June 13, 2026 10am-6pm
(un)prompted Shakespeare Performance Date: June 13, 2026 at 7:30pm
(un)prompted Shakespeare returns! The Shakespeare Festival will stage a full Shakespeare play in one day without a script in hand. Actors will receive a cue script of just their lines and their cues to prepare ahead of time. The actors lines don't have to be memorized. There will be one rehearsal day. In the morning will be a fight call, and the afternoon will be a run through of the play. The script will be projected in multiple places on stage and the lines will be read like a teleprompter. The audience will also be able to see the projected lines and follow along.
MACBETH
Macbeth Rehearsal Dates: June 2 – 25, 2026 (Rehearses Tuesday - Friday evenings 6-10pm, Saturday & Sunday 12-5pm)
Macbeth Performance Dates: June 26 - July 12, 2026 (June 26, 27, July 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 at 7:30pm and June 28, July 5, 12 at 1:30pm)
SEASON AUDITION DATES
Non-Equity Auditions – Saturday, January 17 (12pm – 5pm) in the Lupin Theatre on Tulane's campus
Equity Principal Auditions – Saturday, January 17 (11am - 12pm) in the Lupin Theatre on Tulane's campus
Filmed Auditions - Deadline to submit a video recording is Thursday, January 15th at 5pm. See below for filming instructions.
Callbacks – Callbacks are Saturday, January 24 (12-5pm) in the Lupin Theatre. The callback sides that will used will be posted in early January.
NON-EQUITY SEASON AUDITION INFO
Saturday, January 17 (12pm – 5pm) in the Lupin Theatre on Tulane's campus
For a Non-Equity audition, please sign up for an audition spot HERE.
Please bring 2 copies of your headshot and resume to the audition.
For the audition, please prepare a 1-2 minute Shakespeare monologue in verse.
Callbacks will be held in person on January 24 from 12-5pm. You will not be needed the entire time.
EQUITY PRINCIPAL AUDITION INFO
Independent Theatre Contract - $401/wk
Saturday, January 17 (11am - 12pm)
Please email shakespearecasting@tulane.edu with your preferred audition time to book an appointment.
Callbacks will be in person on January 24 from 12pm - 5pm. You will not be needed the entire time.
AUDITION REQUIREMENTS
For the audition, please prepare a 1-2 minute Shakespeare monologue in verse.
Please bring 2 copies of your headshot and resume to your audition.
AVAILABLE ROLES
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All roles are available in King Lear and Macbeth.
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We encourage actors of all ages, races, ethnicities, abilities, and gender identities to audition.
KING LEAR CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
King Lear: The aging King of Britain who divides his kingdom among his daughters, only to be betrayed by Goneril and Regan, which leads to his madness and eventual tragic realization.
Goneril: Lear's eldest daughter and the wife of Albany. Ruthless and ambitious. Betraying Lear and eventually plotting her husband’s demise to marry Edmund, she will stop at nothing to gain power.
Regan: Lear's second daughter and the wife of Cornwall. She is equally cruel and power-hungry as her sister, conspiring with Goneril to remove her father from the throne.
Cordelia: Lear's youngest and most beloved daughter, who is disinherited for refusing to flatter him. Honest, compassionate, forgiving, strong-willed. She remains loyal to her father despite her circumstance and later returns with a French army to save him from her sisters.
Earl of Kent: Lear’s loyal friend and supporter who is banished for defending Cordelia. He later returns in disguise to continue serving Lear.
Earl of Gloucester: A nobleman, devoted to the King, whose story parallels Lear's. He is deceived by his son Edmund and ultimately becomes a victim of the play's unfolding tragedy.
Edgar: Gloucester's son, born to married parents, who is tricked by his brother Edmund and forced to flee. He disguises himself as a mad beggar to survive and eventually seeks justice.
Edmund: Gloucester's son, born to unmarried parents, who is driven by ambition. He plots against his father and brother, Edgar, to gain power and status.
Oswald: Goneril’s steward who is an opportunistic accomplice helping Goneril’s plot.
Fool: Lear’s loyal court jester known for his truth-telling and protection of the King.
Duke of Albany: Goneril’s husband who eventually gains strength and stature in recognizing Goneril’s misdeeds.
Duke of Cornwall: Regan’s husband who will stop at nothing to ruin Lear.
King of France: Cordelia’s honorable husband supports her in her attempts to rescue Lear. He married for love, not dowry.
Duke of Burgundy: Cordelia’s suitor who rejects Cordelia upon learning she has been disinherited.
Doctor, Attendant, Messenger, Captain (may be doubled)
MACBETH CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
MACBETH: A leading general in the Scottish army who is rewarded with a noble title and rises to become King of Scotland through violence and manipulation.
LADY MACBETH: Macbeth’s spouse and closest ally, who drives the plan to seize the crown and works to secure and protect their rule.
BANQUO: A respected general and ally of Macbeth whose descendants are prophesied to rule Scotland, making Banquo a target.
KING DUNCAN: The reigning monarch of Scotland whose visit to Macbeth’s castle ends in assassination.
MALCOLM: Duncan’s elder child and rightful heir, forced into exile and later returning to reclaim the throne.
DONALBAIN: Duncan’s younger child, who flees Scotland after the king’s murder and is cut off from the line of succession.
MACDUFF: A Scottish noble who refuses to support Macbeth’s rule and leads the effort to oppose and overthrow the king.
LADY MACDUFF: Macduff’s spouse, left unprotected when Macduff flees Scotland, whose murder exposes the cost of resisting Macbeth’s rule.
LENNOX: A Scottish noble who witnesses the unraveling of Macbeth’s court and shifts allegiance as the truth emerges.
ROSS: A nobleman and political messenger who moves between factions and delivers news that shapes events.
THE THREE WITCHES: Supernatural figures who deliver prophecies that spark Macbeth’s rise and downfall.
FLEANCE: Banquo’s child, targeted to prevent the fulfillment of the prophecy and ultimately escaping.
SEYTON: An attendant and officer serving Macbeth in the later part of the play, present as the king’s power and control deteriorate.
THE PORTER: A servant at Macbeth’s castle who answers the gate on the morning after Duncan’s murder.
Several roles will be double cast. Double casting TBD.
FILMED AUDITIONS
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We are accepting filmed auditions.
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If you would like to submit a filmed audition, please email your headshot, resume, and filmed audition/link to shakespearecasting@tulane.edu
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The submission deadline for filmed auditions is Thursday, January 15th at 5pm.
FILMED SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
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For the audition, please prepare a 1-2 minute Shakespeare monologue in verse.
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Slate with your name and monologue (or include a title card)
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Please have at least 3/4 of your body in the camera frame. Please refrain from close-up shots.
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There is no housing or transportation available.
CALLBACK SIDES
ADDITIONAL AUDITION INFO
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All roles are paid.
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Actors are expected to be memorized for the first rehearsal.
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There is no housing or transportation available.
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We encourage actors of all ages, races, ethnicities, abilities, and gender identities to audition.
