Audition Announcements

Auditions For William Shakespeare’s
Much Ado About Nothing

Director: Steven David Martin

Important Details

• Performance dates:   July 23 – August 7
• Rehearsals start early May
• The setting will be inspired by (or some might say stolen from) Kenneth Brannaugh’s movie with a period reminiscent of the late 1700s
• The production is outdoors, so strong vocal work is a necessity
• All roles are open to actors of all gender identities

Questions?

Contact Steven David Martin at steven.d.m@raventheater.org

Character Breakdown

Beatrice
Leonato’s niece and Hero’s cousin, Beatrice is “a pleasant-spirited lady” with a very sharp tongue. She is generous and loving, but, like Benedick, continually mocks other people with elaborately tooled jokes and puns. She wages a war of wits against Benedick and often wins the battles.

Benedick
An aristocratic soldier and a friend of Don Pedro and Claudio. Benedick is very witty, always making jokes and puns. He carries on a “merry war” of wits with Beatrice, but at the beginning of the play he swears he will never fall in love or marry.

Claudio
A young soldier who has won great acclaim fighting under Don Pedro during the recent wars. Claudio falls in love with Hero upon his return to Messina.

Hero
The young daughter of Leonato and the cousin of Beatrice. Hero is lovely, gentle, and kind. She falls in love with Claudio when he falls for her, but when Don John slanders her and Claudio rashly takes revenge, she suffers terribly.

Don Pedro
An important nobleman from Aragon, sometimes referred to as “Prince.” Don Pedro is a longtime friend of Leonato, Hero’s father, and is also close to the soldiers who have been fighting under him—the younger Benedick and the very young Claudio.

Leonato
A respected, well-to-do, elderly noble at whose home, in Messina, Italy, the action is set. Leonato is the father of Hero and the uncle of Beatrice.

Don John
The illegitimate brother of Don Pedro; sometimes called “the Bastard.” Don John is melancholy and sullen by nature, and he creates a dark scheme to ruin the happiness of Hero and Claudio. He is the villain of the play.

Dogberry
The constable in charge of the Watch, or chief policeman of Messina. Dogberry is very sincere and takes the job seriously, but has a habit of using exactly the wrong words at exactly the wrong time.

Margaret
Hero’s serving woman, who unwittingly helps Borachio and Don John deceive Claudio into thinking that Hero is unfaithful. Margaret is lower class. Though she is honest, she loves to break decorum, especially with bawdy jokes and teases.

Borachio
An associate of Don John. Borachio is the lover of Margaret, Hero’s serving woman. He conspires with Don John to trick Claudio and Don Pedro into thinking that Hero is unfaithful to Claudio.

Conrad
One of Don John’s more intimate associates, entirely devoted to Don John.

Verges
The deputy to Dogberry, chief policeman of Messina.

Antonio
Leonato’s elderly brother and Hero’s uncle. He is Beatrice’s father.

Balthasar
A waiting man in Leonato’s household and a musician. Balthasar sings the song, “Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more” about accepting men’s infidelity as natural.

Ursula
One of Hero’s waiting women