Show: THE WINTER'S TALE
Theater: Players Club of Swarthmore
Theater Website: https://pcstheater.org/
Theater Phone: (610) 328-4271
Start date of auditions: 05/10/2026
The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare
Produced by: Liz Corcoran
Directed by: Arlowe Willingham
Stage Managed by: AJ Rose Wallihan
Audition Date: Sunday, May 10th, 6:30-9:30pm
Callbacks by invitation only: Wednesday, May 13th, 6:30-9:30pm
Preparation: Please choose one of the following pieces from The Winter’s Tale or a 1-2 minute Early Modern monologue of your choice (Shakespeare, Marlowe, Lyly, etc.). Memorization is not required, but familiarity with the text is strongly advised. In the audition room the director may ask you to perform your monologue again with suggestions or ask you to perform a different monologue in addition.
Sides: The Winter’s Tale Audition Sides: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Tl8nXokcrlpNnNMHc3p0NtwQkW5LDRbw?usp=share_link
Audition Registration Link: The Winter’s Tale Audition Form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf6RAgGMsse5e1vCz7CX7vNFlPjVcSSv8O2soOGjdpPt5LWNw/viewform?usp=preview
Performance Dates:
Friday, August 21st @ 7:30pm
Saturday, August 22nd @ 7:30pm
Sunday August 23rd @ 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Friday, August 28th @ 7:30pm
Saturday, August 29th @ 7:30pm
Sunday, August 30th @ 2:00pm
Rehearsal Dates: Rehearsals will be held on Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday evenings beginning in late May. Set build days will take place on Saturdays during the day.
Tech Rehearsals: Tech week will take place from Sunday, August 16th until Thursday, August 20th. Actors are required to attend all technical rehearsals. Actors may not be needed on Thursday, August 20th but are expected to have this date available.
Please refrain from auditioning if you can’t make tech week or any performances.
Summary of Show: A jealous king, convinced that his wife has been unfaithful puts her on trial and orders their newborn daughter cast out of the kingdom. The child is abandoned to die, but when she is found and raised by a shepherd, it seems redemption may be possible. A blend of tragedy, comedy and romance, Shakespeare's emotionally potent late play explores the human capacity for forgiveness and tests the limits of time’s healing ability.
Cast Breakdown/Requirements:
NOTE: This production will use majority gender-blind casting. Characters marked “any gender” will be gendered based on actor preference after casting. We will adjust references (titles, honorifics, etc.) and pronouns accordingly. Original gendering is preserved for audition materials, but feel free to change pronouns/gendered language as you see fit for these characters at auditions.
LEONTES: 30s-50s. Male-presenting.
King of Sicily. A well-respected ruler and loving father who struggles with paranoia. Loses himself to a jealous delusion.
HERMIONE: 30s-50s. Female-presenting.
Queen of Sicily. Charming, radiant, and poised. Universally beloved by her people.
POLIXENES: 30s-50s. Male-presenting.
King of Bohemia. Charismatic and boisterous. Childhood friend of Leontes, expresses himself freely.
CAMILLO: 20s-40s. Any gender.
Sicilian noble. Trusted advisor of Leontes, then Polixenes. Level-headed and diligent.
PAULINA: 40s-60s. Any gender.
Sicilian noble. Close friend of Hermione. Unafraid to speak her mind.
ANTIGONUS: 40s-60s. Any gender.
Sicilian noble. Attempts to keep the peace in Camillo’s absence. Tasked with casting out Hermione’s newborn child.
MAMILLIUS: 10-18, open to actors 12+. Any gender.
Prince of Sicily, Leontes and Hermione’s son.
AUTOLYCUS: 20s-30s. Any gender.
A roguish peddler, vagabond, and pickpocket, scamming his way through Bohemia. A true scamp.
SHEPHERD: 40s-60s. Any gender.
An honorable Bohemian sheep-tender, raises the Clown and Perdita.
CLOWN: 20s-30s. Any gender.
The Shepherd’s buffoonish older child. Frequently falls victim to Autolycus' trickery.
PERDITA: 16-20s, open to actors 16+. Any gender.
The lost princess of Sicily, raised in Bohemia. Curious but cautious. In love with Florizel.
FLORIZEL: 16-20s, open to actors 16+. Any gender.
Prince of Bohemia. Reckless and hopeful. In love with Perdita. [Actor should be comfortable singing.]
CLEOMENES: 20s-40s, Any gender.
Sicilian courtier sent to consult with the Oracle of Apollo. [Actor will portray multiple other characters.]
DION: 20s-40s, Any gender.
Sicilian courtier sent to consult with the Oracle of Apollo. [Actor will portray multiple other characters.]
Location:
Auditions, rehearsals, and performances will be held in-person at the Players Club of Swarthmore (614 Fairview Rd, Swarthmore, PA 19081). Plenty of off-street parking and access by Septa Regional Rail and Bus. Rehearsals are three evenings a week, beginning July 16, with a full week of technical/dress rehearsals. Some of our rehearsal and performance spaces are only accessible by stairs. Please let us know if you need accommodation.
PCS Theater and its volunteers are committed to diversity and inclusion. As such, we encourage performers of all races and ethnicities, gender identities, sexualities, and abilities to audition.
Please note this is a non-union, non-paying production. Transparency and open communication are extremely important to us; if you have any questions, please email the director at willingham.abigail@gmail.com.
* ALL THOSE INTERESTED IN AUDITIONING: ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONTAGIOUS NATURE OF THE CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 AND THE INHERENT RISK OF EXPOSURE THAT EXISTS IN ANY PUBLIC PLACE WHERE PEOPLE ARE PRESENT; AGREE TO COMPLY WITH ANY AND ALL PROTOCOLS OF PCS DESIGNED TO MITIGATE THE RISKS OF INFECTION BY COVID-19; VOLUNTARILY ASSUME ANY AND ALL RISKS OF EXPOSURE TO OR INFECTION BY COVID-19 AS A RESULT OF ATTENDING AND PARTICIPATING IN THE AUDITION PROCESS; AND RELEASE, HOLD HARMLESS AND INDEMNIFY PCS (AND ITS GOVERNORS, MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS) FOR ANY AND ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO EXPOSURE TO OR INFECTION BY COVID-19 OR SIMILAR DISEASE WHICH MAY OCCUR IN CONNECTION WITH PARTICIPATION IN THE AUDITION PROCESS.
