Show: IF YOU SPEAK LOVE: AN AFFAIR WITH SHAKESPEARE
Theater: Shakespeare 70
Theater Website: https://www.shakespeare70.org/auditions
Theater Phone:
Start date of auditions: 07/19/2026
We are pleased to announce open auditions for our October 2026/January 2027 production of IF YOU SPEAK LOVE: AN AFFAIR WITH SHAKESPEARE.
Directors: Kate Augustin, Curt Foxworth, Chris Loos
Producers: Jake Burbage, Michael Kierst-Krahel
Stage Manager(s): TBD
About the Production
Shakespeare 70 presents a lively, romantic exploration of some of the Bard’s most memorable and iconic moments. Featuring scenes and speeches that highlight Shakespeare’s unmatched gift for expressing the joy, pain, and truth about love, If You Speak Love celebrates the characters and stories that have influenced and inspired the last 400 years of romantic storytelling.
Please note that this production will perform at two venues: first at TCNJ’s Don Evans Black Box in October 2026, and remounting MCCC’s Kelsey Theatre in January 2027.
Performances
The Don Evans Black Box Theater
Wed, October 14 – Sat, October 17 at 8pm
Sun, October 18 at 2pm
Kelsey Theatre
Fri, January 22 & 29, 2027 at 8pm
Sat, January 23 & 30, 2027 at 8pm
Sun, January 24 & 31, 2027 at 2pm
Audition Information
Dates:
Sunday, July 19, 2026 (12-4pm) at MCCC
Monday, July 20, 2026 (6-10pm) at TCNJ
Auditions will be held on the campuses of both Mercer County Community College in West Windsor (Sunday, July 19) and The College of New Jersey in Ewing (Monday, July 20). Specific building and room numbers will be provided in your audition confirmation email.
Appointments & Preparation
To sign up for an audition, please fill out this form. Actors are encouraged to prepare a 2-minute comic or romantic Shakespeare monologue of their choice, or to select from one of the speeches provided in the confirmation email.
For questions regarding auditions, please contact producer Jake Burbage at jakeburbage1@gmail.com.
Casting
S70 seeks an ensemble of 8-10 actors to perform scenes and monologues from romantically themed Shakespearean works. The directing team will curate the production based on the actors who are cast, assigning scenes, speeches, and songs that best highlight the talents of our ensemble. In all likelihood, actors would be cast in 2-3 scenes plus one monologue or song.
All roles are ensemble. Actors will be assigned to scenes, speeches, sonnets, and songs from the Shakespeare canon. Material selected will be largely comic/romantic in nature. Characters will include young lovers, romantic heroes, kings, queens, clowns, et al.
While not a requirement, we are also eager to see actors who sing, play the guitar, or compose music, as songs will likely be a part of the production.
We are looking to work with actors who are comfortable playing romantic scenes, which could involve physical and emotional intimacy.
Please note: all roles are Non-Equity and unpaid.
S70 strives to foster an environment of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in all productions. Roles are open to actors of all races, gender identities, sexual orientations, body types, ages (18+), and abilities.
Rehearsal Information
Rehearsals will begin in late August for the October run at TCNJ. A short rehearsal period will resume after the new year for the January remount at Kelsey Theatre. Actors will typically rehearse 1-2 times per week, then with greater frequency in the final two weeks before opening.
