For people interested in being a character in the lanes, this is the step-by-step process for auditions:
SUBMIT AN APPLICATION: You will hear from the Entertainment Office within 2 business days of your submission. That message will answer any questions you asked and include a link to schedule your in-person audition.
SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT: You will be sent a link that will allow you to schedule a time that works for you on either August 30th or August 31st for your in-person audition.
APPOINTMENT CONFIRMATION: A confirmation with final details will be sent from the Entertainment Office after you schedule an appointment. The next step is the in-person audition.
ARRIVE and CHECK-IN: On arrival you will be greeted at the entrance by a member of the Audition Team. They will get you checked-in and make sure you have any additional paperwork that needs to be filled out.
You will be assigned an Audition Host to help you through the rest of the audition process. The Audition Hosts are all current cast members that can draw upon years of personal festival experience to answer your questions and give you suggestions.
PAPERWORK: At minimum you will be given a "Roles of Interest" sheet, information about costuming cost estimates, and a printed version of the department's calendar for the upcoming season. This information will help you think about the types of roles that you want to be considered for in the casting process. You can also update any information on your audition application that may not be current.
PHOTOS TAKEN: After you have finished the additional paperwork and have gotten the answers to any questions you had, you will get your picture taken in 1 serious pose and 1 silly pose. These pictures are only used during the casting process, they help us remember each person when we are building the cast.
All of the administrative tasks are now done and it's on to the fun stuff!!
WARM-UP EXERCISES (if needed): We are glad to offer warm-up or improv exercises as requested, our Audition Team loves improv activities. Don't be shy, if you feel like you would be more comfortable after some warming-up... just ask!
AUDITION CHARACTER SELECTION: You will roll dice to pick 3 random characters off a list and choose the one that most inspires your imagination, or is closest to your desired character. PLEASE NOTE: The random characters are for audition purposes only. What you audition as is not necessarily the role you will be assigned for the season.
If you have an original character that you want to play at the festival, please list that in your application as well as letting your Audition Host know on the day of your audition. With advance notice, you will be given the chance to audition AS that character instead of as a random character.
PREPARE: Take a few minutes to let your imagination run wild about the character you have selected and why they might be at the castle to have a conversation with a member of Royalty and the Royal Council.
Ask your host for help, this is a great chance for them to guide and inspire you! They know things like what the Queen is like... and what distracts the Prince... and how to make the room laugh... and more. Use their knowledge, it is invaluable!
AUDITION: When you are prepared for your in-character conversation, your Audition Host will announce your arrival to the Royal Council and you will enter as the character you picked. Once inside you will converse with a member of Nobility for 3-4 minutes as you present your character’s reason for being there. We will play along with the story you create, or assist if you get nervous. Remember... it is just a conversation!
When the scene comes to a natural end and you have made your exit, we may ask you return for a moment as yourself to answer any questions that we have for you. This usually doesn't happen, but occasionally we need some more info.
DONE: As soon as you are finished with your audition, you are free to leave. The cast list will be sent directly to your e-mail address within a week.