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"The Book of Will"

By Lauren Gunderson
Directed by the 2025-2026 Roe Green Visiting Director, Tony F. Sias, CEO & President, Karamu House

AUDITION INFORMATION

About

Without William Shakespeare, we wouldn’t have literary masterpieces like "Romeo and Juliet." But without Henry Condell and John Heminges, we would have lost half of Shakespeare’s plays forever! After the death of their friend and mentor, the two actors are determined to compile the First Folio and preserve the words that shaped their lives. They’ll just have to borrow, beg, and band together to get it done. Amidst the noise and color of Elizabethan London, "The Book of Will" finds an unforgettable true story of love, loss, and laughter, and sheds new light on a man you may think you know.

Auditions: 

When: November 10 & 12 – 6-10 p.m.

Where: �þ���ҹ����ӰԺ��ѹۿ� Center for the Performing Arts (CPA), Wright-Curtis Theatre

• Auditions are open to all �þ���ҹ����ӰԺ��ѹۿ� State students 
• Please prepare two brief contrasting monologues for the audition and be prepared for some movement exercises.
• If the monologue isn’t memorized, that is fine. Please audition anyway.
• If you are new to auditioning and do not have two monologues, please select two contrasting monologues from the play; several options can be found in the script.

Signing Up

1. Fill out and submit by Sunday, November 9 at 5 p.m.. Please be prepared to upload a headshot and performance resume (if you have one) through this form. Please indicate on your audition form which musical and/or play ("Something Rotten" and/or "Side Show" and/or "Book of Will" you’d like to be considered for). At the end of the form, there will be a link to sign up for the timeslot(s).
2. If you are auditioning for the musical(s) and "Book of Will," sign up for two timeslots (one for "Something Rotten" and/or "Side Show," and one for "Book of Will") in the appropriate areas of the sign-up sheet.
3. Please note that if there is no audition form completed and you’ve signed up for a timeslot(s), you may be removed from your timeslot(s) until a form is submitted.

Preliminary Auditions

Open to ALL �þ���ҹ����ӰԺ��ѹۿ� students. Auditions will be held for "Book of Will" in Wright-Curtis Theatre. Please prepare two brief contrasting monologues for the audition and be prepared for some movement exercises.

Callbacks: 

When: Thursday, November 13 – beginning at 6 p.m. 

Where: �þ���ҹ����ӰԺ��ѹۿ� Center for the Performing Arts – Wright-Curtis Theatre

Callbacks will consist of sides (excerpts from scenes of the play) and will be circulated when the callback list is announced; please review them in advance of the callback. There may also be a movement portion to the callback.

A Note on Casting: "Book of Will" will be cast, according to the representation of KSU.

REHEARSAL & PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

Rehearsals:

Begin: Mid-Late February. Sundays 2-8 p.m., Mondays-Thursdays 6-10 p.m.

Tech: Friday, April 10, with a full tech day on Saturday, April 11 .

Performances: Thursday, April 16-Sunday, April 18, Wednesday, April 21-Sunday, April 26

ROLES:

Book of Will (from Dramatists):

Henry Condell – 40; feisty, hopeful friend and actor in the King’s Men.

John Heminges – 50; reasonable friend and financial manager of the King’s Men; owner of the Globe Tap House; a good man, a gentleman, if serious.

Richard Burbage – 50’s; seasoned lion of the stage, famous across England, loud and proud.

Alice Heminges – 35, John’s daughter and alewife, knows everyone and hangs with the boys.

Boy Hamlet – Young actor.

Barman – Ruffian.

Barman 2 – Drunk.

Ben Jonson – Poet laureate of England, friend/rival of Shakespeare. Amazing drunk. A bear of a man. Surprisingly weepy.

Elizabeth Condell – Henry’s wife, savvy and fun.

Rebecca Heminges – John’s wife. Strong, busy with their grocery business, a woman who has weathered much but loves her husband and sons and God.

Ed Knight – “Stage manager” for the King’s Men, self-serious and particular

Ralph Crane – Humble scrivener of the King’s Men. Quick, sure, quiet.

William Jaggard – Successful if shady publisher of books, plays, and playbills. He is confident in his ability to get what he wants. Very experienced, very connected, willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. An ass.

Isaac Jaggard – William’s son, will inherit the business. Sensitive, an artist at heart.

Marcus – 20, printer’s apprentice at the Jaggard print shop, nosy but honest.

Compositor – Works for Jaggard, young.

Emilia Bassano Lanier – 50, fiery Italian feminist and poet, independent woman, lover of life (and of Shakespeare).

Anne Hathaway Shakespeare – 60, Shakespeare’s now ailing wife. Strong-willed, a classy lady, a survivor.

Susanna Shakespeare – 30, good girl and daughter of Shakespeare.

Crier – Newsboy.

Bernardo, Francisco – Actors playing those roles.

Sir Edward Dering – 60, book and theatre lover

Horatio

Fruit Seller

Marcellus

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS FOR B.F.A. MUSICAL THEATRE AND M.F.A. STUDENTS

“B.F.A. Musical Theatre candidates are required to audition for all theatre division main stage productions and accept roles if cast. Exemptions to the audition requirement may be granted under certain circumstances. Circumstances include but are not limited to: religious beliefs, moral objection, psychological triggers with the play, and physical concerns. In order to be exempted from the audition requirement, students must submit a written petition to the performance faculty prior to the beginning of the casting process for the production in question. The performance faculty will make a good faith effort to deliberate and come to a decision on the petition at the first performance area meeting after the receipt of the petition. At no point will a student be asked to disclose sensitive personal information.”

For information on all the B.F.A. Musical Theatre requirements please go to the following. /theatredance/revised-requirements-bfa-musical-theatre-program