Auditions

AUDITIONS

CSC2 Company Production

Hamlet

Directed by Victoria Townsend

In-person audition slots for Hamlet are full.

Please see below if you wish to submit virtually.

You may prepare a video of a Shakespeare monologue of two (2) minutes or less. Please remember to include an introduction with your name, pronouns, and which play your monologue is from. We can only guarantee watching the first 200 videos received, so if you choose this option, choose early!** 

**Please submit all video materials by Wednesday, November 4th at 9pm. Late or incomplete submissions may not be considered. Again, we can only guarantee watching the first 200 submissions, so please submit early! Please make sure the video is  accessible to “anyone with the link” so that our full team can have access. Thank you!

Submit a Virtual Audition HERE

CALLBACKS:

In Person: Monday, November 9th, with appointments to be scheduled 2:00PM-9:00PM at Boston Center for the Arts. Exact location to be confirmed in callback email. 

Virtual: DATE, TBD by appointment, daytime. 

RESPONSE TIME:

ALL performers who submit through this listing or attend the in-person audition will receive a response by December 22, 2026 whether or not they are invited to a callback round (which may be held in person or on Zoom.)

Note: No actors enrolled in any kind of undergraduate or graduate program in the Spring of 2026 will be seen at auditions unless this is cleared by your advisor or head of department beforehand. Additionally, only non-equity performers are eligible for CSC2/Stage2.

Please review our CSC2 page. Further questions?  Please reach out to us at: auditions@commshakes.org

Roles Available:

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company is an equal opportunity employer. Actors of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders, gender expressions, and people with disabilities are encouraged to audition.

DIRECTOR’S NOTE: For the entire group, we are looking for folks with inventive movement capability and text clarity. Stage combat experience and work with dialects also of interest.

These ten tracks are subject to change depending on discoveries in auditions. 

HAMLET: Prince of Denmark, a brilliant, restless young person caught in seemingly overwhelming circumstances. Full of moral uncertainty and a desperate need to understand the truth. Looking for exceptional classical text skills; stage combat skill a plus. 

CLAUDIUS/HAMLET’S GHOST: As CLAUDIUS, King of Denmark and Hamlet’s uncle. Charming, politically astute, controlled, carrying a terrible secret. Looking for authority, charisma, and the ability to reveal cracks beneath a polished exterior. As GHOST: The spirit of Hamlet’s dead father. Commanding, mysterious, unsettling.

GERTRUDE: Queen of Denmark and Hamlet’s mother. Intelligent, politically savvy, and emotionally complicated. She loves her son but cannot fully understand him; she is also trying to build a new life after the death of her husband. Looking for warmth, strength, and considerable emotional complexity.

POLONIUS/OSRIC: A senior court official, father to Laertes and Ophelia. Verbose, meddling, self-important. Beneath the comedy is a person who genuinely believes they are protecting their family and serving the state. As Osric, a pompous and humorous courtier. Looking for a strong comic actor with excellent command of language.

OPHELIA: Polonius’s daughter and Hamlet’s love interest. Intelligent, perceptive, dutiful, and caught between the expectations of her family and her own desires. 

LAERTES: Polonius’s son and Ophelia’s brother. Passionate, impulsive, protective, and action-oriented—a dramatic counterpoint to Hamlet. Stage combat skill a plus.

HORATIO: Hamlet’s closest friend and trusted confidant. Grounded, intelligent, observant, and deeply loyal. Serves as an anchor amid the chaos of Elsinore and ultimately becomes the keeper of Hamlet’s story. 

**Though some of the above roles WILL carry multiple tracks, the following actors will do considerable multi-character work: 

ACTOR 8: ROSENCRANTZ, PLAYER KING and others

ACTOR 9: GUILDENSTERN, BERNARDO, and others 

ACTOR 10: GRAVEDIGGER, MARCELLUS, PLAYER QUEEN and others

Additional Information: CSC has transitioned from ‘COVID Safety’ policies to ‘Infection Control and Prevention’ policies. We will continue to maintain COVID vaccination requirements (along with medical and religious exemptions) and may conduct COVID surveillance testing for this project. Our full policies will be communicated ahead of the first day of in-person work and will include requiring all CSC staff and contractors on the production to be current and fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including booster dose(s) if eligible.

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company is a participant in the Line Drawn Community Standards Initiative to prevent harassment and abuse in the New England performing arts community and requires all staff, contractors, and volunteers to abide by these standards. More information about Line Drawn can be found at https://commshakes.org/linedrawn/ along with a copy of the current standards.

CSC’s mission and values are summarized on our website at commshakes.org/mission-history. Those who work with us should reflect a commitment to these values. We celebrate diversity and access and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Our full Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access can be found at https://commshakes.org/commdeia/. CSC is a place where everyone can grow, so however you identify and whatever background you bring with you, please apply if this is a position that interests you.

CSC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against employees based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information. Professionals of all identities, backgrounds, and abilities are strongly encouraged to apply.