Performances

Synopsis

Shipwrecked on the island of Illyria, Viola survives by disguising herself as "Cesario", and serving Duke Orsino by delivering love messages to the Countess Olivia. Viola slowly falls in love with Orsino, while Olivia falls for Cesario. Meanwhile, Olivia's prudish and strict butler Malvolio is tricked into loving Olivia by her drunken cousin Toby, his hapless friend Andrew, and witty maid Maria. All the plots crash together when Viola's twin brother Sebastian appears. Twelfth Night is a play about unrequited love, madness, disguise, and the exploration of gender identity. One of Shakespeare's most famous and beloved romantic comedies, it's a beautiful blend of poetry, high comedy, and thrilling drama.

Audition Details

Dates: September 9-10 from 4:30 p.m. — 9:30 p.m. | Callbacks September 11 from 5:00 p.m. — 9:00 p.m.

Location: Theatre of the Arts, ML 135

Twelfth Night is comprised of 11 roles. Attached is a breakdown of the characters. Three roles will be filled by capstone students.  The remaining roles are open to UWaterloo students from any faculty. Some genders could be changed from the original Shakespeare (like Valentine/Valentina, Malvolio/Malvolia, Feste, and Sir Andrew), but others need to present as male (Orsino, Sebastian, Antonio) or female (Viola, Olivia). And then Sir Toby and Maria could potentially shift depending on the right actor. But as long as you feel you can portray a character that presents as either male or female, that's the important element for the overall story.

For your audition, please prepare:

• a short (20 – 25 lines) Shakespearean monologue. You can choose one from the attached package of monologues or you may also choose your own provided it is from a comedy and in verse.
• There is one role, "Feste", that is required to sing. If you are interested in this role, please prepare a 30 second song to sing a cappella or self-accompanied on your own instrument (i.e., guitar, ukelele, etc).

Those who are cast will be enrolled in THPERF 306-001 or 316-001 depending on the role.

Course Title: Production Participation

Credit Weighting: 0.5 credits or 1.0 credits

Course Instructor: Andy Houston

Acting Coach: Martha Farrell

Class times (all are mandatory):      

** Students must be available for all rehearsal times though they may not be required to attend all hours each week.

Performance week is November 24 – 28, 2026.