SOMETHING ROTTEN
Directed by Jeffery A. Ward
Performance Dates August 1-10, 2025
Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as "The Bard." When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical. But amidst the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self, and all that jazz.
AUDITIONS: April 19, 2025
AUDITION INFORMATION BELOW!
SPOTLIGHT SPONSOR: TC's Midtown Grill
Something Rotten is presented in part by Johnny Passmore- Realtor, Coldwell Banker RPM Group, Haynes Ace Hardware, and the Conway Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Directed by Jeffery A. Ward
Performance Dates August 1-10, 2025
Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as "The Bard." When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical. But amidst the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self, and all that jazz.
AUDITIONS: April 19, 2025
AUDITION INFORMATION BELOW!
SPOTLIGHT SPONSOR: TC's Midtown Grill
Something Rotten is presented in part by Johnny Passmore- Realtor, Coldwell Banker RPM Group, Haynes Ace Hardware, and the Conway Convention and Visitors Bureau.
SEEKING A DIVERSE CAST FOR THE FOLLOWING ROLES, ALL ROLES ARE AVAILABLE:
(You must be 14+ to audition)
(You must be 14+ to audition)
Nick Bottom
Male Presenting, age Mid 20s-30s
Vocal Range: A2-G4
A struggling playwright who is frustrated with his lack of success. As head of a theatre troupe, he is desperate to outdo Shakespeare and create the next big thing in theater. Nick is driven by his desire to succeed, even if it means resorting to extreme measures. Ambitious, jealous, determined, but also somewhat clueless. Nigel’s older brother.
Nigel Bottom
Male Presenting, age 20s
Vocal Range: Eb3-A4
Nick’s younger brother, Nigel, is a talented but more idealistic playwright who is far less concerned with fame and more interested in writing meaningful theater. He is far more innocent than Nick and has a deep love for poetry. Sweet, sincere, and naive. Nigel represents the artistic side of theater, contrasting with Nick’s more mercenary approach.
Shakespeare
Male Presenting, age mid 20s-30s
Vocal Range: Ab2-Ab4
The Bard! A Rockstar in the Elizabethan Theatre scene and rival to the Bottom brothers. Shakespeare is depicted as an egotistical rock star of the Elizabethan theater scene, boasting of his talent and allure. While he's undeniably talented, he is also self-centered and somewhat pretentious. Arrogant, charming, flashy, and full of himself with a modern, rock-star swagger.
Bea
Female Presenting, age mid 20s-30s
Vocal Range: D3-D5
Nick’s wife. She loves and supports him despite his questionable decision making and lack of success. She dresses up like a man to prove she can be an actor. She is a strong leader and a powerful woman who is quite persuasive when she wants to be.
Portia
Female Presenting, age early 20s
Vocal Range: G3-F#5
A quirky Puritan girl whom Nigel meets on the street. Portia is the only daughter of Brother Jeremiah and the love interest to Nigel Bottom. They fall madly in love with each other over their mutual love for Shakespeare and poetry. Portia and Nigel set out to convince Jeremiah and the other puritans that they should be together rather than following the "star-crossed lovers" idea.
Nostradamus
Male Presenting, age mid 30s-40s
A mysterious character who provides Nick with a vision of the future. In this vision, Nick sees Shakespeare’s eventual decline and is given the idea to create the first-ever musical (which he believes will be the next big trend). Mysterious, all-knowing, and slightly eccentric. Also doubles as Ensemble.
Brother Jeremiah
Male Presenting; age 40s-50s
Vocal Range: G3-G4
The Puritan father of Portia. He is very strict and refuses to let her daughter engage in "fulfilling her lustful desires". He shows nothing but disrespect towards everyone, but especially playwrights like Nick and Nigel. A deeply repressed Puritan. He despises playwrights, poets and all things ungodly.
Lord Clapham
Male Presenting, age mid 30s-40s
An extravagant Lord patron of their theater, a lesser Lord. Also doubles as the Master of Justice and Ensemble.
Shylock
Male Presenting, age 30s-40s
A money lender to whom Nick and Nigel are in debt. Also doubles as Ensemble.
Minstrel
Male Presenting, age mid 30s-40s
Vocal Range: C#3-A4
A character that narrates some parts of the story and serves as the "guide" for the audience. Also doubles as Ensemble.
Peter Quince
Male Presenting, age 20s-30s
An actor in Nick Bottom’s troupe. Sassy, sarcastic, at his wit’s end. Also doubles as Ensemble.
Tom Snout
Male Presenting, age 20s-30s
An actor in Nick Bottom’s troupe. Skeptical of Nigel’s flowery writing and hungry for more accessible scripts. Also doubles as Ensemble.
Robin Starveling
Male Presenting, age 20s-30s
An actor in Nick Bottom’s troupe, Robin plays the female roles in Nick and Nigel’s plays. Also doubles as Ensemble.
Ensemble
Male & Female Presenting, ages 14+
Strong singers and dancers to play various characters during the Renaissance. Roles include: Troupe Members, Townspeople, Writers, Puritans, Fortune Tellers, Astrologers, Psychics, Servants, Shakespeare Fans, Crowd, etc.
Male Presenting, age Mid 20s-30s
Vocal Range: A2-G4
A struggling playwright who is frustrated with his lack of success. As head of a theatre troupe, he is desperate to outdo Shakespeare and create the next big thing in theater. Nick is driven by his desire to succeed, even if it means resorting to extreme measures. Ambitious, jealous, determined, but also somewhat clueless. Nigel’s older brother.
Nigel Bottom
Male Presenting, age 20s
Vocal Range: Eb3-A4
Nick’s younger brother, Nigel, is a talented but more idealistic playwright who is far less concerned with fame and more interested in writing meaningful theater. He is far more innocent than Nick and has a deep love for poetry. Sweet, sincere, and naive. Nigel represents the artistic side of theater, contrasting with Nick’s more mercenary approach.
Shakespeare
Male Presenting, age mid 20s-30s
Vocal Range: Ab2-Ab4
The Bard! A Rockstar in the Elizabethan Theatre scene and rival to the Bottom brothers. Shakespeare is depicted as an egotistical rock star of the Elizabethan theater scene, boasting of his talent and allure. While he's undeniably talented, he is also self-centered and somewhat pretentious. Arrogant, charming, flashy, and full of himself with a modern, rock-star swagger.
Bea
Female Presenting, age mid 20s-30s
Vocal Range: D3-D5
Nick’s wife. She loves and supports him despite his questionable decision making and lack of success. She dresses up like a man to prove she can be an actor. She is a strong leader and a powerful woman who is quite persuasive when she wants to be.
Portia
Female Presenting, age early 20s
Vocal Range: G3-F#5
A quirky Puritan girl whom Nigel meets on the street. Portia is the only daughter of Brother Jeremiah and the love interest to Nigel Bottom. They fall madly in love with each other over their mutual love for Shakespeare and poetry. Portia and Nigel set out to convince Jeremiah and the other puritans that they should be together rather than following the "star-crossed lovers" idea.
Nostradamus
Male Presenting, age mid 30s-40s
A mysterious character who provides Nick with a vision of the future. In this vision, Nick sees Shakespeare’s eventual decline and is given the idea to create the first-ever musical (which he believes will be the next big trend). Mysterious, all-knowing, and slightly eccentric. Also doubles as Ensemble.
Brother Jeremiah
Male Presenting; age 40s-50s
Vocal Range: G3-G4
The Puritan father of Portia. He is very strict and refuses to let her daughter engage in "fulfilling her lustful desires". He shows nothing but disrespect towards everyone, but especially playwrights like Nick and Nigel. A deeply repressed Puritan. He despises playwrights, poets and all things ungodly.
Lord Clapham
Male Presenting, age mid 30s-40s
An extravagant Lord patron of their theater, a lesser Lord. Also doubles as the Master of Justice and Ensemble.
Shylock
Male Presenting, age 30s-40s
A money lender to whom Nick and Nigel are in debt. Also doubles as Ensemble.
Minstrel
Male Presenting, age mid 30s-40s
Vocal Range: C#3-A4
A character that narrates some parts of the story and serves as the "guide" for the audience. Also doubles as Ensemble.
Peter Quince
Male Presenting, age 20s-30s
An actor in Nick Bottom’s troupe. Sassy, sarcastic, at his wit’s end. Also doubles as Ensemble.
Tom Snout
Male Presenting, age 20s-30s
An actor in Nick Bottom’s troupe. Skeptical of Nigel’s flowery writing and hungry for more accessible scripts. Also doubles as Ensemble.
Robin Starveling
Male Presenting, age 20s-30s
An actor in Nick Bottom’s troupe, Robin plays the female roles in Nick and Nigel’s plays. Also doubles as Ensemble.
Ensemble
Male & Female Presenting, ages 14+
Strong singers and dancers to play various characters during the Renaissance. Roles include: Troupe Members, Townspeople, Writers, Puritans, Fortune Tellers, Astrologers, Psychics, Servants, Shakespeare Fans, Crowd, etc.
AUDITION DETAILS AND AGREEMENT
AUDITIONS: Auditions are available for ages 14+ and will be held on Saturday, April 19 at Red Curtain Theatre in Downtown Conway (913 W Oak Street). Callbacks, if needed, will be held the evening of Sunday, April 20. Please be aware that not all who audition are guaranteed a role. If you unable to attend auditions on April 20, instructions will be sent regarding video submissions. You will schedule an audition appointment as part of this sign up process.
AUDITION PREPARATION: Please prepare 32 bars of a song from the show or in the style of the show and come with a backing track for your accompaniment. We will have a speaker available to play your accompaniment. We may ask you to do a reading from the script during your audition. Sides will be made available for review prior to your audition. You will also be asked to learn a short dance sequence with our choreographer. You can expect your audition to take 30-45 minutes.
REHEARSALS: Rehearsals will begin Monday, June 9 and will be on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays from 6-9pm. Not all performers will be called to all rehearsals. There will be tech rehearsals and a photo call the weekend of July 26-27 (Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday 12-5pm). Rehearsals will extend past 9pm the week of July 28. A final dress rehearsal will be held Thursday, July 31 from 6-11pm. A brush up rehearsal will be held Thursday, August 7 from 6-10pm.
PERFORMANCES: Performances are scheduled August 1-3 and 8-10 at Red Curtain Theatre. If needed, the run will be extended one week with additional performances August 15-17.
COSTUMES: Each cast member will be responsible for providing their own costume for this production. They will work closely with the director and a costumer to accomplish this.
A NOTE ON STAGED INTIMACY: Theatrical intimacy is any action on stage where the given circumstances of the scene or the overall production calls for touch, both physical and imaginative, or moments between actors of simulated sexuality or sexual violence. Red Curtain Theatre utilizes an Intimacy Coordinator to improve processes and incorporate safer practices for theatrical intimacy in our rehearsals. All scenes with intimacy follow a specific set of staging and rehearsal protocols rooted in consent and safety for the actors. Guys and Dolls is a high energy show with lots of physical movement and some partner dance. As such, some level of physical intimacy/touch is a part of many roles. Characters who engage in specific moments of physical intimacy and kissing are noted in character descriptions. Additionally, Miss Adelaide and the Hot Box Girls may wear revealing clothing with arms and legs exposed (such as short skirts/shorts or strapless tops) as well as perform in a comedic striptease removing gloves, scarves, and overskirt.
ATTENDANCE POLICY: Attendance at rehearsals is extremely important when preparing for such a large production and we encourage each cast member to be at every rehearsal they are called to if possible. We ask that all known conflicts are communicated during audition signups. Attendance at all rehearsals July 28 through performances is required. Not every cast member will be required to attend every full rehearsal. An excessive amount of missed rehearsals, as determined by the director, will be cause for removal from the production. Exceptions to this rule due to extenuating circumstances are at the discretion of the director.
ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR POLICY: Red Curtain Theatre's mission is to provide an atmosphere that nurtures and inspires actors of all ages and believes in fostering a safe environment for all artists. We follows a strict policy of equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism. Any behavior (speech, action, etc.) that does not strive to uphold these values will not be tolerated and will lead to the cast member's removal from the production by the director and/or producer. In addition, negative attitudes and/or behavior will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to the use of foul language, disrespect toward the director, crew, volunteers and/or cast members, bullying, teasing and unwillingness to participate.
By clicking below, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the terms and conditions of auditioning for this production.