AuditionS
Auditions for Measure for Measure
by William Shakespeare
Measure for Measure
by William Shakespeare
​Directed by Carl Lindberg
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When:
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Monday, February 23 from 5:30 PM - 10:15 PM
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Auditions will be held in 45-minute blocks throughout the evening allowing auditioners to perform scenes together. As part of the audition form please select the audition blocks that you are available for (or if you intend to submit a self-tape instead). An audition block schedule will be sent to performers offered an audition time in advance, based on auditioner availability.
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Where:
Salisbury House & Gardens​
4025 Tonawanda Dr
Des Moines, IA 50312​
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Additional Information:
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First Table Read: May 4 & 5th. Rehearsals will run Sunday - Thursday evenings beginning May 31.
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First Rehearsal: Rehearsals will run Sunday - Thursday evenings beginning May 31.
Performances: July 15-19, 2026 at 7:30 PM at Salisbury House & Gardens (this is an outdoor performance)
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About the Show! Measure for Measure: Shakespeare's fascinating dark comedy opens with the Duke of Venice leaving the city and appointing his deputy, Angelo, to look after things while he is away. Angelo begins by enforcing the archaic laws of the land and sentences a man named Claudio to death. When Claudio's sister, the nun Isabella, come to speak on his behalf, Angelo offers a deal - her chastity in exchange for her brother's life.
About Shakespeare on the Lawn: Inspired by the beams in Salisbury House’s Great Hall - which the bard himself may have performed under 400 years ago - Shakespeare on the Lawn was started in the summer of 2006. Since then, this event has grown and evolved into a Des Moines tradition! Now, every summer more than 1,800 audience members gather from across the city, state, and country at large to enjoy an open-air performance of one of William Shakespeare’s plays.
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Characters:
The character breakdown applies to the play as published and does not take into account any creative decisions or cuts to the text that may be made prior to the start of rehearsals; smaller roles may be doubled/trebled, and some characters could be combined. Descriptions have been kept general to encourage you to audition for roles you may not ordinarily consider. All roles are open to actors of any race, sexuality, or ethnicity.
DUKE - VINCENTIO, the governor of Vienna, who disguises himself as a friar
ISABELLA - A woman training to be a non; sister to CLAUDIO who is sentenced to death
ANGELO - Deputy to the DUKE and a man of strict standards; he is left in charge of Vienna while the DUKE is away
LUCIO - CLAUDIO'S friend; a bachelor of Vienna
CLAUDIO - Betrothed to JULIET and sentenced to death by ANGELO for getting her pregnant
ESCALUS - A judge who has been in service of Vienna and the DUKE
POMPEY - A tapster and servant to MISTRESS OVERDONE (possible sings and/or plays an instrument)
PROVOST - A prison-keeper responsible for CLAUDIO and others imprisoned
ELBOW / ABHORSON / FRIAR PETER - A constable / an executioner / a friar
MISTRESS OVERDONE / NUN - The keeper of a suburban brothel / a nun (ideally sings and/or plays an instrument)
MARIANA - Formerly betrothed to ANGELO (ideally sings and/or plays an instrument)
JULIET - CLAUDIO'S fiancée (ideally sings and/or plays an instrument)
GENTLEMAN / FROTH / BARNADINE - A friend to LUCIO / a customer of MISTRESS OVERDONE'S brothel / a longtime inmate
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Thank you for your interest in auditioning!
In January 2024, we held general auditions to scout talent and meet members of the theatre community. We hope to continue this practice annually. We will be holding show-based auditions for our 2025 season at dates to be announced. To stay notified:
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Subscribe to the Audition Notification List below.
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Subscribe to general Iowa Stage updates at the bottom of this page.
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Notes about Iowa Stage auditions and practices:
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Iowa Stage Theatre Company subscribes to the Iowa Stage Theatre Company Theatre Standards (based on the Chicago Theatre Standards) as our code of conduct. Learn more here.
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Attendance or non-attendance at auditions does not restrict future opportunities with Iowa Stage.
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Except as noted, all roles are open to all ethnicities, and LGBTQ actors and actors of diverse backgrounds are encouraged to attend.
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Iowa Stage Theatre Company has a Resident Artist Company, but we welcome and rely on artists across the community to create our work. To learn more about joining the Resident Artist Company, contact business@iowastage.org.
Join Our Audition Notifications List
Iowa Stage Theatre's high standards for quality, consistency, and inclusion attract some of the best artists in Central Iowa. Furthermore, Iowa Stage Theatre pays a stipend to ALL performers for their work. In addition to our Resident Artist Company, Iowa Stage Theatre relies on the contributions of many local artists.
If you are interested in learning about future opportunities with Iowa Stage Theatre, join our audition notification email list or sign up for an upcoming audition.
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NOTE: This form only adds you to our audition email notifications list. To schedule an upcoming audition, please reference the details for each audition call.
