CSF Education & Outreach:
2023 – 2024 Shakespeare & Violence Prevention Auditions
The Colorado Shakespeare Festival seeks four (4) non-Equity actors for two (2) touring productions for youth audiences: a 45-minute production of Romeo and Juliet—suitable for grades 6th through 12th—and a 30-minute production of The Comedy of Errors—suitable for grades 3rd through 5th—as part of an ongoing collaboration with the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence: the Shakespeare & Violence Prevention project, in which Shakespeare’s plays are used to address violence prevention in schools.
We use theatre to educate young people about violence because it puts into practice some of the key concepts central to violence reduction: teamwork, empathy and the possibility of change. Connectedness can help bring about a kinder, safer, healthier school community—and theatre, likewise, is an art form rooted in empathy and connectedness. This project’s curriculum centers on the role of the “upstander”—the person who witnesses mistreatment and makes a choice to help; in the real world, upstanders make a significant difference in reducing harm; and in post-show workshops, students practice upstander behavior with the actors.
Now entering its 13th year, this program has reached more than 120,000 Colorado students. Check out this Upstander video to learn more about the Shakespeare & Violence Prevention project.
VALUE STATEMENT: CSF shares CU Boulder’s commitment to building an inclusive, diverse and equitable community and strives to create an environment in which everyone feels a sense of belonging and the ability to contribute.
View these trailers from the 2021-22 hybrid tour:
Twelfth Night
Julius Caesar
Dates
- Auditions and Casting:
- Monday, April 3, 2023: Application opens for all interested and qualified actors.
- Friday, April 28, 2023: Final day to apply for consideration.
- Monday, June 5, 2023: Due date for all invited actors to submit their video callbacks of assigned sides.
- Rehearsals, Workshop Trainings, and Fall Performances:
- TBA: One-on-One sessions with CSF’s Voice & Text Coach
- Monday, August 28 – Monday, September 25, 2023: Rehearsals on CU Boulder campus (Monday through Friday, daytime)
- Tuesday, September 26 – Wednesday, December 13, 2023: Touring schools, typically on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
- Brush-up Rehearsals and Winter & Spring Performances:
- Tuesday, January 9 – Wednesday, January 10, 2024: Brush-up rehearsals as needed.
- Tuesday, January 16 – Wednesday, April 17, 2024: Touring schools, typically on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
- The contract includes two distance tours (dates TBA). You will receive a per diem for food/incidentals, and overnight hotels will be provided.
Required Qualifications
- Non-AEA status
- Experience performing Shakespeare
- Experience teaching Shakespeare in the classroom (Grades 3 through 12)
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to handle conflict in the classroom
- Reliable transportation and local housing (there is no CSF-provided housing)
- Background check required as processed by the University of Colorado Boulder
- Full compliance with University of Colorado vaccine requirements
Preferred Qualifications
- Singing / Instrumental performance proficiency
- Fluency in Spanish (conversational)
Available Positions:
- Actor / Teaching Artist (3 positions): Play multiple roles in both Romeo and Juliet and The Comedy of Errors, and lead post-performance classroom workshops.
- Actor Manager / Swing (1 position): Attend all performances, manage logistics, and covers roles and workshops as needed. This position is required to operate the CSF van, CaliVan, requires a valid driver’s license, and will need to complete an additional motor vehicle records check as processed by the University of Colorado.
Compensation
- $11,690.00 total paid in accordance with the terms and conditions as stated by the University of Colorado Employee Services Payroll Division.
To Apply
- If you are interested and available, please contact the CSF Operations Manager, Kurt M. Mehlenbacher, at [email protected] for further details, or fill out the application form.
More about the Shakespeare & Violence Prevention Project
Vision
To cultivate empathy, teamwork, and upstander behavior through Shakespeare’s plays
Mission
To enhance, enrich, and expand Colorado students’ understanding of Shakespeare and violence prevention through live performance and interactive roleplaying activities. Guided by the most recent research and creative work available, we strive to share relevant findings in a fun, active, and dynamic way.
Values
- Empathy: we step into the shoes of others (in Shakespeare’s plays, in workshop activities) to better understand someone else’s perspective.
- Teamwork: we work together (both in the theatre and in violence prevention) to explore new ideas.
- Active Learning: we work “on our feet” rather than “in our seat.” Shakespeare is best approached through performance, and by watching humans interact, we learn about our own behavior. Likewise, we encourage roleplaying in the post-show workshops as a way of learning about human behavior.
- Diversity: We live in a vibrant, eclectic world, and we value differing viewpoints, cultures, languages, and people. We strive to represent the diversity of our world in the way we produce Shakespeare, and in the way we facilitate related activities.
- Creative Problem Solving and Student-Centered Learning: We believe in encouraging students to generate their own solutions, and we provide the space for them to test out their own ideas.
- Connectedness: Being connected to others is a protective factor and can help reduce violence in a community. Being connected is also vital in the theatre as we build connections to our scene partner, to (and within) the text, and to the audience members.