Auditions

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

by William Shakespeare

Presented by Happily Ever After Productions

Happily Ever After Productions is pleased to announce auditions for our Summer 2026 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

For the first time, our company will explore classical theatre, stepping beyond our musical theatre roots to bring Shakespeare’s beloved comedy to life.

We warmly welcome performers of all backgrounds and experience levels to audition.

Performance Dates: July 24–26, 2026
Venue: Het Amsterdams Theaterhuis

Technical & Dress Rehearsals: July 22–23, 2026

Everything you need to know

Audition timeline

Audition Form Deadline: March 20, 2026

Self-Tape Submission Deadline: March 27, 2026
(Please prepare one monologue for each role you would like to be considered for. See Self-Tape Requirements below.)

After submitting the form, you will be asked to submit an audition video for each role you are auditioning for to auditions@heaproductions.nl by March 27.

Callbacks: Sunday, March 29, 2026 (15:00–18:00)

Applicants selected for callbacks will receive further details following review of self-tapes.

Rehearsal Schedule

Rehearsals will begin in Spring 2026 and will take place:

  • Sundays

  • One weekday evening (TBD based on cast availability)

A detailed rehearsal calendar will be distributed upon casting.

Casting Information

We are casting performers of all experience levels. Prior experience with Shakespeare is welcome but not required.

This production will focus on:

  • Strong acting and storytelling

  • Physicality and movement

  • Ensemble collaboration

We especially encourage performers who may not typically audition for musical theatre to consider applying.

We look forward to building an imaginative, collaborative, and playful production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and welcoming both new and familiar faces into this exciting new chapter for Happily Ever After Productions.

Character Breakdown

Character Descriptions

All genders, ethnicities, body types, and ages are encouraged to audition. Please see the self tape requirements in the section below.

Please note: the pronouns used are for character description purposes only. Audition for whichever characters interest you!

Athens

Theseus - Duke of Athens. Theseus would be well-known to the audience as a figure from classical mythology, most famous for slaying the Minotaur and then abandoning the Cretan princess who helped him in that venture. In Midsummer he has recentlyreturned from conquering the Amazons, a race of warrior women, and is about to marry Hippolyta, their Queen. Theseus is an extremely powerful ruler and conqueror, but out of his depth with marriage at the beginning of the play.

Hippolyta - The legendary warrior Queen of the Amazons engaged to marry Theseus. In Shakespeare’s source (Plutarch) Hippolyta arranges her marriage to Theseus as part of a peace treaty ending a war between Athens and the Amazons. In Midsummer she is a peacemaker as well as warrior and a challenging match for Theseus.

Lysander - Young man of Athens in love with Hermia. He recklessly persuades Hermia to elope with him into the forest.

Demetrius - Young man of Athens in love with Helena, then Hermia, then Helena. Between his own fickle character and Puck’s mischief, Demetrius is tossed back and forth between the women.

Hermia - Egeus’s strong-willed daughter and childhood friend to Helena. Both Demetrius and Lysander are in love with her. She is in love with Lysander. Shows a ferocious side when she thinks Lysander has deserted her.

Helena - A good friend of Hermia’s in love with Demetrius despite his humiliating rejection of her advances. Love has no pride.

Egeus - A classic blocking parent, Egeus tries to control his headstrong daughter’s love life. Never goes well.

Philostrate - Theseus’s Master of the Revels who organizes the wedding entertainment.

The Mechanicals

Working people of Athens who produce an entertainment for the royal wedding - a Classical tale of Pyramus and Thisbe. They are:

Nick Bottom - An overconfident weaver chosen to play Pyramus. During rehearsals, Puck and Oberon use magic to give him a donkey’s head and make Queen Titania fall in love with him. He takes it in his stride.

Peter Quince - A carpenter and the writer/director of “Pyramus and Thisbe.”

Francis Flute - The bellows-mender cast as Thisbe.

Robin Starveling - The tailor cast as Moonshine.

Snug - The joiner (carpenter) cast as Lion.

Tom Snout - The tinker (handyman) cast as the Wall, dividing Pyramus from Thisbe.

The Forest

Puck – (AKA Robin Goodfellow) A spirit from the English folk tradition. He delights in playing pranks on mortals; he is Oberon’s out-of-control servant. He has a connection not only to the fairy and human worlds of the play, but also to the world of the audience.

Oberon - The King of the Fairies who rules with Titania. During the play they are fighting over custody of a child Titania adopts in India. Oberon loves his queen but, like Theseus, has a lot to learn about sharing power.

Titania - Queen of the Fairies who rules with Oberon. Poetically articulates the damage being done to the natural world because of her power struggle with Oberon. It will take a comic magical transformation that humiliates both Oberon and Titania to reconcile them and bring nature back into balance.

Peaseblossom, Moth, Cobweb, and Mustardseed – Fairies in Titania’s court who interact invisibly with the humans. Comic skills needed. Some singing and dancing required

Self tape requirements

Please prepare a monologue for the role(s) you would like to be considered for from the options below. If you don't have a strong role preference, pick the monologue(s) you like most.

Record in a clear, well-lit space. Ensure your face is visible and that we can clearly hear your voice. Slates are not required unless otherwise specified.

TIP: make sure to look up the meaning of your monologue - you can find plain English translations of this online.

Please send all self-tape videos to: Auditions@heaproductions.nl

THESEUS

I never may believe These antique fables, nor these fairy toys. Lovers and madmen have such seething brains, Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend More than cool reason ever comprehends. The lunatic, the lover and the poet Are of imagination all compact: One sees more devils than vast hell can hold, That is, the madman: the lover, all as frantic, Sees Helen's beauty in a brow of Egypt: The poet's eye, in fine frenzy rolling,Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven; And as imagination bodies forth The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen Turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothing A local habitation and a name. Such tricks hath strong imagination, That if it would but apprehend some joy, It comprehends some bringer of that joy; Or in the night, imagining some fear, How easy is a bush supposed a bear!

HIPPOLYTA

Four days will quickly steep themselves in night;
Four nights will quickly dream away the time;
And then the moon, like to a silver bow
New-bent in heaven, shall behold the night
Of our solemnities.

EGEUS

Full of vexation come I, with complaint Against my child, my daughter Hermia. Stand forth, Demetrius. My noble lord, This man hath my consent to marry her. Stand forth, Lysander: and my gracious duke, This man hath bewitch'd the bosom of my child; Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes, And interchanged love-tokens with my child: With cunning hast thou filch'd my daughter's heart, Turn'd her obedience, which is due to me, To stubborn harshness: and, my gracious duke, Be it so she; will not here before your grace Consent to marry with Demetrius, I beg the ancient privilege of Athens, As she is mine, I may dispose of her: Which shall be either to this gentleman Or to her death, according to our law Immediately provided in that case.

LYSANDER

I am, my lord, as well derived as he, As well possess'd; my love is more than his; My fortunes every way as fairly rank'd, If not with vantage, as Demetrius'; And, which is more than all these boasts can be, I am beloved of beauteous Hermia: Why should not I then prosecute my right? Demetrius, I'll avouch it to his head, Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena, And won her soul; and she, sweet lady, dotes, Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry, Upon this spotted and inconstant man.

HELENA

How happy some o'er other some can be! Through Athens I am thought as fair as she. But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so; He will not know what all but he do know: And as he errs, doting on Hermia's eyes, So I, admiring of his qualities: Things base and vile, folding no quantity, Love can transpose to form and dignity: Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind: Nor hath Love's mind of any judgement taste; Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste: And therefore is Love said to be a child,Because in choice he is so oft beguiled. As waggish boys in game themselves forswear, So the boy Love is perjured every where: For ere Demetrius look'd on Hermia's eyne, He hail'd down oaths that he was only mine; And when this hail some heat from Hermia felt, So he dissolved, and showers of oaths did melt. I will go tell him of fair Hermia's flight: Then to the wood will he to-morrow night Pursue her; and for this intelligence If I have thanks, it is a dear expense: But herein mean I to enrich my pain, To have his sight thither and back again.

Fairy

Over hill, over dale, Thorough bush, thorough brier, Over park, over pale, Thorough flood, thorough fire, I do wander everywhere, Swifter than the moon's sphere; And I serve the fairy queen, To dew her orbs upon the green. The cowslips tall her pensioners be: In their gold coats spots you see; Those be rubies, fairy favours, In those freckles live their savours: I must go seek some dewdrops here And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear. Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I'll be gone: Our queen and all our elves come here anon.

PUCK

I am that merry wanderer of the night. I jest to Oberon and make him smile When I a fat and bean-fed horse beguile, Neighing in likeness of a filly foal: And sometime lurk I in a gossip's bowl, In very likeness of a roasted crab, And when she drinks, against her lips I bob And on her wither'd dewlap pour the ale. The wisest aunt, telling the saddest tale, Sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me; Then slip I from her bum, down topples she, And 'tailor' cries, and falls into a cough; And then the whole quire hold their hips and laugh, And waxen in their mirth and neeze and swear A merrier hour was never wasted there. But, room, fairy! here comes Oberon.

PUCK (OPTION 2)

Through the forest have I gone. But Athenian found I none, On whose eyes I might approve This flower's force in stirring love. Night and silence.--Who is here? Weeds of Athens he doth wear: This is he, my master said, Despised the Athenian maid; And here the maiden, sleeping sound, On the dank and dirty ground. Pretty soul! she durst not lie Near this lack-love, this kill-courtesy. Churl, upon thy eyes I throw All the power this charm doth owe. When thou wakest, let love forbid Sleep his seat on thy eyelid: So awake when I am gone; For I must now to Oberon.

OBERON

Having once this juice, I'll watch Titania when she is asleep, And drop the liquor of it in her eyes. The next thing then she waking looks upon, Be it on lion, bear, or wolf, or bull, On meddling monkey, or on busy ape, She shall pursue it with the soul of love: And ere I take this charm from off her sight, As I can take it with another herb, I'll make her render up her page to me.

DEMETRIUS

I love thee not, therefore pursue me not. Where is Lysander and fair Hermia? The one I'll slay, the other slayeth me. Thou told'st me they were stolen unto this wood; And here am I, and wode within this wood, Because I cannot meet my Hermia. Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more.

HERMIA

[Awaking] Help me, Lysander, help me! do thy best To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast! Ay me, for pity! what a dream was here! Lysander, look how I do quake with fear: Methought a serpent eat my heart away, And you sat smiling at his cruel pray. Lysander! what, removed? Lysander! lord! What, out of hearing? gone? no sound, no word? Alack, where are you speak, an if you hear; Speak, of all loves! I swoon almost with fear. No? then I well perceive you all not nigh Either death or you I'll find immediately.

TITANIA

I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again: Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note; So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape; And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee. Out of this wood do not desire to go: Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no. I am a spirit of no common rate; The summer still doth tend upon my state; And I do love thee: therefore, go with me; I'll give thee fairies to attend on thee, And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep, And sing while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep; And I will purge thy mortal grossness so That thou shalt like an airy spirit go. Peaseblossom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustardseed!

QUINCE

If we offend, it is with our good will. That you should think, we come not to offend, But with good will. To show our simple skill, That is the true beginning of our end. Consider then we come but in despite. We do not come as minding to contest you, Our true intent is. All for your delight We are not here. That you should here repent you, The actors are at hand and by their show You shall know all that you are like to know.

SNOUT

In this same interlude it doth befall That I, one Snout by name, present a wall; And such a wall, as I would have you think, That had in it a crannied hole or chink, Through which the lovers, Pyramus and Thisby, Did whisper often very secretly. This loam, this rough-cast and this stone doth show That I am that same wall; the truth is so: And this the cranny is, right and sinister, Through which the fearful lovers are to whisper.

SNUG

You, ladies, you, whose gentle hearts do fear The smallest monstrous mouse that creeps on floor, May now perchance both quake and tremble here, When lion rough in wildest rage doth roar. Then know that I, one Snug the joiner, am A lion-fell, nor else no lion's dam; For, if I should as lion come in strife Into this place, 'twere pity on my life.

STARVELING

This lanthorn doth the horned moon present;--
This lanthorn doth the horned moon present; Myself the man i' the moon do seem to be. All that I have to say, is, to tell you that the lanthorn is the moon; I, the man in the moon; this

FLUTE

Asleep, my love? What, dead, my dove? O Pyramus, arise! Speak, speak. Quite dumb? Dead, dead? A tomb Must cover thy sweet eyes. These My lips, This cherry nose, These yellow cowslip cheeks, Are gone, are gone: Lovers, make moan: His eyes were green as leeks. O Sisters Three, Come, come to me, With hands as pale as milk; Lay them in gore, Since you have shore With shears his thread of silk. Tongue, not a word: Come, trusty sword; Come, blade, my breast imbrue:
Stabs herself
And, farewell, friends; Thus Thisby ends: Adieu, adieu, adieu. thorn-bush, my thorn-bush; and this dog, my dog.

BOTTOM

[Awaking] When my cue comes, call me, and I will answer: my next is, 'Most fair Pyramus.' Heigh-ho! Peter Quince! Flute, the bellows-mender! Snout, the tinker! Starveling! God's my life, stolen hence, and left me asleep! I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what dream it was: man is but an ass, if he go about to expound this dream. Methought I was--there is no man can tell what. Methought I was,--and methought I had,--but man is but a patched fool, if he will offer to say what methought I had. The eyeof man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not seen, man's hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart to report, what my dream was. I will get Peter Quince to write a ballad of this dream: it shall be called Bottom's Dream, because it hath no bottom; and I will sing it in the latter end of a play, before the duke: peradventure, to make it the more gracious, I shall sing it at her death.

Audition FAQ’s

  • YES! Please audition for all of our shows for the year that you are interested in. There will be very few conflicts between them, despite some overlapping rehearsal schedules.

  • Fill in the form. Please include your full name as you would like it on a program. Include any major holidays or conflicts that you know you have. Look at the character descriptions on the website and select which shows and roles you would like to be considered for.

  • YES! We rarely precast our productions, and when we do we will only hold auditions for the understudy. Actors who have worked with us in the past, whether it be a production or a bootcamp, may have a better chance at being cast if they have shown a history of hard work, dedication, talent and are in general an asset to the team.

  • An understudy is an actor who is prepared to perform the role of another actor if that actor is unable to perform. Understudies are crucial for ensuring that the show can go on without interruption, maintaining the continuity and quality of the performance. In HEA shows, an understudy is always guaranteed at least one performance.

    Double casting is when two people are cast in the same role and split the shows evenly. This may be done due to a particularly demanding role or to provide more opportunities to play a role. It is expected for someone who is double cast to be able to step in for an additional show if their counterpart is unable to perform for any reason.

    Both cases help ensure that a show can go on in the case of illness, injury, or other unforeseen circumstances. The financial impact of cancelling a show due to an actor being unable to perform is massive for any theatre group, so we need to take steps to ensure this doesn't happen.

  • YES! We always need help behind the scenes, and if you want to be involved in a specific production, we will figure out where you fit. If you are only interested in performing, we encourage you to sign up for one of our Musical Theater Bootcamps! This will help you practice your skills, enjoy the process of putting on a production, and give you a chance to play a role without the pressure of a full scale production.

  • The team of each production will decide together for the most part, but the final decision is that of the director. The casting team consists of the director, vocal coach, band director, and choreographers of each production. The level of influence directly correlates with the demands of each show.

  • Absolutely! Ability to pay has no influence on casting decisions. If you are unable to pay the contribution, we will find other ways for you to contribute to the production.

  • Amateur theater is expensive to produce, while maintaining the quality. The cost of sets, costumes, rehearsal space, theater rentals, rights to productions, sound equipment, lighting equipment, programs, posters, stipends for professionals working on the productions, etc. far exceeds the average amount that ticket sales alone can cover. We do not get funding and every production carries a huge financial risk, and the actors contribution helps us offset some of the upfront costs.

  • Cast members need to commit to selling tickets because it significantly boosts audience attendance, which is essential for the financial health and success of the production. By leveraging their personal networks, cast members can reach a wider audience, ensuring that costs are covered and the theatre can plan future shows. This personal investment also builds community support, creates a vibrant atmosphere for performances, and generates authentic buzz and excitement.

    Cast members inviting audience is the number one seller of tickets, and crucial to ensure the success of a show.

Different from previous years, we are introducing a more formal process to ensure the success of each show without burning out volunteers. For each show, we will be asking each cast member to indicate which committees they have the skills to join, and will assign a committee to each cast member to contribute to the show’s success.

Show committees

Committees will include front of house, makeup & hair, costume assistance, flyering, props, set build up, set tear down, social media, and photography. Even if you don’t have skills in hair and makeup for example, you can easily be on the flyering committee to volunteer some extra time distributing and handing out flyers to help sell tickets for the show.