Auditions are Monday, February 23 at Salisbury House & Gardens, 4025 Tonawanda Dr, DSM, IA 50312
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.
Director: Carl Lindberg
Producers: Keshia Meissner (Executive Director, Salisbury House Foundation) & Alex Wendel (Artistic Producer, Iowa Stage Theatre Company)
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, comes to speak on his behalf, Angelo offers a deal - her chastity in exchange for her brother’s life.
Performances: July 15 - 19, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Salisbury House & Gardens, 4025 Tonawanda Dr, DSM, IA 50312
Rehearsals: Initial table reads will take place at Salisbury House May 4 & 5. Rehearsals will run Sunday - Thursday evenings beginning May 31.
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.
-x-
DUKE: VINCENTIO, the governor of Vienna, who disguises himself as a friar
ISABELLA: A woman training to be a nun; 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 (possibly 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