AUDITIONS – “Lions in Illyria” and “The Importance of Being Earnest”

The Company OnStage is excited to announce that we are hosting auditions for “Lions in Illyria” by Robert Kauzlaric and “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde.

Auditions will take place on Sunday, November 16^th, and Monday, November 17^th, 2025, beginning at 7pm at 5720 Bellaire Blvd, Suite G, Houston, TX 77081. We ask that participants arrive 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork and introduce yourself to the stage managers. If you have a headshot and resume, please bring it (not required). There are no audition appointments, and actors will not need prepared monologues. The evening will cover the auditions for both shows, beginning with the Young Audiences Production. During each show’s audition, all actors will have an opportunity to demonstrate their skills in a group setting with the director selecting sides and combinations of participants to read together or independently. Please be prepared to move and make bold choices!

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YOUNG AUDIENCES PRODUCTION – “Lions in Illyria” by Robert Kauzlaric
Directed By Lauren Hainley

Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. (www.playscripts.com)

First Rehearsal: Sunday, December 7^th, 2025
Rehearsal Schedule: Sunday and Tuesday Evenings Beginning at 7pm. (Additional Dates may be added, if needed)
Performance Dates: Saturdays January 31^st, February 7^th, 14^th, and 21^st, 2026 at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and Sunday, February 15^th, 2026 at 2 p.m.
Strike Date: Sunday, February 22^nd

CASTING REQUIREMENTS:
Total Number of Actors: 4 actors
Age Range: 18+
Number of Women: 2
Number of Men 2
All ethnicities are welcome.
There are no roles for anyone under 18 in this production.

LIST OF CHARACTERS – All actors will play multiple parts.
VIOLET – a lioness cub
SEBASTIAN – a lion cub
ORSINO – a peacock nobleman
OLIVIA – a gazelle noblewomen
TOBY – a warthog knight
ANDREW – a dodo knight
MARIA – a hyena maid
ANTONIA – a monkey pirate

SYNOPSIS:
Giraffes are gentlemen, aardvarks are card sharks, and animals rule the world in this retelling of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. When young lioness Violet is separated from her twin brother by a storm at sea, she must find her way alone in an unknown country. Disguised as a boy, she finds work helping a preposterous peacock win the love of the most graceful gazelle in town, but it’s not long before Violet is torn between multiple masters and the whole menagerie is tangled in matters of the heart. Travel to the weird and wonderful land of Illyria in this magical, clever comedy.

AUDITIONS FOR THIS PRODUCTION WILL CONSIST OF COLD READINGS FROM THE SCRIPT.

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EVENING THEATRE PRODUCTION – “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde
Directed by Sam Martinez

First Rehearsal: Monday, December 8^th, 2025
Rehearsal Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday Evenings Beginning @ 7pm. (Additional Dates may be added, if needed)
Performance Dates: Fridays and Saturdays, January 30^th, 31^st, February 6^th, 7^th, 13^th, 14^th, 20^th and 21^st at 8:00 p.m 22^nd, 2026 @ 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, February 8^th, 2026 @ 2:00 p.m.
Strike Date: Sunday, February 22^nd, 2026

CASTING REQUIREMENTS:
Total Number of Actors: 8
Age range: TBD
Number of Women: 4 – 5
Number of Men: 4 – 5
All ethnicities are welcome.
There are no roles for children under 18 in this production.

LIST OF CHARACTERS:
LADY BRACKNELL
GWENDOLEN FAIRFAX
MERRIMAN / LANE
REVERAND CANON CHASUBLE
ALGERNON MONCRIEFF
MISS PRISM
CECILY CARDEW
JACK WORTHING

SYNOPSIS:
The play follows the escapades of two charming bachelors, Jack and Algernon, who lead double lives to escape their social obligations. Jack pretends to have a wicked brother named Ernest, whose mischievous behavior provides him with an excuse to escape his country life and pursue romantic interests in London. Algernon employs a similar tactic, creating an imaginary friend named Bunbury whose frequent illnesses allow him to escape his social commitments in London and enjoy leisurely pursuits in the country. Their intricate web of deception becomes increasingly complicated when both men fall in love. The pursuit of love and marriage leads to a series of comedic misunderstandings and absurd situations. Through clever wordplay, satire, and hilarious characters, Wilde critiques the superficial values and social expectations of the Victorian upper class, particularly their rigid adherence to societal norms and their obsession with appearance. The Importance of Being Earnest humorously explores the lengths people will go in order to maintain a façade of respectability and navigate the complexities of love and marriage within a restrictive social framework.

AUDITIONS FOR THIS PRODUCTION WILL CONSIST OF COLD READINGS FROM THE SCRIPT.

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The Company OnStage, Inc. (COS), is an all-volunteer Texas nonprofit corporation with tax exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and can be reached by visiting www.companyonstage.org or by calling 713-726-1219 and leaving a message.