From the President – Feb. 4, 2021

Temple Beth Hillel and Actors Ensemble of Berkeley are doing a Purim Shpiel and you can be part of it.  

We will be producing Beware the Ides of Adar – A Shakespearean Purim Shpiel, by Deborah Bodin Cohen, directed by Michael R. Cohen (no relation). The performance will be in the afternoon of February 21st, via Zoom. All rehearsals will also be via Zoom.

Please write auditions@aeofberkeley.org with your interest, a picture and resume if you have one, and if possible a short video (1 min) of yourself.  Audition material will be accepted by 2/7. We will have rehearsals in the evening of about 3 hours each on 2/11, 2/18, and 2/20, with the performance on 2/21 at 4:15 p.m. The play is about 30 to 45 minutes long.

The characters are:

Vashti – King Ahasuerus’ wife and current Queen of Sushan, Persia

King Ahasuerus – King of Sushan, Persia

Mordechai – Esther’s Uncle and a very good man.

Esther – Young Jewish woman who becomes Queen of Sushan, Persia

Haman – Prime Minister of Sushan, Persia and a very bad man.

A.E. Online Audition Submissions Checklist

1) Film an approx. 1 minute Comedic Monologue

2) Email auditions@aeofberkeley.org  Subject line: Actor_Name Ides of Adar Submission. Attach:

  1. a) Filmed monologue (format mp4)
  2. b) Resume (if you do not have a resume, add any relevant experience to the Audition form below)

3) Fill out Audition Form https://forms.gle/7sxYaDyyohvJwp9J8

4) If you are having trouble submitting or are unable to film yourself please email auditions@aeofberkeley.org and we are happy to find a way to accommodate you either by setting up a zoom appointment or another creative way for you to audition. 

5) If you are new to auditioning we have suggested monologues available upon request. 

We encourage both theatre veterans (Non AEA) and newcomers to audition – if this is your first time – write to us and we will help you through the process. A.E. is an entirely volunteer company, though actors do receive a small compensation for expenses and a portion of performance donations in alignment with AB5. We regularly cast cross-gender and cross-type, and we actively seek folks of all ages, races, genders, and persuasions to audition.  Ages and Genders specified above are characteristics of the role, not necessarily of the actor playing the role.

Don’t be shy.  Join us and have fun.

We are Temple Beth Hillel.

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am not for others, what am I?

And if not now, when?   -Rabbi Hillel

 

~ Michael R Cohen, President, Temple Beth Hillel