Actors sought for Merced Shakespearefest

The organizers of Merced’s Shakespearefest are planning auditions for the upcoming production of “King Henry V.”

The open auditions begin at 1 p.m. Saturday in Playhouse Merced, 452 W. Main St., in Merced.

Shakespearefest is in its 14th season of the free summer production that draws a crowd every year.

This year’s offering is a historical play that tells the story of the British king, featuring a lively story about war and the struggle for power between English soldiers and the powerful French army.

“Henry V” features some of the most famous speeches in all of Shakespeare, with lines like “Once more unto the breach, dear friends,” and “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.”

The play is also a study of the brutality of the war and its effects on citizens and soldiers.

The Merced show needs at least 15 actors and five actresses, according to organizers, as well as musicians who can play a drum or flute.

For the auditions, there will be a cold reading of scenes. A prepared Shakespearean monologue is welcome, according to organizers, but not mandatory.

In recent years, the free plays have featured Shakespeare’s “Cymbeline,” “Romeo and Juliet” and “As You Like It.”

The performances will run Sept. 12-20 at the amphitheater in Applegate Park, 1045 W. 25th St.

For more information, call Heike Hambley at (209) 723-3265, or go to www.mercedshakespearefest.org.

This story was originally published May 13, 2015 at 10:48 AM with the headline "Actors sought for Merced Shakespearefest."