AUDITIONS
All Auditions are open to the public, we welcome all levels of experience, and each production holds two dates in order to allow the greatest number of people to fit auditions into their schedule.  Unless otherwise specified in the audition notice below, directors will request cold readings from the script or provide sides for auditions. Some may do both. Click here for our current COVID-19 policy for actors and other volunteers.
Please note:  Forge is an all-volunteer organization.  There is no compensation of any kind.

Auditions for Lion in Winter Happening Soon!

Audition Dates & Format:

Dates: September 28 & 30
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Forge Theatre, 241 First Ave., Phoenixville, PA

Audition will consist of readings from provided scenes. 
Click here to view Audition Sides.

Synopsis: Sibling rivalry, adultery, and dungeons – The Lion in Winter, by James Goldman, is a modern-day classic. Comedic in tone, dramatic in action – the play tells the story of the Plantagenet family, who are locked in a free-for-all of competing ambitions to inherit a kingdom. The queen, and wealthiest woman in the world, Eleanor of Aquitaine, has been kept in prison since raising an army against her husband, King Henry II. Let out only for holidays, the play centers around the inner conflicts of the royal family as they fight over both a kingdom and King Henry’s paramour during the Christmas of 1183. As Eleanor says, “Every family has its ups and downs,” and this royal family is no exception.
THE LION IN WINTER is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

Director Tom Pitt is seeking:
5 Males (stage age 16 – 60)
2 Females (stage age 20 – 60)
​
To fill the following Roles: 
Henry II- King of England- Male (age 50)
Alais- French Princess- Female (Age 23)
John- Youngest Son- Male (Age 16)
Geoffrey- Middle Son- Male (Age 25)
Richard Lionheart- Oldest Son- Male (Age 26)
Eleanor- Henry's Wife- Female (Age 61)
​Phillip- King of France- Male (Age 18)
(See Character descriptions below)

Performance Dates:
January 29, 30 & February 5, 6, 12 & 13 2027 @ 7:30pm
February 7 & 14 2027 @ 2:00pm

Rehearsal Schedule
Rehearsals  will run Sunday, Monday and Wednesday evenings. Time TBD

Roles

Henry II – King of England – (M) (50)
Henry has just turned 50, an age at which men in his time were either old or dead. H is enjoying that final rush of physical and mental vigor that comes, not before the end, but before the start of the decline. He is determined to have John, his youngest son, as his heir, but he knows that if he does his remaining family could start a civil war.  He is in love with his much younger mistress, Alais, the daughter of the late King of France, but has no qualms using her as a bargaining chip in his plans.  His relationship with Eleanor, his estranged wife, is complicated: he adores her, loathes her, fears her, and hates her; yet still he somehow cares for her and cannot imagine his life without her.

Alais – a French Princess – (F) (23)
​Daughter of the late King of France and half-sister to King Philip.  She is deeply in love with Henry, many years her senior, and has been his mistress for seven years.  In that time, she has grown from a simple teenage girl to a gentle and thoughtful young woman with a quiet strength. 

John – the youngest son – (M) (16)
The youngest son of Henry and Eleanor, John is Henry’s favorite and his chosen heir.  Though he can be sweetly charming when he wishes, he has been spoiled rotten by his father, and often taunts his brothers, knowing that Henry will back him up.  However, beneath his boasting, he is deeply insecure, as he knows he has neither Richard’s brawn nor Geoffrey’s brain.  

Geoffrey – the middle son – (M) (25)
The second eldest surviving son of Henry and Eleanor, Geoffrey is attractive, charming, and the most intelligent of the brothers.  His parents, however, never consider him in the running to be king— even though he possesses the intellectual promise of a great monarch.  His feelings of being neglected have made him a cold amoral schemer who constantly changes his alliances between Richard and John, hoping to disgrace them both so he can gain the throne and his parents’ love and respect

Richard Lionheart – the oldest son – (M) (26)
The eldest surviving son of Henry and Eleanor, Richard has been a famous soldier since his sixteenth birthday. He’s impressive and domineering but has a tense relationship with both of his parents. Richard is his mother’s favorite, yet he’s wary of her. He wonders if she truly loves and supports him or uses him as a tool in her conflict with his father. Richard feels neglected and excluded by Henry and silently yearns for his father’s approval but covers his pain with his warrior’s demeanor.  However, we see Richard’s tender side when he reunites with King Philip of France, his former lover. 

Eleanor – Henry’s wife – (F) (61)
Queen of England, Duchess of Aquitaine, and former Queen of France, Henry’s estranged wife, has been imprisoned under house arrest for ten years for supporting her sons in an unsuccessful rebellion. A decade older than Henry, she’s always been his equal in intelligence, wit, and ambition. Her love for him is conflicted: she cares deeply for him but fiercely resists being disregarded or subordinate. Years ago, when Henry turned to a mistress, Eleanor devoted herself to raising Richard, her favorite son, and is determined to use her temporary Christmas release to ensure that he is chosen as the
heir to the throne. 

Philip – King of France – (M) (18)
The young King of France, half-brother to Alais.  Philip has come to Henry’s court to demand that a treaty made with his late father be fulfilled.  He is relatively new to his throne and initially behaves with a commanding dignity, showing little emotion.  When his negotiations with Henry fail, he encourages the rebellious thoughts of Henry’s sons, making empty promises to each in turn.  Philip is especially close to Richard, who was his lover two years ago.  More than anything Philip wishes to make Henry suffer as revenge for his father’s humiliation, before ultimately destroying him.