Becoming An Entertainer/musician
at the festival

If you have an established Renaissance-styled stage act or an authentic Early Music group
and are interested in discussing a booking at our Festival, please send written promotional
material along with a video, CD, or audio cassette tape of your work to:

Interactive Artists
3336 Podunk Road
Trumansburg, NY 14886

Actor's Auditions for Our Professional Company

To contact us for more information, please call our
Festival Office at 315-947-5782 or use the following contact form:

Our Professional Acting Company

Paid Positions, Salary and Benefits for the 2008 Season
VETERAN BLESS THE MARK: Returning BTM or performers with advanced improv and interactive theatre skills as well as Renaissance Festival performance credits are considered for this level.  16 to 20 male and female roles, ages 20 to 50, are available.  Veteran BTM receive a $200 rehearsal stipend ($100/week for two weeks) plus $360 per performance week (six weeks).  Housing is provided, Workman’s Comp and NYS Unemployment Insurance is also provided.

JOURNEYMEN BLESS THE MARK:  Actors with professional performance experience in improvisation, Shakespeare, or audience inclusive styles of theatre are considered for this level.  16 to 20 male and female roles, ages 20 to 50, are available.  Journeymen BTM receive a $300 rehearsal stipend ($100/week for three weeks) plus $325 per performance week (six weeks).  Housing is provided, Workman’s Comp and NYS Unemployment Insurance is also provided.

YEOMAN BLESS THE MARK:  Community theatre or non professional actors seeking an extraordinary experience training, performance and the community of the Faire, with some experience in improvisation, Shakespeare, or audience inclusive styles of theatre are considered for this level.  14 male and female roles, young and old, are available.  Applicants must be at least 16 years old to be cast; minors between 16 and 18 years old MUST have working papers in order to work at the festival.  There is no upper age limit to Yeoman level BTM.  Yeoman BTM receives $100 per performance week (six weeks).  Housing is NOT provided. Workman’s Comp and NYS Unemployment Insurance is provided.

The Commitment
Journeymen and Veteran BTM:  The contract commitment for Journeymen BTM runs nine weeks, from June 12^th to August 18th, applicants must be available for full-time work, and arrive on-site on June 11^th.  There are 4 weeks of intensive rehearsals and 6 performance weekends. Performances are Saturdays and Sundays only from 10 AM to 7 PM, with additional rehearsals midweek. Applicants must be over 21 to be cast. Veteran BTM arrive one week later, on June 18^th, and have the same schedule for rehearsals.

Specific rehearsals will vary according to how you are cast - and may include rehearsals for scenarios, plays or other scheduled events during a performance day. Rehearsals will include workshops in improvisation, interactive character development, dialect, history, customs and manners of the period.  This includes Master Class workshops in improv and interactive theatre from renowned director and author Gary Izzo.  Rehearsal days for Veteran and Journeymen are long and challenging, and usually run from 9:00 AM to 7:30 PM, six days per week.  Between performance weekends, actors will have two days off with the remaining weekdays used for brush-up rehearsals and promotional outings. Transportation and expenses for promotional outings will be provided.  Although the cast is obligated to three rehearsal days per week during the run, this often lessens as the season continues. Informal voluntary workshops in other disciplines as well as cast outings are sometimes arranged. Actors have no required technical duties, other than care of their housing facilities.

Yeoman BTM will be cast as a specific character of the Elizabethan Renaissance.  They may also be cast in supporting roles for scenarios or other performance tasks, as well as roaming the lanes portraying their character. The Festival will provide costumes.  Rehearsals will include workshops in improvisation, character development, dialect, history, customs and manners of the period.  The contract commitment for Yeoman BTM is as follows:  Four off-site rehearsals on Saturday afternoons May 3, 10, 17, 24, times and location TBA; two on-site rehearsals May 31, and June 7, from 9 AM to 5 PM; they will then join full-cast rehearsals at the festival site on June 13, 14, from 9 AM to 6:30 PM; June 21, 28, and July 5, from 10 AM to 5 PM; and production week and dress rehearsal days July 7, 8, 9, 10, from 9 AM to 7 PM.  Performance weekends are Saturday and Sunday’s 7/12,13; 7/19,20; 7/26,27; 8/2,3; 8/9,10; 8/16,17/2008.  Yeoman must be prepared to fulfill the entire commitment.    Transportation, housing, and meals are NOT provided.  Campground slots and kitchen facilities on-site are available during the rehearsal and performance run

Audition Preparation
All of our auditions begin with an open call, followed later by a callback.  Plan to arrive within the first hour of the audition if possible to sign up for the open call.  For open call you must perform a one-minute comic monologue.  Monologues may be either contemporary or period (i.e. modern or Shakespearean), and should show your comic flare and your ability with characterization.  Some will be asked to remain for a callback audition held after monologues are heard.  Callbacks will consist of an improv audition, held in small groups.  Bring an acting resume and an 8”x10” photo.  Yeoman applicants with out a professional resume may bring a list of recent productions and a photo of themselves of any reasonable size.  Dress to move, no heels.  Casting will be within three weeks of auditions.