Staten Island Shakespearean Theatre Company Audition Announcement:
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
By John Heimbuch and Jon Ferguson (Adapted from Washinton Irving)
Directed by Victoria Gullo
Assistant Director: Amanda Rose Benjamin
Musical Director : Ariel Ubaldegaray
Stage Manager: Nikita Chernin
Step into the shadows of Sleepy Hollow, where superstition lingers in the fog and the sound of ghostly hooves echo in the night. This movement-driven retelling of Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow blends classic storytelling with dark humor, theatrical invention, and an eerie, gothic sensibility.
We’re seeking 10 bold, imaginative, and collaborative ensemble of actors excited by physical storytelling, ensemble-driven work, and rich character exploration. The production embraces the strange, the beautiful, and the grotesque, inviting performers to lean into mood, rhythm, and a sense of the uncanny. Whether it's the flicker of lantern light in a haunted wood or the tension of a town on edge, this is a thrilling opportunity to dive into a classic American ghost story and bring it vividly to life for the Halloween season.
Auditions will take place on Thursday, July 31, from 5:00 to 9:00pm and then Friday, August 1 from 5:00 to 9:00pm in The Learning Center, Building G, at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301.
To make an audition appointment email Nikita Chernin at
bjZjaGVybmluIHwgZ21haWwgISBjb20= with preferable time slot and we will accommodate as best as possible.
Performances will take place in the Staten Island Playhouse at Empire Outlets, St. George, on the following dates:
Friday, October 17 – 8:00pm
Saturday, October 18 – 8:00pm
Sunday, October 19 – 2:00pm)
Friday, October 24 – 8:00pm
Saturday, October 25 – 8:00pm
Sunday, October 26 – 8:00pm
Note that all rehearsals and performances take place on Staten Island.
Please prepare a one-minute contemporary monologue in the style of the show. Memorization is preferred but not mandatory.
Be ready to read sides from the script and wear comfortable clothes and shoes, as there will be a brief movement call for all actors.
Anyone auditioning for the role of Katrina Van Tassel must bring 16 bars of a song (preferably from a musical or a standard ballad). Please bring sheet music and an accompanist will be provided.
All other roles may also bring 16 bars to showcase vocal ability, but it is not required.
All cast members should be comfortable singing in an ensemble.
Synopsis
In the quiet village of Sleepy Hollow, nestled deep in the Hudson Valley, life is simple—until it isn’t. Whispers of ghosts and supernatural beings swirl through the town, most notably the legend of a headless horseman said to rise at night in search of his missing head. When Ichabod Crane, a curious and superstitious schoolteacher from Connecticut, arrives to take over the local schoolhouse, he quickly becomes entangled in both the charms and rivalries of village life. He sets his sights on the beautiful and wealthy Katrina Van Tassel, only to find himself competing with the brash and intimidating Brom Bones. As tensions rise and loyalties shift, the boundary between the real and the unreal begins to blur. On one fateful night, amidst a backdrop of candlelight, superstition, and shadow, the Horseman rides—and not everyone will make it out of the forest the same.
Character Breakdown
Ichabod Crane (Male Presenting, 20s–30s) – A Connecticut school teacher. Must be comfortable with some movement.
Geoffrey Crayon (Any Gender, Any Age) – A New Yorker of distinction.
Brom Bones (Male Presenting, 20s–30s) – A bold, roistering blade.
Katrina Van Tassel (Female Presenting, 20s–30s) – A country coquette. Must be able to sing and move well.
Baltus Van Tassel (Male Presenting, 40s–60s) – A gentleman farmer.
Hans Van Ripper (Any Gender, Any Age) – Another gentleman farmer.
Parson Van Houten (Any Gender, Any Age) – A person of faith.
Rupert Van Brunt (Any Gender, 20s–30s) – A spiteful schoolboy.
Gunpowder (Any Gender, Any Age) – A weatherbeaten old horse.
Otto Van Lancker (Any Gender, Any Age) – A willing believer.
Old Brouwer (Any Gender, Any Age) – A willful disbeliever.
Headless Horseman / Skeleton (Any Gender, Any Age) – A headless Hessian mercenary. Will likely double as another role. Must be comfortable with some movement.
All roles except Ichabod, Katrina, and Brom will double and also appear as villagers, students, country girls, Sleepy Hollow boys, and old men.
Join us to awaken the legend… and stir what sleeps beneath the surface.
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