Website Babes With Blades Theatre Company
Theatre That Leaves a Mark
Babes With Blades Theatre Company is now accepting headshots and resumes for their upcoming 2026 season which includes the world premiere of yo ho. by SMJ (they/them), directed by JD Caudill (they/them) & King Lear by William Shakespeare, directed by Alison Dornheggen (she/her). Additional production information can be found below.
In reference to the character descriptions below—many characters we encounter currently are on the binary and are written with he/him or she/her pronouns you will see in the original scripts. But however limiting the descriptions are, our casting seeks to be inclusive and we invite gender non-conforming, genderqueer, transgender, and non-binary actors to audition for the roles they most identify with. We will also list race/ethnicity when specific to the character but are otherwise seeking all races and ethnicities. In addition, we will list disabilities when specific to a character, but are otherwise seeking actors of all abilities. Please let us know if you have any questions, concerns, or if there are any accommodations we can provide.
Regarding Stage Combat: While providing opportunities for trained stage combatants is the BWBTC’s Raison D’être, we acknowledge that opportunities for such training are not available to all theater artists. With that in mind, we do encourage actors, especially actors of a marginalized identity, with limited stage combat experience to submit to our company. Many of our rehearsal processes now have training built into our process to provide experiences otherwise inaccessible to many artists.
Please submit your headshot and resume to our casting database at the link below. We will reach out to folks to invite them to the generals after that. Due to limited space/time we will not be able to see everyone who submits to our season generals. Auditions will be scheduled at the request of the BWBTC casting team for February 14 & 15, 2026. Digital auditions will also be reviewed at the request of the team.
Any headshot/resumes sent to our casting database after Monday, February 9th will be considered for an audition slot at the discretion of the casting team.
Please do not email us any unsolicited audition videos.
Accessibility information:
We’re happy to discuss specific accommodations or access measures with or without knowing your specific disability status. For any other accessibility requests, including access needs if asked to submit a video audition, contact casting@babeswithblades.org or call/text 773-217-8406.
Time Commitment:
yo ho. (schedule):
- Callbacks: 02/28/26-03/01/26 (this includes a fight call)
- First Readthrough: 06/07/26
- Rehearsals: 06/08/26– 07/02/26
- Tech / Previews: 7/08/26 – 7/24/26
- Regular Run: 7/25/26 – 8/29/26
All performances at The Edge Off Broadway.
Post-Opening understudy rehearsals are scheduled on Saturday afternoons with at least an hour break between rehearsal and performance call.
Rehearsal Space TBD
King Lear (schedule):
- Callbacks: 03/7/26 - 03/08/26 (This includes a fight call. There is a possibility you will be called for periods of time both days.)
- First Read: 08/23/26
- Rehearsals: 8/24/26-10/04/26
- Tech / Previews: 10/06/26-10/16/26
- Regular Run: 10/17/26-11/21/26
🎃 (no performance on Halloween)
All performances at Theater Wit
Post-Opening understudy rehearsals are scheduled on Saturday afternoons with at least an hour break between rehearsal and performance call.
Rehearsal Space TBD
Rehearsal Schedule: A 5-day work week with afternoon or evening rehearsals during the week, and daytime or evening rehearsals on Saturdays or Sundays.
Performance schedule: Thursdays through Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 3pm.
Anticipated up to 30 hours of regular rehearsal per week over a 5-day work week, with extended hours during tech week. BWBTC does not observe 10 out 12 days. All rehearsal days have set end times.
Character Type/Restrictions:
Please note all roles will have understudies - a mix of internal and external depending on the show/role. All understudies are guaranteed a performance if desired. Guaranteed performance is not mandatory.
yo ho by SMJ
yo ho. charts the journey of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, two pirates aboard a campy, sexually charged ship under immediate threat from the crown. Equal parts historical fantasy and introspective sexual & gender exploration, this play is a deeply emotional reimaging and reminder of our queer histories.
MARY READ / MARK / M
20s / played by a trans or nonbinary AFAB actor with any pronouns
A pirate who tends to worry about everything. In the middle of transitioning.
ANNE BONNY / ANDY / ANA
20s / played by a Latina actor with she/her pronouns
A pirate who feels deeply and reacts quickly.
CALICO JACK
30s / played by a queer actor with any pronouns
A Pirate Captain who wants to feel beautiful.
VANESSA & OTHER MEN
Plays VANESSA, THE GOVERNOR, GEORGE, TODD, & BRITISH SOLDIER 2
20s / played by a Latina actor with she/her pronouns
The grounded stereotypes of all genders.
CHAD & OTHER MEN
Plays CHAD, JAMES, REVEREND THOMAS, & BRITISH SOLDIER 1
Late 20s - Early 30s / played by an actor with he/him pronouns
The grounded stereotypes of toxic masculinity in its various forms.
King Lear by William Shakespeare
Aligned with their mission of representing marginalized voices, “BWBTC Shakespeare” exclusively features actors of marginalized genders (which includes Cis Women, Trans folks, GNC, Non-Binary folks, etc.) to provide an opportunity for audiences to perceive these classic stories through a new lens. We are open to actors of all ethnicities and identities, and we strongly encourage actors with disabilities and BIPOC actors to submit. All characters are open to any actor regardless of race, gender, or background.
Please note: The role of Lear has been cast at this time.
Goneril
40s - oldest daughter of Lear.
Entitled and deceitful, among other things.
Regan
30s-40s - middle daughter of Lear.
Calculating, vicious, and willing to do whatever she needs to do to get what she wants.
Cordelia / Fool
Late 20s - 30s - youngest daughter of Lear / Lear's fool.
Honorable, loving, and noble / Seeks to entertain Lear, but not without commentary on the circumstances
Duke of Albany / Ensemble
40s; Goneril's husband;
Loyal to Lear and disapproving of Goneril's behavior.
Duke of Cornwall / Ensemble
30-s to 40s Regan's husband.
Regan’s partner in crime, until he isn't.
Earl of Gloucester
Edgar
30s, bastard son of Earl of Gloucester.
Machiavellian in nature is an understatement.
Edmund
30s; legitimate son of Earl of Gloucester;
Respectful and genuine; spends most of the story as Poor Tom, a disguise to keep him alive; Will also double as King of France
Oswald
30s-40s; Goneril's primary steward;
Entitled and loyal to Goneril, does not tolerate being disrespected;
will also double as Duke of Burgundy
Earl of Kent
40s-50s;
Serving and protecting the king is all that matters
King Lear u/s
50s-60s
To apply for this job please visit forms.gle.