Male (or any gender playing male) actors are still needed for the roles of Shepherds and Mak the sheep thief.

Auditions by appointment only November 2 to November 7, 2017 (or until the roles are filled).

Please email your resume and photo as soon as possible to director@plspls.ca (with subject line: Auditions) to book your audition time and location. Come prepared with a short monologue.

Please see below for the relevant information from the original audition notice.

AUDITION CALL
NON-UNION

Poculi Ludique Societas (PLS) presents

A Medieval Comedy for Christmas

The Second Shepherds’ Play

Performance dates: December 14 to 17, 2017

The Project:

Toronto’s renowned medieval and renaissance players, PLS is a non-profit, non-Equity theatre company affiliated with the University of Toronto, dedicated to the production of early plays for research and entertainment. See more at www.plspls.ca

The Second Shepherds’ Playis one of the most popular medieval Biblical comedies, written by the anonymous author called the Wakefield Master. Part of the collection of plays in the Towneley manuscript, it tells the story of the three shepherds who are the first to bring gifts to the Christ child, but only after a hilarious slapstick comedic romp involving the sheep-thief Mak and his wife Jill. This production will be based on the modernized script by David Parry and directed by PLS Artistic Director Linda Phillips.

Clown/physical comedy or stage combat training an asset but not required. Students are encouraged to audition.

What we’re looking for:

• Shepherds: male or cross-cast. They sing (badly).
• Mak: male, sneaky thief

Rehearsals:

Will take place during evenings and weekends beginning November 11, 2017

Poculi Ludique Societas and Pneuma Ensemble present two rare works by medieval women writers

Bisclaveret: The Tale of the Werewolf, by Marie de France (12th century)

In “Lai de Bisclaveret” Pneuma Ensemble presents Marie de France’s classic anglo-norman werewolf tale of love, betrayal, human kindness, and revenge. The Baron, handsome and loved by all, including the King, has a secret: for three days every week; he disappears to the darkest part of the forest to become a werewolf. His wife betrays him, stealing his hidden clothing so that he cannot change back and marrying a knight who had long pursued her. Trapped in wolf shape, the Baron must find a way to return to court and wreak his revenge. The tale is told troubador-style with period music.

Dulcitius, or Sex in the Kitchen, by Hrotsvit of Gandersheim (10th Century)

Dulcitius is a fast-paced one act tragicomedy written in the 10th century by the nun Hrotsvit of Gandersheim. The production will be using a new translation by Dr. Colleen Butler from the original Latin. This rarely performed play tells the story of three virgin sisters who refuse to give up their Christian faith at the order of the emperor Diocletian. They are persecuted by various Roman officials but their prayers save them from sexual assault by the governor Dulcitius who becomes the victim of a hallucination in which he attempts to have sex with the pots and pans in the kitchen. Eventually the Romans are all foiled and the sisters achieve their desire to become martyrs for their faith.

Dates

• Friday, April 7, 8 pm
• Saturday April 8, 8 pm
• Sunday April 9, 2 pm

Location

Luella Massey Studio Theatre, 4 Glen Morris St, Toronto

Tickets

• $20 / Senior $15 / Student $10
• Available at the door (cash payments only)
• Reservations: 416-978-5096
• Order online

NON-UNION, NON-PAYING
NB: You must be able to travel to the USA in May 2017

Poculi Ludique Societas (PLS) presents

DULCITIUS
or Sex in the Kitchen

Performance Dates:

• Toronto: April 6 to 9, 2017
• Kalamazoo, MI, USA: May 13 2017

The Project:

Toronto’s renowned medieval and renaissance players, PLS is a non-profit, non-Equity theatre company affiliated with the University of Toronto, dedicated to the production of early plays for research and entertainment.

Dulcitius is a fast-paced one act tragicomedy written in the 10th century by the nun Hrotsvit of Gandersheim. The production will be using a new translation by Dr. Colleen Butler from the original Latin. This rarely performed play tells the story of three virgin sisters who refuse to give up their Christian faith at the order of the emperor Diocletian. They are persecuted by various Roman officials but their prayers save them from sexual assault by the governor Dulcitius who becomes the victim of a hallucination in which he attempts to have sex with the pots and pans in the kitchen. Eventually the Romans are all foiled and the sisters achieve their desire to become martyrs for their faith.

Dulcitius will be performed for the Medieval Academy of America in Toronto in April and at the International Congress on Medieval Studies in Kalamazoo MI in May. Transportation and lodging will be provided. Students are encouraged to audition.

What we’re looking for:

• Men: Roman officials and soldiers any age
• Women: young looking; able to sing a short hymn

Rehearsals:

Will take place during daytimes, evenings and weekends beginning in March

Audition Dates:

• February 17: 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• February 18: 11:00 am – 2:00 pm

Please email your resume and photo as soon as possible to director@plspls.ca (with subject line: Auditions) to book your audition time. Come prepared with a short monologue. Women will be asked to sing.

Coming in Spring 2017

PLS presents…

Dulcitius, or
Sex in the Kitchen

By Hrotsvit of Gandersheim (10th century nun)

In a new translation by Colleen Butler, PhD

Dulcitius is a fast-paced one act tragicomedy written in the 10th century by the nun Hrotsvit of Gandersheim. The production will be using a new translation by Dr. Colleen Butler from the original Latin. This rarely performed play tells the story of three virgin sisters who refuse to give up their Christian faith at the order of the emperor Diocletian. They are persecuted by various Roman officials but their prayers save them from sexual assault by the governor Dulcitius who becomes the victim of a hallucination in which he attempts to have sex with the pots and pans in the kitchen. Eventually the Romans are all foiled and the sisters achieve their desire to become martyrs for their faith.

Performances:

1. Location TBA, Toronto
   • April 7-9, 2017
2. Mostly Medieval Play Festival at the International Congress on Medieval Studies
   • Kalamazoo, MI, USA
   • May 13, 2017

Presenting… Linda’s photos from the Toronto post-tour performances!

Our intrepid company has returned from the UK! Click on the arrows to see more photos below.

Want to see Mankind and/or The Pride of Life for yourself back here in Toronto? Your chance is coming up these next two weekends, July 30-31 and August 6-7, at Majlis Arts Garden (163 Walnut Avenue). All shows are free and no tickets are required. Tell your friends!

Sat 30 July, 2:30pm: MANKIND
Sat 30 July, 6:30pm: PRIDE OF LIFE
Sun 31 July, 2:30pm: PRIDE OF LIFE
Sat 6 Aug, 2:30pm: MANKIND
Sat 6 Aug, 6:30pm: PRIDE OF LIFE
Sun 7 Aug, 2:30pm: PRIDE OF LIFE

Full details are available here.
 

This could be YOU!

If you saw this summer’s PLS productions of MANKIND and/or THE PRIDE OF LIFE, we’d love to hear your feedback (however short or long)! Please visit and share:

PLS Talkback Survey

Toronto’s PLS (Poculi Ludique Societas),
with the generous support of the Connaught Fund, presents
two medieval English morality plays:

THE PRIDE OF LIFE
(a mor[t]ality play,
whose lost second half is reimagined differently at every show!)

MANKIND
(a mischievously cautionary tale, with poop)

at the Majlis Art Garden (163 Walnut Avenue, Toronto, ON)

Sat 30 July, 2:30pm: MANKIND
Sat 30 July, 6:30pm: PRIDE OF LIFE
Sun 31 July, 2:30pm: PRIDE OF LIFE
Sat 6 Aug, 2:30pm: MANKIND
Sat 6 Aug, 6:30pm: PRIDE OF LIFE
Sun 7 Aug, 2:30pm: PRIDE OF LIFE

ALL SHOWS ARE FREE (donations gratefully accepted!)
AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. NO TICKETS NECESSARY!
SPREAD THE WORD!

—

Ridiculous, irreverent, raucously relevant: join PLS for two uproarious glimpses into the dynamic, scatological, and often hilarious world of English plays as they were performed six centuries ago. We translate original scripts into contemporary English and combine them with real medieval music, costume design, and performance practices — hints of a culture that was, in some ways, more liberated and freethinking than our current one.

In our silly, scatological MANKIND (from the year c. 1464), the stodgy Mercy and the unhinged Mischief strive for the attention of a very distractable Mankind, overwhelming him with grandiose speeches, ridiculous songs, bodily humour, and a cheerful demon who creates human error.

In THE PRIDE OF LIFE, from the late 1300s, the bombastic King Life believes he will live forever… He and his jolly knights ignore the Queen’s urgent warnings that a rival king, has recently landed in their realm. Since only the first half of the original manuscript has been found, we will draw on audience input to improvise the play’s lost but inevitable mortal conclusion differently at every showing!

In a subversion of the original scripts’ anti-feminist themes, both shows are performed by six non-male actors. Family-friendly, free of charge, and accessible, all of our shows will be Relaxed Performances.

—–

OUR TEAM:

Ara Glenn-Johanson (Strength / Mischief)
Polly Phokeev (Health / Mankind)
Tricia Postle (Bishop / Nought)
Cassidy Sadler (Queen / New Guise)
Heather Sanderson (King Life / Nowadays)
Nicole Wilson (Mirth / Mercy)

with special musical guests PNEUMA ENSEMBLE
(Eleanor Verrette on vielle; Gaven Dianda on citole, gittern, recorder, percussion; Tricia Postle on psaltery, voice)

directed by Matthew Milo Sergi
choreographed by Ara Glenn-Johanson
costumes by Linda Phillips
management by Dawn Nearing and Chandos Ross