Open auditions for the Missouri Western State University production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28 in the Potter Hall Theater. Actors and actresses age 16 and over are invited to sign up for audition times on the online callboard.

Shakespeare’s beloved comedy will be the first production in “A Season of Laughter,” Missouri Western’s 2013-2014 theatre season. The play directed by Dallas Henry, assistant professor of theatre and cinema, is scheduled to be performed Oct. 3-13. Rehearsals begin Aug. 28.

“The production will be set in Victorian England, but we will preserve Shakespeare’s original language,” Henry said. “Actors need to know that memorizing large blocks of dialogue in Elizabethan verse is mentally demanding, and putting it all together in roughly four weeks will be very physically demanding as well.”

Those auditioning should prepare a Shakespeare monologue and bring a calendar to identify any schedule conflicts. For more information, contact Henry at dhenry2@missouriwestern.edu or 816-271-4442.

ABOUT THE PLAY: One of Shakespeare’s most enduring and popular works, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a delightful comedy about how love makes fools of us all. Four young lovers escape to the forest, where fairies thrive and mischief beckons, while hapless actors prepare a play to present at a royal wedding. With a magic potion that grants love at first sight, anything is possible!

Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.