Full Audition Info: EMILIA is a dynamic, high-energy ensemble piece that blends music, movement, and storytelling to celebrate the life and legacy of one extraordinary woman. It is funny, fierce, lyrical, and unapologetic - a rallying cry across the centuries. We are seeking a diverse, committed, and enthusiastic cast of women and non-binary performers to bring this contemporary classic to life. Below is a list of some of the main characters. It is also an ensemble piece where there can be chorus roles, and roles can be doubled up. All of the male roles will be played by women/non-binary actors. The writer intends for all three of the actresses playing the three Emilias (at different ages) to be people of color, and we'd greatly appreciate you sharing this audition info with anyone in your circle who might be able to help us find the right people for these roles. Emilia (Adult) – The central figure. Intelligent, passionate, sharp-witted, and fiercely determined to have her voice heard. We follow her journey from youth to published poet. Person of color - 20s - 30s. Young Emilia – Emilia as a child/teenager. Curious, observant, imaginative; already questioning the world around her. Person of color - 18 to 20s to play younger. Older Emilia – A reflective, often more direct-address presence who helps frame the story and its legacy. Person of color - 30s and up. Lady Mary Sidney – Countess of Pembroke; educated, literary, politically aware. Represents female intellectual possibility within constraint. Susan Bertie, The Countess of Kent – A noblewoman and patron figure; independent and outspoken. Lady Katherine Howard – A courtly woman who reveals the precarious position of women at court. Lord Thomas Howard - He embodies the patriarchal values of the time, believing that women should be obedient, modest, and silent rather than intellectual or outspoken. Lady Margaret Clifford – A noblewomen who encourages Emilia intellectually and symbolizes women pursuing learning despite societal barriers. Lord Henry Carey (Lord Hunsdon) – Emilia’s patron and lover; powerful, charismatic, entitled. Alfonso Lanier – Emilia’s father, a court musician. William Shakespeare - Famous playwright who appears as one of the men in Emilia’s life. Alfonso Lanier Jr. - Emilia’s husband, through which the audience sees how Emilia’s talents and ambitions are restricted. Plot: Emilia tells the story of Emilia Bassano, a 16th-century poet widely believed by some scholars to have been the “Dark Lady” of Shakespeare’s sonnets — and one of the first published female poets in England.