Perfect canine performer sought for Shakespeare festival

Canine Auditions for “Crab” the Dog 
March 21, 2012

The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival in Incline Village announces auditions for “Crab” — the dog who plays an important and loving role in William Shakespeare's “The Two Gentlemen of Verona,” which will be performed from July 13–Aug. 26 at Sand Harbor State Park.

“The ideal candidates should be extremely mellow in nature, must be able to perform outdoors in any weather and resist the temptation to run, act upon or be interested in outside distractions such as bugs, animals, people, sound and lights,” Producing Artistic Director Charles Fee said.

The dog must also be agile, able to negotiate a flight of stairs (up and down), be well behaved and respond to simple commands like “sit”, “stay” and “down” or similar behavioral commands.

“Service trained dogs are welcome as are any other fun-loving, well-behaved canines who have dreamed of stardom,” Fee said.

The first round of auditions is set for 4:30-7:30 p.m. March 21 at the Donald W. Reynolds Non-Profit Community Center located at 948 Incline Way in Incline Village.

To qualify for an audition, interested parties must send a headshot of the dog, owner/handler information and any additional details that they'd like to share to info@tahoebard.com. Once the information is reviewed, all applicants will receive a call to confirm a time for the first interview.

If the dog is selected to continue with the audition process, the final audition will be scheduled for 4:30-7:30 p.m. April 24. Two dogs will be selected due to the extended run of the play.

Rehearsals start July 9 and the dogs must be available every night as scheduled, from 7-10:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays to perform in approximately four scenes. Owners must also be on site during the entire duration of the scheduled shows.

“In addition to their dogs being in the spotlight of our performance, their owners receive a variety of benefits including tickets to the show, a stipend and other perks,” said Fee.

For more information about the dog auditions, contact the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival atinfo@tahoebard.com or call 775-298-0147.

For complete information about the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and other cultural activities within the Festival's 2012 summer season, visit www.LakeTahoeShakespeare.com or call 800-747-4697.