The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival (NCSF) will hold auditions for its 2008 MainStage repertory season productions of "King Lear," directed by Steve Umberger and "Much Ado About Nothing," directed by Henson Keys.

NCSF will be casting Equity and non-Equity actors for both productions. All major roles will be understudied. The roles of King Lear and Gloucester have been cast with veteran members of the NCSF acting company.

Auditions for Equity actors will be held on Friday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a lunch break from noon until 1 p.m. Equity "walk-ins" are welcome. NCSF operates under a LORT 'D' contract with Actors Equity Association.

Auditions for non-Equity actors will be held on Saturday, April 26, and Sunday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a lunch break from noon until 1 p.m.

Actors must bring a resume, an 8 x 10 black and white headshot, and a prepared one brief Shakespearean piece of their choice not to exceed two minutes.

Performances begin Saturday, Sept. 6, and run through Oct. 5, with a total of 28 regular public and 10 a.m. student matinee performances at The High Point Theatre. The contract is nine weeks.

Rehearsals begin Tuesday, Aug. 5 at 10 a.m., and will be held every Tuesday through Sunday morning at 10 a.m., with Mondays off.

Auditions will be held at The Festival's new Spirit Center campus located at 807 W. Ward Ave., High Point, North Carolina, 27260.

To schedule an audition, call the NCSF offices on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays only, at (336) 841-2273, ext. 226.