Mariemont Players, Inc. is pleased to announce auditions for our production of The Lion in Winter a historical drama by James Goldman

​

Directed by Jerry Wiesenhahn

Produced by Kristen Vincenty

Audition Dates/Times:

Monday, September 21 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Tuesday, September 22 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. 

​

Sign-up: Please sign up for an audition time here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090D44AFAB2FA2FE3-65202891-thelion

​

Location: Mariemont Players – 4101 Walton Creek Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45227

 

Audition Requirements:​

• • Auditions will consist of "warm" readings from the script. Sides can be found here.​

  • Please bring a theatrical résumé and headshots are appreciated but not required

  • The production team encourages actors of all races, ethnicities, identities, abilities, experience levels, etc. to audition – all are welcome! 

  • Please contact director Jerry Wiesenhahn with questions about the script or audition process here.

  • If in need of accommodations or questions about accessibility, please contact producer Kristen Vincenty here.

 

Production Dates: March 4-21, 2027

​

Rehearsal Calendar:  Rehearsals will begin in January and run through the opening. Please bring your conflicts to share with the production team at auditions. 

​

Synopsis: Set in a cold medieval castle, King Henry II gathers his family for Christmas. What should be a celebration becomes a ruthless battle for power and succession. Queen Eleanor and her sons maneuver mercilessly for control of the throne. Alliances shift as quickly as loyalties are broken. Goldman’s sharp dialogue crackles with intelligence and emotional intensity. The stakes are personal, political, and deadly serious. A riveting exploration of family, ambition, and the cost of power.

​

Character Breakdown

HENRY II (M, 50 – 60)
King of England. Henry is at an age which, during his time, men were either old or dead. But not
Henry. Though arthritis comes occasionally and new battle wounds don’t heal the way the old
ones did, he still is very nearly all he every was. He is enjoying that final rush of physical and
mental vigor that comes to some men, not before the end but just before the decline. He is
determined to have John, his youngest son, as his heir, but he knows that if he does his
remaining family could start a civil war. He loves his much younger mistress, Alais, half-sister to
Philip, King of France, but has no qualms using her as a bargaining chip in his plans. 

ELEANOR (F, 60 – 68)
Queen of England, Duchess of Aquitaine, former Queen of France; Henry’s wife, ten years his
senior, she is a truly handsome woman of great temperament, authority and presence. She has
been a queen of international importance for 46 years and you know it. Henry imprisoned her
under house arrest ten years ago for supporting their sons in an unsuccessful rebellion. She
continues to care deeply for Henry but fiercely resists being disregarded or subordinate. Years
ago, when Henry turned to a mistress, Eleanor turned her devotion to raising their son Richard,
and will do almost anything to see him succeed Henry.

RICHARD (M, 25 – 35)
Richard Lionheart is the eldest surviving son of Henry and Eleanor, and has been a famous
soldier since his sixteenth birthday. He’s impressive and domineering but has a tense
relationship with both of his parents. He is his mother’s favorite, yet he’s wary of her - does she
genuinely love and support him, or does she use him as a tool in her conflict with his father. He
feels neglected and excluded by Henry and silently yearns for his father’s approval but covers
his pain with his warrior’s demeanor. 

GEOFFREY (M, 20 – 25)
Count of Brittany, the second eldest surviving son of Henry and Eleanor, Geoffrey is attractive,
charming, and the most intelligent of the brothers. His parents, however, never consider him in
the running to be king— even though he possesses the intellectual promise of a great monarch. His
resentment at being neglected have made him a cold amoral schemer who constantly changes
his alliances between Richard and John, hoping to disgrace them both so he can gain the
throne and his parents’ love and respect.

JOHN (M, 18 – 25 to play a 16 y.o)

The youngest son of Henry and Eleanor, John is Henry’s favorite and his chosen heir. He has
been spoiled rotten by his father and is sulky and sullen. He often taunts his brothers, knowing
that Henry will back him up. However, beneath his boasting, he is deeply insecure, as he knows
he has neither Richard’s brawn nor Geoffrey’s brain. His lack of maturity and desperate desire
to come out on top lead him to be easily manipulated - he’s in over his head.

ALAIS (Pronounced “Alice”) (F, 20 – 25)
Daughter of the late King of France and half-sister to King Philip. She is deeply in love with
Henry, many years her senior, and has been his mistress for seven years. In that time, she has
grown from a simple teenage girl to a gentle and thoughtful young woman with a quiet strength.
Though at times she tries to match Henry’s family in their ruthlessness, she knows her kind
nature will not allow her to truly compete with them. 

PHILIP (M, 18 – 24)
The young King of France, half-brother to Alais. Philip has come to Henry’s court to demand
that a treaty made with his late father be fulfilled and to exact what revenge he can for the years
of humiliation his father suffered at Henry’s hands. He is relatively new to his throne but shows
more skill at this game than anyone expected by going toe to toe with Henry and then
encouraging the rebellious thoughts of Henry’s sons through empty promises made to each of
them in turn.

 

​