Auditions for You Are The Government Inspector! - Iroquois Library

Name: Auditions for You Are The Government Inspector! - Iroquois Library
Start: 2026-05-12T18:00:00-04:00
Location: Iroquois Library

Schedule

Tue, 12 May, 2026 at 06:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Iroquois Library | Louisville, KY

Auditions for The Chamber Theatre's next show, Weekend of June 13th & 14th 2026
The next play from The Chamber Theatre is You Are The The Government Inspector!, a free adaptation of the play The Government Inspector by Nikolai Gogol. This comedy will be an episodic, immersive, interactive promenade piece of experiential theatre, directed by Martin French with 3 or 4 performances taking place on the weekend of June 13th and 14th at The Opera Center in Downtown Louisville. Like the source material, this production will be a sideways look at public life and community. Each performance will be approximately 1 hour long, and consists of several short vignettes, mostly of one or two people, with which the audience will interact to different degrees of engagement with before moving to their next experience.
Casting is open to all, with space specifically allocated for people with little or no experience, but who can demonstrate a willingness to learn, and take risks and put performance ahead of ego. Actors will have to be comfortable ad libbing beyond the script and need to be willing to improvise within the framework. Actor suggestions to enhance characters will be welcomed within the context of the world of the production.
𝐹𝐼𝑅𝑆𝑇 𝑇𝐼𝑀𝐸 𝑃𝑂𝑇𝐸𝑁𝑇𝐼𝐴𝐿 𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑀𝐵𝐸𝑅 𝑇𝐻𝐸𝐴𝑇𝑅𝐸 𝐴𝐶𝑇𝑂𝑅𝑆
In-person auditions will take place at 6pm on Monday May 11th in Crescent Hill Library (2762 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206 - https://www.facebook.com/share/14crG7ttLPH/), and at 6pm on Tuesday May 12th in at the Iroquois Library (601 W Woodlawn Ave., Louisville, KY 40215). Please get in contact if you have any questions.
𝐹𝑂𝑅𝑀𝐸𝑅 𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑀𝐵𝐸𝑅 𝑇𝐻𝐸𝐴𝑇𝑅𝐸 𝐴𝐶𝑇𝑂𝑅𝑆
For those who have previously worked with The Chamber Theatre, expressions of interest are welcomed. Please email [email protected] to schedule a chat with Martin about your interest in the show. Chamber Theatre alums should contact by Monday May 11th at 12 noon.
All people who audition or put their name forward will be contacted, whether the news is good, bad, or uncertain, by midnight three days after the close of auditions (i.e. before end of May 15th).
𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗗𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗦
Performance dates: June 13th & 14th 2026 at 7.30pm (for 3 or 4 performances)
Venue: The Kentucky Opera Center for Cultural Health, 708 Magazine St., Louisville.
𝗥𝗘𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦𝗔𝗟 𝗗𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗦
Rehearsals commence May 18th at various locations
Each actor will typically have 2-3 rehearsals per week
All actors MUST be available for tech and dress rehearsal on Friday evening / night June 12th.
While we are keen to work within people’s schedules, it is imperative that we have a clear idea of rehearsal availability before casting.
Director: Martin French (he/him)
𝗥𝗢𝗟𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗩𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘
No roles have been pre-cast; should a part be cast before auditions commence, they will be removed from this listing immediately. Character ages will be curved based on cast
There are numerous roles in this production, and space to expand that. These are avatars that will reflect what the actor desires to make them, therefore no genders have been determined yet.
MAYOR – Authoritative without power, charming without substance, likeable without being useful
COUNCIL LEADER – Firm, assertive, fed-up-of-your-crap, believes they see through everything
CITY CLERK – Tedious rule follower on the streets, voracious between the sheets (who’s sheets is another matter)
OSIP – Guide to the experience, constantly engaging with audience, needs to be willing to improvise on the spot; relatable, friendly, knowledgeable and conscious of their communities problems, but love it all the same.
BOBCHINSKY and DOBCHYNSKI – Historians who are in constant disagreement on almost every point, especially the ones on which they agree. Also, a couple.
DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORT – Oblivious, nepo-baby, almost certainly useless. Could be the villain, could be the least competent person there.
THE CURATOR – Runs the embarrassingly small local museum, and is a reflection of that. Probably a bit innocent.
THE GUARDS – Two characters (perhaps more) who have little English. Threatening looking, even when being nice.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER – That self-appointed cheerleader who tries that little bit too hard to get everyone to join in on everything
URCHINS – opportunity for younger actors (8-15) to play street rascals. Urchins will have only a max of one evening’s rehearsal per week, and will be accommodated early in the evening for shorter periods (no more than 1 hour) during rehearsal. Performance requirements will be based on suitable availability, and they will not be expected for every performance if unavailable.
*Other characters may be added to the show, depending on auditions.
Skills that will help any potential cast include inventiveness, improvisation, communication and engagement, keen comic timing, good listening, and a desire to explore the text beyond the commonplace expectation.
In person auditions will be a combination of some cold reading, discussion, and group work. No monologue is necessary. Please email your acting resumes (if you have one) to [email protected] with the subject line “Inspector Auditions”. The director has a smart phone, so headshots are unnecessary.
Unfortunately, these are not formally paying roles, but if the show goes particularly well, there should be some small token of compensation.
𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗢 𝗔𝗟𝗟
We are happy to see anyone who feels that they can convince us that they are right to play any part: this matters more to us than any supposed preconceptions about different parts. Actors are not required to match the characters played in terms of typical expectation of age, gender, ethnic, ability or racial identity, and trans actors are particularly invited to audition.
The Chamber Theatre has a tradition of welcoming people of all backgrounds, identities, gender identities, and abilities, and is keen to welcome diverse and non-traditional candidates. We attempt to facilitate various needs by providing audition scripts and materials in dyslexia and autism friendly fonts, as well as in large print, and will send these sides in advance to those who request it. We are trying to be as inclusive in our casting as possible, and welcome suggestions on how we can do better in this regard.
𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦?
If you have any questions, please contact us in the comments, directly via dm, or by email at [email protected]

𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦
If the director doesn’t know you, your audition will start with him recording a very short video of you stating your name to aid his memory – it also gives an example of your speaking voice. And if you don’t want to be recorded, no problem, just mention that, and you won't have to.
Audition will be a mix of cold readings and group work, and auditions will be in groups with people auditioning for different parts for 5-10 minutes (depending how many we have for audition). This may mean going out of order to give everyone the best opportunity to audition for the role they want.
The scenes will be run twice or maybe more, and if there is time auditioners will improvise beyond them – re-imagining the scene and / or following on from it, exploring what happens. This might feel a bit scary, but don’t worry: there are no right or wrong answers or choices, it is all about how you react to and interact with what happens.
While we ask you to prepare two pieces for your audition, depending on numbers, there may only be time to properly explore one of the scenes. You may also be asked to help by reading a part in a scene you haven’t considered as much, much less prepared – don’t worry unless it goes perfectly, you’ll be judged on the one you prepare. In some cases, you may be asked to prepare an additional scene, if you are willing to wait around to do so.
Any actor will be considered for any part they register interest in, regardless of what the expectations might be. Nothing is as important as acting ability and the ability to create and react. The right actors will make the parts their own in ways the director cannot imagine right now. The show will be built out of the characters we create, so a unique character interpretation will fit as long as it can be balanced.
You will get an email or text from the director by May 15th to let you know whether you have a callback, a part, or were unsuccessful on this occasion.