Fair Em, The Miller's Daughter of Manchester
Secret identities, unwanted suitors, the Norman Conquest, grain to mill – what’s a Northern lass in love to do? This is the plot of Fair Em, the Miller’s Daughter of Manchester, an anonymous romantic comedy first performed in London, c.1590. The unconvincing but no less tantalizing possibility of Shakespearean authorship has dominated what little critical and editorial attention Fair Em has received from scholars. But, setting aside the distraction of the play’s authorship, the play is nonetheless a lively comedy that resonates with modern audiences, as witnessed by a well-received London revival in 2013. The play has a witty and sizeable female title role, numerous ensemble roles, and echoes with contemporary critical concerns such as class, bodily autonomy, gender, historical myth and the formation of good government. All acting skill levels welcome! The show runs November 6-7-8, 2025 in the MadLab Theatre.
Please prepare a 60-90 second monologue from a Shakespeare play. You will also be asked to cold read from selected scenes.
Callbacks (Denney Hall 311): Thursday, September 11, 6-9pm