CALLING ALL SCALLYWAGS: Seeking Hamilton Actors to join the Pirate Life Crew!

 
 

Pirate Life Theatre is casting for our Hamilton location in Bayfront Park and is seeking performers to join our merry band of buccaneers for the summer! If you enjoy performing, working with kids, and being on the water, then this is the gig for you! We are also looking for some of our new numbers to take on leadership roles within our organization, if you are handy, comfortable driving boats, and/or cars with trailers, or very administratively inclined, we’d love to hear about it. 

We at Pirate Life celebrate diversity and fight for inclusive representation on our stages and in our community.  We encourage submissions from artists of all backgrounds regardless of race, gender, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

We are looking for pirates who embody our motto: “All hands on deck!” We value initiative, teamwork, adaptability, dependability, and positivity.

THE SHOW:

Pirate Life is a children’s theatre company that performs interactive adventures on a 50ft pirate ship. Each adventure begins with a series of onshore activities led by our performers. Guests are transformed into a pirate crew complete with their own pirate names and tattoos. Then our crew sets sail on our ship for a 1hr interactive show and treasure hunt! During our sail around Hamilton harbor, audiences are invited to decipher treasure maps, complete challenges, and fend off villainous pirates with our water cannons! 

DETAILS:

  • This is a non-union, independent contractor position compensated at a rate of $20.80/hr (Living wage in Hamilton).

  • Full-time positions are available.

  • We operate 6 days a week in July and August, and on weekends in May, June, September, and October.

  • Rotating cast members perform 2 shows per day, and take on other responsibilities for 2 shows per day (4 shows total per day).

  • At Pirate Life, our cast is our crew! All actors must be willing to get their PCOC License and learn to drive a small dinghy for performances. All actors will also need to learn administrative tasks for Front Of House.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

  • Experience working with/performing for children. 

  • Comfortable performing outdoors on a moving boat. 

  • Willing to complete PCOC boating license, drive a small dingy and learn basic boating duties (docking, handling lines, etc.)

  • Smart Serve Certified.

  • Experience in customer service.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Captains - We are looking for approximately 3-4 of our new hires to get their SVOP license (1-week course) to drive our 50-foot Pirate Ship. 

  • Trailer Driver - We have a 20’ trailer ship that we take to camps to perform at their location when they can’t come to us. We are looking for 1 or 2 reliable people who have their driver’s license and who would be interested in learning to drive our ‘boatmobile’ to camps, perform, and then come back! You will be driving our company vehicle. 

  • Leadership - In order to be considered for leadership roles, you must be trained as a captain and excel in administrative tasks. Full-time positions only.

KEY DATES:

  • Email submissions with resume, headshot and pirate intro self-tape video due February 25th. 

  • In-person auditions will take place on March 10th. 

  • A group callback will take place on March 24th.

  • Rehearsals will occur over the course of 4 days on April 13th, 14th, 20th and 21st.

  • Opening day is May 4th. 

  • Season ends October 27th. 

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: 

  • Use the subject line “Children’s Theatre Hamilton Auditions 2024 - FIRSTNAME LASTNAME”.

  • Write a brief email introducing yourself and any relevant experience you may have. (500 words or less) 

  • Attach your resume and headshot.

  • Include a video submission.  

  • Video Instructions:  Introduce yourself as a pirate character! Tell us your pirate name, why they call you this and/or how you got this name through a brief story. Remember that this is an interactive children’s show, we would love to see you incorporate audience interaction and use full-body engagement. Feel free to look right into the camera as if it is your audience of children! (1.5 min max)

    Here are a couple of video examples to help you with the Pirate story part:

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GfyIol0o7yqYDjBnpelhNfBG8u1VPQ6g/view?usp=sharing

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fXohE2OFB4Upf9T8rNPshpuPHCSdI7Rc/view?usp=sharing


  • Wear your best homemade pirate attire to help you tell your story! (Don’t worry too much about this one, it’s just to help you set the scene.) 

    Here is a video to help you make a pirate costume out of things from home (Please feel free to disregard the section on masks; however, our pirates are always welcome to be masked on site if they feel safer that way):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHhHxlhpJ9Q 

  • Make sure to record horizontally and send a Google Drive video or unlisted YouTube link.

  • Lastly, if you can sing or if you play a handheld instrument, we want to see it! If you don’t, that’s okay, show us another talent of yours!

    PLEASE EMAIL SUBMISSIONS TO: 

    General Manager Kirsten at hamilton@piratelife.ca 

     

Fair winds and following seas,

The Pirate Life Team