Wednesday, 18 August 2004

So, the lucky contestant is...

So, last night was the final night I was holding auditions for the play that I'm directing. Everything went fairly well.

I had everything planned out. I made up my own audition forms, wrote out the synopsis and character breakdowns, made up schedules, etc. Then, I read them my address detailing the play itself, commitment level, tentative schedule for rehearsals, and show dates.

Each actor was given sides (a portion of the script) and my stage manager and I acted as readers. It was kind of fun. I got to make notes and give direction!  It's so different being the one behind the table rather than in front of it.

We had a really small turnout on Sunday. Of course, it was the weekend and the weather was amazing. Nicest day we've had in a few weeks. The Fringe is also in town. A lot of people are in Edmonton on Whyte Avenue enjoying the street performers and the plays. But, that's alright. Being summer and the fact the play is a dinner theatre, I didn't expect there to be a fabulous turnout.

We had a few more people show up yesterday. Why is it that you always get a lot more women showing up to this kind of a thing? There should be more men turning out. What guy wouldn't jump at the chance to be around a lot of really attractive women? All of the male roles were filled almost immediately, as I only had 4 men audition.

A number of people who auditioned read very well. There were a few who didn't audition as well as I hoped. But, I could see potential in them (be it the fact that they were more animated or better able to follow direction when given). It was really difficult trying to select some people for the roles that were available.

I decided to take a role for myself, so that only left 3 female roles.  But, it's all been cast. I selected some really strong, hard-working, committed people. We have our first read through next week. Now, all I have to do is call everyone.

I really hate the idea of telling anyone that they weren't successful.  One girl was WAY too young. She looked as if she was about 14 years old. And another one...she's apparently difficult to work with.  I'll just leave it at that.

After the auditions were over last night, my stage manager and I sat around for about an hour trying to place people into roles. As I said, we filled most of the roles almost immediately. In the end we were only struggling with one role. There was one role I had to fill over the phone.

One of the women who was on the Dramaturge committee with me had expressed an interest in a small role. So, I cast her as the mother because she's only seen in the first 10 - 15 minutes at the beginning and the last 10 - 15 minutes at the end.

Now, it's down to business. Rehearsals start next week and we can FINALLY get the ball rolling. We only have about 2 months to pull a show together, but I'm not worried. All of the people in the cast are very dedicated and experienced, so it shouldn't be a problem.

B

Posted by brookside10 at 9:25 AM MDT | Post Comment | View Comments (2) | Permalink
Updated: Sunday, 14 June 2015 6:19 PM MDT

Share This Post