A Few 'Last Words'...

With only a few days left before auditions, I thought I would stop in and offer up some final words before all the fun begins...

I have had the pleasure of hearing from many of you already and am looking forward to meeting you on Monday and/or Tuesday.  I am still happy to take questions, send out audition forms, or just offer a little advice all the way up to Monday, so keep them coming.  

 In the meantime, here are some final words of advice (and a word or two of encouragement) before Monday is upon us.

• First and foremost --- DO YOUR BEST and BE YOURSELF.  I want to meet the ACTOR wishing to be a part of my cast.  NOT an interpretation of what you think I am looking for in a character. I am casting for a fresh and new interpretation, not an onstage 'photocopy' of someone else's past performance. 

• Give your strongest audition early.  I will likely only see you for a few minutes before I have to make a decision as to whether to call you back.  You will do your monologue first (if you have one), cold read one scene (perhaps two, pending the size of the group you are in), and then answer a few questions or perform an Improv.  That is it.  So make my first impression of you a strong one.

•  Be honest on your audition form about which roles you will take.  Nothing frustrates me more than to offer an actor a role they claim they will take, only to find they decline.  If you wont take anything but Helena, then say that.  It may be that you are not right for that role in this production and I do not cast you, but I will leave the casting process with a positive memory of you, not a negative one.  The same goes for anything else we ask of you during the audition and rehearsal process -- Be honest.

•  Give a strong introduction to your monologue.  Smile, speak clearly and stand with confidence.  Give your name, the character name and the play you will be doing your piece from.  No more, no less. 

 

• Don't be hard on yourself if things don't go quite the way you hoped.  If you are right for a certain role, I will see that early on and want to see more.  Just take a deep breath and dive right in! 

•  If you are unhappy with the way your monologue audition went, I will be happy to see it again during the Singing / Movement portion of the open audition on Monday night.  I will also offer comments if you would like them.  This will be the last part of the audition (approx 9pm) on Monday.  You will need to sign up for that at the information table.  

• While I do use a small group of casting adjudicators to advise and offer opinions during the audition and casting process, the final casting decision will be mine.  I do take into account many, many things during the process, including actor ethic (if I have worked with you -- or heard of your work-- before), your own abilities and natural handling of the script and suitability for a role.  

•  Make sure you bring a complete list of anticipated conflicts for the entirety of the rehearsal and production period.  I do not tolerate consistent absences if they are not predefined.  Be honest about your actual arrival and attendance capabilities.  I will create my rehearsal schedule around the conflicts given at auditions.  Give ANY and ALL anticipated issues with attendance or timing.  If your conflicts are not overly excessive and you are right for a role, I will do my utmost to work with your schedule.

• If you are not cast, please know that it is most likely because you are simply not right for a role in this production.  The fewer roles you will accept, the fewer options that are open to you.  If you really would like to be in the production, be flexible about the roles you would like to do... but, as I said before, be honest.  

• Make friends with your co-auditioners.  I am looking for groups (and a full cast) which gels and that is a lot easier to do in front of the casting team, if you have some sort of rapport already.  Make friends, talk to others and start to build the beginnings of a working relationship, if you can!

• Show me everything you have got.  You may only have one chance, so make it count.  Have fun, be yourself and let yourself go.

And, finally... I have had a few questions in the last couple of days about the casting of the Mechanicals, since only potential Bottoms will be asked back to Call Backs.  Just to clarify, we will be asking those we consider appropriate for one of the Mechanical roles (Quince, Flute, Snout, Snug, Starvling and Bottom), to attend the last Open session on Monday, where we will be doing a number of other audition tasks, as well as Mechanical related scenes.  And, yes, I will still consider those who attend the main Tuesday night call,  for Mechanical and Fairy roles, in the event I have not been able to fill them from the other sessions.

 See you all Monday and Tuesday!