The Ups And Downs of Casting

[plumtreeblossom]

Auditions are over, and I have a cast. I also have a lot of talented, respected actor friends who I want to hug tightly. There's been a post unfurling today, mostly in comments to other people's journals, and I wanted to get all in a central place here.

Directing is fun, except when it's time to solve the jigsaw puzzle that is casting a small number of roles from a pool of very talented actors who are friends, former castmates of mine, former directors of mine, as well as many strangers I've never seen before.

Some directors with more experience than me nailed it: Directors don't cast actors, they cast casts. All too often, actors who gave spectacular auditions simply can't be cast because of the terribly complicated stew that is matching/combining sets of actors in a play in a complimentary manner that creates optimal stage chemistry. Not being able to cast (this time) excellent actors who I have worked with and want to work with again just plain sucks, no way around it. As an actor myself, I know exactly what that heart-draining feeling is to open the email that thanks me for auditioning but that I didn't get a role, and then asks me to be a stage hand.

I don't want this to be a sad post though, and because of the kind of family that Theatre@First is, I know that I will get to work with the talented people I couldn't cast this time, maybe as actors together, maybe one of us directing the other, hell, maybe as stage hands. All of us are still an "us," even if we can't do every show together.

None of my cast has LJs that I know of (gotta change that!), but their names are Juliet, Lou and Erik. Two are completely new to T@F, and one is a PMRP veteran who has never worked with T@F before. I hope they all have a joyful first journey with T@F, and that they enjoy it so much that they want to come back for more shows. Just like all we hardcore Firsties did after our first time on this crazy ship of ours.

*Tears at work. Oh shit.*

I love you guys.

Comments

[beowabbit]

Congratulations, and I can’t wait to watch the process and see the final product!

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Thank you, love! And thank you for being my beloved sounding board!

[kalliejenn2.livejournal.com]

thank you, that's pretty much what i've been wanting to express all day.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Quoting myself from Facebook:

"When you're a gangsta, you're still in the gang even though you don't get to go to every rumble."

[oneagain.livejournal.com]

I imagine it is quite a difficult space to be in. I know I read a friend's lj today who I think is a consummate actress but I expect there was just not a good role for her--I almost cried on her behalf...

[decarabas.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on the casting. Now you can look forward to the great artistic and wild adventure the production is bound to be!

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! I so hope you can come and see the finished result!

By the way, I really like your new blog about acting. Can I link it here? I think a lot of my theatre friends would like it a lot, too. :-)

[decarabas.livejournal.com]

I Hope I can come see it too! I can't wait/
You can absolutely link my blog here! Thanks!!!
*runs off to read yours!*

[kencf0618.livejournal.com]

It sounds like you've dealt with the fallacy of composition already.

[eclecticavatar.livejournal.com]

It's a pretty shitty thing to hit *send* on that email, too. I wish people would remember that, as well.

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

Oh, I think most of our actors know it. It's just really hard in the moment of being rejected to hang on to the wider perspective. Auditions are the hardest part of theatre, for everyone involved. But then the production starts and then closing night comes and then the next show rolls around and in the long run, we're all ok with each other. I think you get the sharpest end of the stick, having to send out the rejections without actually being the decision-maker.

plumtreeblossom, you've said it well. I know you've been on all sides of this particular table and it's really good to share that perspective.

[kalliejenn2.livejournal.com]

this is why i think it would be good for more firsties to try directing, especially w/ the one acts. it gives you a whole new perspective on the whole auditioning/casting thing, and makes it sting a bit less.

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

Maybe we should start a year-round series of directed readings.

[dpolicar]

(nods) Yup. Been there, done that.
I'm hoping that neither I nor the exchange I prompted made you feel worse; if either did so, my sincere apologies. Organizing these summer festivals is an onerous and largely thankless/glamourless task; yay you! for signing up for it.

[modpixie.livejournal.com]

[derail]
Juliet is in fact awesome. I'm glad you'll have the chance to work with her.

[aphrabehn.livejournal.com]

Aw! Thank you!

Yeah, I'm totally peeking in here now ;-)

As an actor who can't get arrested in this town a lot (what? you want a slightly overweight, blue eyed blonde actress, born on Nov 8th, 5'7" with a thing for high heels? Great! Wait, not me? Oh.) you get really, really immune to it, the not getting the role. I've never been on the other side of the casting fence, but know so many who have been and, frankly, I think my job is easier.

My theory in auditions is this - treat the audition like a performance; walk in, do your best and then TOTALLY FORGET ABOUT IT. If you get it, happy surprise.

Admittedly, it's taken me 35 years to even be able to sorta do this.

So long story not so short, we know. And we understand.

That said, this was one of those happy surprise days.

juliet