Auditions

Yesterday, we officially started the auditioning process (though I did see a few people last week), and for actors work on the show begins.  Obviously for directors and other key personnel work began quite some time ago.

As a director the audition period marks a critical juncture on the production of the show:  you get to see if the plans you had been formulating will work.  Sometimes hearing the words spoken aloud tells you more than you can ever imagine than when just reading a text.  This happens with every show, regardless of material.  It's liberating and invigorating as a director to see the words live in front of you.  New doorways open and others sometimes close.



But to see those doorways a lot of people have to be moved around.  A lot of the audition for directors is air traffic controlling.  Time management is one of the most important and most overlooked skills a director needs.  And that really starts at the audition.

You need to select material for cold readings that is clear, easily understandable and not too short or not too long.  You don't want to muddle the "stage" with too many characters, or at least make sure that they can easily identify their key relationships (and you can, too) with very few clues.  I normally look for 2 or 3 person scenes at most.  That way the actors only have to focus their attention on one other person, and that can free them up to do some more interpretation.  I try not to pick anything more than a page in length or two pages if the pages be small, so the eye (and mind) of the actor isn't burdened with too much extraneous junk.  Finding the right cuttings can be horrifying and time consuming work.   Because all that I described is for the benefit of the actor, not the director.

If you are benefiting the director at the auditions, then what you want to do is read the whole script aloud.  That's the best way for actors to give the most complete and best performance at an audition.  And make no mistake, auditions are performances.  Any director that tells you they are not looking for an opening night performance is either trying to take the pressure off of the actors or a big fat liar.  The people who get the parts are the ones who can give an acceptable opening night performance at the audition.  Because if they can be at that point that early, then the director knows that they will be even better later.

Very seldom do you get the chance to read the entire script at an audition.  It takes too much time, and again, time management is the most important skill a director can use.  So you have to pick short scenes that clearly establish differences between characters, have clear intentions for the actors to play and you  won't get sick of hearing over and over again.  You have to try to service the various age groups or types of characters represented in the show.

I picked a whole mess of scenes for the auditions this week, because I wasn't sure what the company of actors might be.  I made a conscious decision to steer away from the characters with the thick accents (Dr. Caius and Sir Hugh Evans), because accents can be tricky.  This was a mistake.  I didn't pick enough scenes that showcased the big male caricatures in the show.  I focused on Flastaff, Ford and Fenton thinking that would show me what I needed, and for the most part it did.  However, I am not sure how many of the young men that auditioned so far could go big.  That's not say that there weren't some who showed me they could.  But is there enough?

One thing I am certain of is that Merry Wives was the right Shakespeare play to choose, as no other of his works has so many strong roles for mature women, and Mill Race is particularly blessed with a bunch of strong mature women.  Too many perhaps.

More oftentimes than not, I am not surprised by what happens at the auditions.  I have usually picked material which I think will work given the company of actors I expect to audition.  Today, I went in a little blind, not knowing who might turn up.  I was very pleased to see the company that formed, and am looking forward to seeing them start working together along with the additions of those who already auditioned or will be auditioning later this week.

The auditions succeeded in doing the key thing they should do for a director:  invigorate me to tell this story.