Auditions prep

I've been rereading the scripts to The Wizard of Oz and Sugar Bean Sisters in preparation for the auditions. As I read the scripts it is hard for me to maintain my focus on auditions. With each reading my mind is filled with images of how we might accomplish this scene or that scene. How will we do the twister scene. Several ideas immediately pop into my head for different effects. Ultimately time and money will determine which route we will follow.

The auditions tomorrow will be something new. We've never tried to audition this many shows all on the same nights. April will audition Ramona Quimby from 5-7 pm in the classroom while at the same time Renie Barger will audition Having Our Say on the Main stage from 5-7 pm. Then from 7- 9 pm in the classroom will be The Wizard of Oz auditions. Tuesday night everything is the same except that The Sugar Bean Sisters will audition from 5-7 pm on the main stage while Ramona Quimby auditions in the classroom. Then the Wizard of Oz again in the classroom from 7-9 pm.

Several people have asked me what I'm thinking about for the characters of the Wizard of Oz. To be honest I'm waiting to see all the different people who audition and then try to see what group of people will fit together the best into a complete cast. I had an older actress ask me about the physical requirements for the Wicked Witch. The script calls for her to ride a bike, appear in the top of a tree, and ride a broomstick in the air. If we were going to produce the play in a large theatre like WKCTC or the Carson Center I would be thinking about a much bigger spectacle with elaborate rigging of flying harnesses. Since the Market House Theatre can't fly I have to come up with other creative ways of getting the same effects. My answer was that you need to be able to ride a bike and climb a tree.

Another difficult character is Toto. Is he a real dog or a stuffed dog? The answer is I don't know. If I had a well trained dog we would probably use a real dog. However dogs are so unpredictable that most productions go with a stuffed dog. Once again I will wait and see.

The Sugar Bean Sisters presents its own set of problems for our stage. We need a front porch and outside along with a living room/bedroom and kitchen, along with a back door and an outhouse. Characters in one part aren't supposed to see characters in the other part of the house. There are definitely times when I wish that I could turn to a scenic designer and say "so how are we going to do this?" Unfortunately for me, that is my job as well.

The most difficult part for me because of all of these auditions happening at the same time is that all of these shows require scenic designs at the same time. Scenery, lighting, and sound concepts all have to be fleshed out for rehearsals to start. I'm still working on Southern Comforts which opens in just over 2 weeks. I still haven't picked out paint colors for the set.

The joy of working for a small theatre like the Market House is that I get to be involved in so many aspects. The killer of working for a small theatre like MHT is that I have to be involved in so many aspects. While we are auditioning the actors for the shows we are also looking for people to volunteer to help with costumes, sets, lights, etc. and it can be a lot of fun without the long rehearsal process of being in a play. We are currently trying to find running crews for Southern Comforts. For that we need a stage manager, lighting and sound person. We do all the training for those who haven't ever tried it. If you can click a mouse or push a button you can run sound or lights. If we fail to find crew for the shows then Jim Keeney and I fill in on the technical positions.

I'm hoping for a big turnout for all of the shows! That makes my job easier on the one hand and much harder on the other. I always say I would like to have one more seat in the theatre than the number of people who want to buy tickets to see the show. That way I never turn any audience member away. I always hope that I can cast everyone who auditions, because that way I also never have to turn any performers away.

I've got my fingers crossed that the next couple of days will bring MHT lots of performers both new and old for all the shows that are auditioning.