The Casting Process

There is always something unnerving about the audition process, no matter which side of it you're on. As an actor it's all of the preparation and the buildup to the audition itself, in addition to the nerve-racking waiting period in which you pray you get cast in some show or other, but I can assure you, you are not alone. This was not my first time on the other side of a casting experience but this experience was a little more difficult because of all of the dramaturgical information that had to inform the casting process. This becomes even more difficult when you realize how good all of the actors are. This is the point when an actor can come in and completely revolutionize your entire concept, bringing your entire show together. The sad part is that sometimes as actors we don't necessarily understand the process, or give ourselves too little credit. Every actor that had the guts to step before us and audition showed me something unique, and I was grateful for their willingness to do so. To be honest this makes you want to cast everyone in your show, however because of size restrictions or the restrictions of the text this isn’t possible, and so you shift your approach. For our production of Ruined we were luckily allowed a little bit of leeway with the creation of an ensemble of Mama Nadi's other girls and soldiers, which allowed us to include more people in the show. But in addition to that, it allowed us to use the show as a learning process for everyone involved, which I truly think is the true function of theatre in such an educational environment. I hope that the cast can then take their casting as a challenge, and put in the work to not only create a great show, but to learn something about themselves from the experience.

In our next installment we'll address the first couple of days of rehearsal and the unique process we're using for this show.

Thanks and Love,

Chrich