My Next Next Gig... Directing at Walterdale in the Fall - Proof

Hey Everyone, I have mentioned this earlier, but I am directing Proof by David Auburn at Walterdale Playhouse this fall.  They've just wrapped up the Dracula auditions so it's time to spread the word on the next set of auditions.  I am excited to work on this one as it has been on my list for a few years now.  It's such a nice tight script with complete and compelling characters with interesting and complicated relationships.  It's almost mathematical!

We have our first Design/Production Meeting tonight with the team and I am excited to share my vision so that everyone can get started thinking about the show!

Here are the Audition Details:

Performance Dates: Dec 4 – 14, 2013
Audition Dates: Sept 15 & 16, 2013; 7 – 10 p.m.
Walterdale Theatre (10322 83 Avenue)

The Team:
Director: Kristen M. Finlay; Asst Director: Katelyn Arthurs; Stage Manager: Bethany Hughes; Designers: Joan Heys Hawkins (Set), Elaina Bolton (Costumes), Richard Hatfield (Lighting), Erin Foster-O’Riordan (Sound); Master Builder: Pierre Valois; Production Manager: Catherine Wenschlag

Show Description:
Proof explores the link between genius and madness.  Catherine, a troubled young woman has spent years looking after her brilliant but unstable father, Robert.  Now, following his death, she must deal with her own volatile emotions, her estranged older sister Claire and the attentions of Hal, a former student of her father.

Characters:
Catherine – 25
Claire – 29, Catherine’s older sister
Robert – 50s, Catherine and Claire’s father, a mathematician
Hal –28, Robert’s former graduate student

Please note:  ages are as given in the script, and are based more on how old someone reads as opposed to actual physical age.  There will be flexibility in casting as they are also relational based on how two individuals read as siblings and parent and child.

The auditions will comprise of the following:
* A SHORT (1-3 MINUTE) PREPARED CONTEMPORARY MONOLOGUE of your choice
* READINGS FROM THE SCRIPT – These can be emailed out to people in advance of their auditions upon request.
* CALL-BACKS (if required):  TBA

A Rehearsal Schedule will be emailed when you book your audition.  Please bring any potential conflict dates you have to the audition.  Anyone auditioning for the role of Catherine must have a pretty available calendar as she is in almost every scene.

Headshots and résumés are recommended, but not required.

Copies of the script are available for reading at Walterdale Theatre.  Contact the Theatre Administrator at walterph@telus.net to sign one out (not available during Fringe).

To book an audition, contact me, Kristen M. Finlay by e-mail at smeep22003@yahoo.ca or by phone at 780.406.1256

(Drop-ins will be accommodated as time allows)

Walterdale is a volunteer/member organization.  We cannot engage Equity performers.

I Want to Be in A Play... Where Can I find Auditions?

A little over a week ago I was listening to my messages on the phone when the caller says something pretty close to the following:

Hi, I'm ________.  I got your name from a friend of mine.  I just moved back to 

Edmonton from ______ and I live in the Whyte Avenue area and I really want to 

get into acting again.  My friend said that you know everything about auditions and 

stuff, so I was hoping you could help me out. 

I probably don't know everything, but I do like to keep my ear to the ground so to speak, so I called back and left a message but haven't heard back from him. This is not the first time I have gotten a request for this kind of information and while I don't think I know everything, I do think that I am pretty good at getting back to people with useful tips and point them in the right direction.   Since I get these questions, it got me thinking.  I do know where to look for auditions and maybe some people don't know the resources that are out there so I thought I would provide some useful links and tips for finding auditions at a variety of levels.

The first place I would go for general audition information is the Theatre Alberta Classifieds.  These not only have auditions information, but also information on jobs, submissions, workshops, etc... It can be searched by type of ad and by location.  I go there a couple of times a month minimum to see what is new.  You can also like Theatre Alberta's FB page and you will get new notices from classifieds in your feed. Now, I am not just saying this because I am on the theatre Alberta Board - i was using these resources long before I joined the Board, in fact, it is because of these kinds of services that I was drawn to Theatre Alberta to begin with.  I personally don't know how you can do theatre n Alberta (professional, community, education) and not be a member - I know that it has provided me with many resources over the years.

Another place you can check out is the FB Group Edmonton Auditions.  It's manager collates auditions notices from the area and you might not have to search as much if you go there. If you join, you can also post your own auditions in the group to share with it's members.

Next you can go directly to theatres to check out what they have coming up.  People who know me know that I have a major connection with Walterdale Playhouse.  Currently they are booking people for Anything Goes, which goes up in July. They have auditions six times a year for a variety of different shows and they update their current auditions page to feature whatever is coming up next. Walterdale is a community theatre but has a very high quality of production and welcomes new and returning members.

There are many other community and independent theatres that you can check out in the Edmonton Area: ELOPE, Two One Way Tickets to Broadway, Sherard Musical Theatre Association, Festival Players, Horizon Players, and many more.  Most of these groups have FB Pages and will also advertise in Theatre Alberta's Classifieds. A note - Two One Way is currently booking auditions for The Full Monty so click that link if you want to check that out.

If you want to check out the professional theatre opportunities in town, many of them will start having generals in the spring.  What I find best is to find the theatres in town you are interested in and follow thems on FB or Twitter and watch the feeds.  Check out their websites.  There are many theatres in town and each has their own aesthetic and feel.  I encourage you to sample widely to see what you connect to most strongly and then investigate those for their generals.  Currently The Citadel is accepting submissions for their Generals, but you might have to act fast on those.

There are many other ways - this is just a starting point - the best thing to do is just start looking.  I generally find there are more things I want to go out for than I am able to and once you get involved you will make connections for the next project.

Building a Fabulous Festival - Audition Time!

Just a quick mention about what I am up to these next few days.  Auditions for From Cradle to Stage 2013 are being held tonight and tomorrow at Walterdale Playhouse.  More information about these can be found here on my other Blog. I am Coordinating and Production Managing this festival and we have created an enthusiastic and talented team to bring the two new works to life on our stage. There is a trickiness to coordinating multiple productions within a festival but having been involved in 5 of the past 7 of them in a variety of roles (actor, playwright, director, etc...) I feel like I understand what is required. Edmonton also does Theatre Festivals well and this is a feature of the Walterdale Season that I am especially proud of. There are still spots open tonight (later in the evening) so feel free to contact me to book one or walk-in and we will fit you in.

A Day of Prep.... FOR AUDITIONS!

It's not like I left it to the last minute. I don't do that. But I did spent a bit of time today making sure that I am ready for auditions tomorrow.  It's always a little hard for me to pick my sides.  Is this the one that will show me what I need to see?  What about this one?  And I only have 1/2 an hour per group of 4 and we have to hear them sing, so I want to make sure I get to see what I need to AND I want to make sure they get to show me want they need to.  I will tell you a not-so-secret secret... I agonize about auditions.  I think because I acted for a long time before I directed I really empathize with the people coming out.  I know that everyone out there wants me to see them, really see them, and find whatever I need in them. I know that everyone coming out really wants to get in the show. I want them all to be terrific, but then I stress about that because I know I can't cast them all.  I usually end up not casting a good dozen people I really, really, really wish I could.  And I don't want to make a mistake.  I don't want to miss out on that fabulous person who just had an off-day on audition day.  It happens.  I've done that.

Anyhow, I have sorted out my sides.  I have thought hard about my improvisation activity (which I will only do if we have time). I have re-read the script who knows how many times.  I think I am ready.  I remain excited and know, deep down, that anything I miss tomorrow I can catch in callbacks!

AUDITION! I'm Directing for ELOPE - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

AUDITION NOTICE - ELOPE

25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Music and Lyrics by William Finn; Book by Rachel Sheinkin

Conceived by Rebecca Feldman

Production* dates: May 12 – June 1, 2013

Director: Kristen M. Finlay

Music Director: Sally Hunt;

Choreographer: Jake Hastey

Auditions:
Sunday, January 6th – 1 to 6 p.m.
Wed, January 9th – 7 – 10 p.m.

Callbacks:
Sunday, January 13th – 1 – 6 p.m.

Location: La Cite Francophonel; Suzanne Lamy Thibaudeau Room; 8627 - 91 Street

Description of the Show: The show centers on a fictional spelling bee set in a geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley Middle School. Six quirky adolescents compete in the Bee, run by three equally-quirky grown-ups.

Casting Requirements: Please note: because adults play the kids in this show, no ages are posted because it just doesn’t matter! All characters are played by adults (16+).

Chip Tolentino - C3 - B4 (Tenor).Former champion, going through puberty.
Logainne Schwartandgrubenniere - C4 - D5 (Soprano).Youngest, awkward.
Leaf Coneybear - A2 - G4 (Baritenor).A second alternate, ADD, happy to be there!
William Barfee - Eb3 - Bb4 (Tenor). Health issues, combative, spells with his foot.
Marcy Park - B3 - E5 (Soprano/Mezzo). Over-Achiever, talks to God.
Olive Ostrovsky - Vocal Range: B3 - F#5(Soprano). Shy and lovely, misses her parents.
Rona Lisa Perretti - C#4 - Ab5 (Soprano). Spelling bee hostess, former champion.
Vice Principal Douglas Panch - Stuck in his life, obsessed with Rona.

Mitch Mahoney – E3 - A4 (B4) (Tenor). Looks like a bouncer, Comfort Counselor.

Ensemble/Cameos:

Schwarzy’s Dads – Carl Dad and Dan Dad; Leaf’s Mom, Dad and Siblings; Olive’s Mom - C#4 - Ab5 (Soprano), Olive’s Dad, Jesus

Audition Requirements:

• Vocal – 20 - 40 bars of a musical theatre piece. Please select a comic piece which shows off your voice and demonstrates your ability to show character and tell a story while singing. You will be asked to indicate what song you will be singing prior to audition. Please bring sheet music with piano accompaniment OR Karaoke (without vocal) track on a CD. We will have a skilled accompanist there to play for you. NO ACCAPELLA.

• Acting - Reading from the Script/Improvisation exercise

• Dance - Movement will be handled at Callbacks.

• Performers will be booked in groups of 4-5 to accommodate acting requirements

To book an audition time, please email Kristen M. Finlay at smeep22003@yahoo.ca

or phone 780-406-1256. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

ELOPE is Ensemble for Lyrical Operetta Productions Edmonton - http://www.elopemusicaltheatre.ca/

Elope is a Community (Amateur) Theatre Company

A Week of Late Nights - Auditions for Nine!

Last weekend were the official auditions for Nine (playing at Walterdale in July). On the roster were over 65 people which made me very happy. A large turn-out meant that we would have a lot to choose from to make the best possible cast. Well, not only were there many, but there a lot of really strong auditioners! This meant that we had 2-6 possibilities for each of the roles we were calling back and a large group of people from which to construct the cast. I had to say NO to a lot of strong people - we looked at all three areas (singing, acting and dancing) as determiners, as well as scheduling (always a challenge with busy, talented people). After all was said and done we got a cast that I am thrilled to work with. The hardest part for me is the NOs. There are people I do not have that were absolutely brilliant. There are some that are newer and less experienced and therefore a little less polished in their audition and hopefully they come back and I will get to work with them in the future as I saw great potential. In any case, that is done and yesterday we had a fabulous read-through with our cast and I could already see that many of them had brought choices to what they were going to do. I cannot wait to hear this group sing together. The music is challenging but these guys can handle it. An interesting thing is that of this group there are only a couple that I have directed before and it is about 50-50 people I knew before and people I didn't know. We really made an effort to cast based on the auditions we saw.

I must comment, however, I do have a Blog Post coming about Auditions Dos and Don'ts. There are people who really jeopardized their being cast by playing a little too much in the Don't column. I have to think about it though, as I have held auditions for a number of shows and I want to collect my thoughts.

The other thing I did this week was check out Cowardly Kiss Theatre's The Maids playing at the Catalyst Theatre. The play is a dark little piece, directed by Andrea Beca, about 2 maids (Sarah Horsman and Louise Large) who role-play and plot the murder of their employer (Madam, played by Zachary Parsons-Lozinski). Beca's production concept emphasizes the twisted nature of the two sister-maids with specific physicalization and costume and make-up. The script itself feels a titch slow at first, but you understand the need for it later in the piece as it sets a lot of the story up. All three actors commit totally to their choices and it was really quite interesting to watch. Horsman is electric onstage in her monologue and she and Large work well together as the sisters, and Parsons-Lozinski always looks as though he should just live onstage all the time - he is so natural there, even in the campiest roles. It's an edgier piece, one you think about a lot afterwards, and provides a good contrast to more mainstream theatre. It runs until next weekend. Check it out!

* The Maids is #17 in my 2012 Theatre Goal.

Love and Whispers...

Hard to believe, but after spending so much time this week in a theatre shepherding my son, I still managed to see two more shows this weekend. I was tired, but glad to catch more of the fabulous theatre we are fortunate to have in Edmonton.

Friday night I worked coffee bar at Walterdale for their current production The Love of the Nightingale directed by Alex Hawkins. The play is a dramatization of the story of sisters Procne and Philomele. I enjoyed reading the script and it was interesting seeing it brought to life onstage. The production is carefully directed and the subtle sound design by Erin Foster-O'Riordan gives it momentum in it's silences. The costumes by Geri Dittrich are wonderful and lush and bare skin abounds! Rachel Kent, as Philomele, is luminous and in the first act my favorite scenes are between her and the doomed ship's captain, Kevin Oulette. In the second act, however, it is the fiery Procne, played by Marsha Amanova, who pulled me in. Justin Deveau also delivers a solid performance as her husband, Tereus. If the idea of a piece of Greek theatre scares you, it shouldn't. The story is clearly told and has humour to offset the tragedy.

Tonight, my sister and brother and I managed to catch Whisper, the final Studio Theatre production for the current U of A BFA graduating class. The project was a collaboration between Catalyst Theatre's Jonathon Christensen and Bretta Gerecke and the class itself. Titled Whisper, the text came from the students and were whispered to each other in translation through a classmate counterpart to the audience. A significant portion of the piece dealt with the recent death of a classmate and it is this portion which has the most impact. The production is skillfully delivered and conceptually complex with amazing lighting and score, however, a lack of variance in delivering the stories and remembrances made it feel a bit too long. As well, no matter how gorgeous the stage images were I never quite got the purpose of the deer like creatures and hunters in the woods. It is clear that this is a class with talent and a team with strong vision, but some more thought to story arc and playing more with the whispers themselves might have created more engagement, especially for those in the audience who were not familiar with the class itself and it's recent history. Personally, I felt that if they had either focussed more on their classmate (by cutting some of the script) or less on their clasmate (by shifting weight to a more defined arc to show growth or change) then the piece would have been stronger. Alternatively, they could have found different ways than just standing and whispering to relay the story. When the background was supported by action/dance/images it was stronger, as the pauses in relaying the stories slowed the pace in an already long show.

In any case, I feel full of theatre. It's a nice feeling. Tomorrow I have auditions for Nine at Walterdale. I am excited to see who is coming out. Soon we will be in rehearsal!

* These are #15 and #16 in my 2012 Theatre Goal!

Sunset, Sunrise...

A Little Night Music closed yesterday. It felt strange. Closing on a Sunday Matinee never really feels like a closing, but it was. I loved doing this show. I really enjoyed the character and the music and although I would have loved to sing more than I did in the show, considering how much I had on the go, it was probably a good thing I didn't! I also loved working with the cast. There were only 16 of us on the stage and we also had a nice close-knit crew. It was a delight. The best of theatrical experiences! It is now done and I have only the memories...

So now what? I have my class and I am getting started with my school volunteering. I am also waiting to find out when the boys activities will be so I can plan the rest of my life. Today was a bit of a write off. I did get some stuff done, but I am very, very tired from the last week. Exhausted. Tomorrow will be better. I have an audition tomorrow night that I need to prepare for and a props drop at the theatre that I need to look after. The rest of the week is pretty slow so that is good. I have some writing deadlines that I am waaaaay behind on. On to the next project, right? Just have to figure out what that is...

Back to School Preparations...

We are one week from the return to school for the boys and a little bit longer for me. Now that Fringe is done I have to go through all their stuff that they brought home last June and see what I need to get. It is irritating to buy a new set of pencil crayons every fall when I know we have a huge box of half used ones at home. I think I might spend some time sorting through those and the crayons and saving some money instead of buying new ones. Don't call me cheap - call me frugal. I hate the waste!! I know they also brought home some duo tangs and loose leaf paper and Oliver has a binder that is immaculate. I'd like to reduce the purchases as much as possible.

For my school I have a list of nothing. I am doing scene study (Drama 257) so there are no texts on the list and I think I probably just need to dress to move. I am at a disadvantage there since I do not move as well as those 20 year olds, but I will do my best.

I am debating auditioning for a couple of projects this Fall. I do not want to get swamped and I want space to write. It will have to be the right project with the right people. I want to work on things where I learn... I also don't want to fill up the time and then find I am unable to do something amazing that might come along later. So, I think I have to wait for the right thing... I really should be writing more...

Night Music picks up again this week and goes into high gear next week. Sitz Probe on Wednesday and rehearsals on both Saturday and Sunday. I really need to review my lines. I know that next week will be challenging but luckily we (as a cast) are in good shape and I know we will all support Elizabeth as she finds her Desiree and moves into the show.

Today I spent some time with Gibson alone at the Telus World of Science while Oliver went fishing with Grandpa. Apparently Dad fell in the water and the fishing was not great, but Oliver had a good time and is getting quite good at casting. That's pretty cool. Gibson enjoyed having me to himself and spending my money!

Audition - A Little Night Music

I had my callback for A Little Night Music tonight. It went well for me and I am happy with what I did. It went well for the other actress up for the same role, too. So, I think they can go either way. I will be cool with that. It would be different if I was obviously better and didn't get it. I think they will have a hard decision to make and I am glad I do not have to make it. I love the part though, and the song (Every Day A Little Death) so I will keep my fingers crossed. Also, I know a lot of great people in the cast or up for roles, so it would be nice to play with them. I wish my life weren't so busy, because then I would have opened myself up for more options int he show, but it is jam packed already so a cameo is about all I can handle at this point. I will keep you posted!

Yay! Oh, Man, Am I Crazy?

Well, I did something nuts... but after watching The Threepenny Opera auditions and being around the team and and seeing the great people that were coming out, I decided to audition. I had auditioned for another show earlier this Fall that would have been even worse schedule-wise and found that process a wee bit disappointing. I will admit, my ego was a little bruised by the way the auditions and casting played out. I could have been in that show, but something felt off so I declined what I was offered. This result was so much more enjoyable. Yes, partly because I got the part I wanted, but I think I would have been okay even if I hadn't, because the process was so much more transparent and fun. I left the audition and callback feeling like I was seen and given the chance to show what I can do. The atmosphere was fun and the people seemed so great. Anyhow, I am pleased to announce that I will be playing the role of Mrs. Peachum in The Threepenny Opera at Walterdale in April of 2011. I have seen the cast list and it is going to be a lot of fun, and if I survive my schedule it will all be good!

Auditioning - The Other Side of the Table

I am auditioning tonight for Into the Woods for ELOPE. It is kind of weird to move to the other side of the table so quickly. I am strangely calm about this audition. I love the show and there are 2 parts I would really, really love to do so there is excitement, but I am pretty calm. I know my song. I know the show. I have to refresh my monologue a bit (I am sadly not memorized, but it says we don't have to be). I have my resume and head shot and they look nice. I know I am going in with a pretty crappy schedule to begin with so I know that might bear influence on whether I am cast or not. I also know that they are likely to have a lot of women out (as always) so I cannot control that and likely quite a few mezzo-sopranos at that - many of them younger and skinnier than me which might rule me out for one or more of the roles. I also know that they will have fewer men come out and the men they have might set the age of casting. You can't have a 45 year old Cinderella if the Prince is 18 (not that I can sing Cinderella - but that's the example I am throwing out there!). So I will go and do my best and present my bad schedule and see what happens. I like auditions, in general. I like the feeling of possibility and the spirit of play. Wish me luck!

Done. Just Starting.

There is no weigh-in today. My weigh-in partner is out of town, so I have two weeks to undo the incredible amount of candy I ate over the last few days at auditions. To be fair, I didn't actually eat a tonne of calories, but those that I did eat were primarily sugar. Ya gotta do, what you gotta do. I avoided a seriously huge Thanksgiving Feast because I had auditions and Mark took the boys to Olds. Mom had a Thanksgiving breakfast on Monday, instead. That was nice. I didn't pig out, but the food was good and it was nice to see the Matt Strand family. Those little girls are hilarious, particularly Ariana (she does this pouting thing to intentionally try to look cute - it soooo works).

Auditions. exhale. They were good in that we had 60 people come out for 5 roles. There's a lot of choice in that. They were bad in that, from those 60 people I had 20 that I called back because they were just that good. I had another 20 that I would've called back, but I tried to make some hard decisions earlier to make it easier later. That did and didn't work. I am seriously blown away by the talent I saw. I made a joke to my Assistant Director about Quadruple casting it, but even though it was a joke, I could've. Anyhow, I have my cast. They all seem fabulous and I think that as an ensemble of 5 they will be tremendous. Now we get to work. Right after I dye my hair... I got some more grey hairs this weekend.

A Busy Week Completed...

Yesterday was busy. It was the end and the result of a very busy week. I know that the stress of the week was amped up by my being sick and the other hiccups that happened would have been easier to manage if I had not been ill, but I am glad that yesterday is now done and that all went well.

We had the Open House from about 11-4 in conjunction with the Farmer's Market. It was steady and we gained a few members and I think quite a few potential audience members. Everyone seemed to enjoy getting a look backstage. I was so thankful for the individuals who manned the show tables. They did a good job representing Walterdale as a whole as well as their individual projects. We had fun and it felt like a Season Team. I was a little frustrated that I was getting requests for 'what do we do?' from some people at the very last minute because I had no time to respond. I think it was most frustrating because I sent that information out very early on and it just wasn't passed down the chain of communication. It all worked out, but I felt kind of bad that there was a communication jag. I was particularly pleased that we finally got all the posters printed. There were a few technical issues involving 3 computers, a couple of external hard drives and lots of cables, but it all seems to have worked out. This was my most stressful thing though, because I had made promises to all the shows that the posters would be done and I wasn't sure until late on Friday that it was going to all come together. Again, I think I was more stressed by it because I was sick and because I had quite a few things to get done that I didn't have the emotional room to deal with the stress. It's done and they look lovely and that is what counts!

That evening was the AGM. It went blessedly fast and we got on with the fun. The program turned out to be shorter than planned because of some last minute cancellations on the schedule. No worries. We rolled with it and it all worked out. It was a nice evening where we could give some awards to deserving folk and enjoy what we do at Walterdale.

Now I can rest and try to get healthy... as I await Rabbit Hole auditions.

Troubled

I have a issues that is bothering me and I have written 3 Blog posts and not posted them because I realized I wasn't really sure if I wanted to 'air the dirty laundry' that way. So it may seem that I haven't posted for a while.

There's a lot that has happened since the last posted post. I now have my 2010-2011 Season approved and I am working on the rights. I am very early compared to last year and because I have been through it all once before and I was determined to feel ahead of the game. It should feel better for the rest of the season too because I know what has to happen with media and feel better about understanding that process and what I should expect. Last year that whole process was so new to me that I didn't really know what to expect. This year I expect more and I think we have a system/plan in place to get that. The whole Season thing is agonizing. I don't think people realize that. It is like casting a show but on a grander scale. You know that most people are not going to be 100% happy with whatever you choose. You have to strive for balance that serves as many as you can. I think I did that. You also have to provide opportunities for new directors, and old directors and find directors that can service the work appropriately. There are a lot of judgement calls involved and reference hunting and the like and again, like casting, there are people that you will leave out... not fun.

I have also started working with the entire team on The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (TBLWIT). I had worked with individuals on the team (design meetings, etc...) one on one as early as September but now it feels like we are almost there. Yee Haw!

I also took on directing/dramatuging a staged reading for the One Acts. I had another person in mind for this, but she was unable to commit to the time and my back-up had similar issues because she got cast in a show, so I took on the task myself. I feel strongly about not putting the wrong person in place just to put them in place, especially with the new works so I felt I had to step in. It is a staged reading and we are likely to have only 5-6 rehearsals prior to handing it over to the techies so it isn't a major time commitment. The important thing to me is to have someone the playwright can trust to work with their script. Since this one was an addition and didn't have the benefit of one of the professional dramaturges and I have been through this process (both as playwright and dramaturge) I felt the best solution was to take it on myself. I am happy that next season I have a plan for mentoring the directors for One Acts. I would have had it for this year, but there were a lot of new things for me this year and I wanted to get one year under my belt before instituting changes. Now to find Director Mentors! Oh, I can wait a little on that...

Auditions for TBLWIT are coming up in April! Yay! I do need more men, but I anticipate once the other two shows in the town are cast I will hear from some people. Also, some people wait until the last minute. I have had several tell me they are planning on auditioning, but they just haven't booked a time so I will gently nudge them closer to the date.

As to the issue bothering me, I have determined to not let it bother me. One part of this job is that people will criticize you, however unfairly, I will just keep working as hard as I have been and know that I am not going to make everyone happy and that it not necessarily the best way to do this job, in any case. We are here to make good theatre as a community and that is what I will focus on.

Bridge

In a couple of days Mark will be done Annie and I commence the next project that I have. I spent this week finally getting all the T4 stuff done for the store. I kept putting it off, and then when I planned to do it, life and sickness and the kids interfered. I made it a priority yesterday and the day before and I got it done. It is all parcelled up and ready to be mailed tomorrow. It has been strange for me to actually be home so much. The boys are a bit of a challenge in the evening because I know they push the boundaries a bit more with me, but I also know that they like that I can usually be conned into reading a few more stories and that I am less likely to get mad at their shenanigans. There is a nice feeling when I realize that although Mark is off rehearsing or showing that I don't have to rush off somewhere in the cold with my car with a burnt out headlight (got to get that fixed!).

This weekend my sis is coming home for a quick and dirty visit. I also have the first read-through for the Staged reading I am Directing/Dramaturging for From Cradle to Stage. I have a nice cast - all newbies to Walterdale's stage though not without skills. I like working with new people. I also will get to work with Magnolia as she is the playwright and I am looking forward to that. It seems we have not seen each other for quite some time and that must be remedied!

So, the shift starts. Mark is done with his frolics and will be the one home on Sundays with the boys and I will be the one out and about again. I have posted the Audition Notice for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and have 22 people signed up already (only 2 men, though - that must change!) in just 10 days! I have some work to do for that and the songs have been running through my head non-stop in preparation! Yee Haw!