Casting

One of the trickiest aspect of my job is casting.  It’s fraught with so many potential upsets, disappointments and differences of opinion that you can absolutely guarantee it is never going to go down well with everyone.  I am always so relieved when the decisions are all made and we can get on with the process of making work.

One of the inherent problems in casting is that the actors involved rarely see the process from anyone’s perspective other than their own.  This is, of course, understandable…when you express a preference for a part or audition for it there is a lot at stake.  You’ve seen something you want and you have very little control over whether you get it.  You form an attachment to the idea of it, the possibilities of you rehearsing it and performing it…it quickly becomes something of great value.  You put yourself on the line by saying you want it, you do your best to get it and the odds are almost always stacked against you…

My job on the other hand is to see the bigger picture…to see past all the personal aspirations and concentrate on what casting decisions will give the production the best chance of success…I need to balance the actors desires with the requirements of the play and the needs of the wider company…it’s a real juggling act.  I have to consider potential, past performance, ability to take direction, suitability for the part, suitability for other parts…sometimes it makes my head hurt because although I want to make everyone happy ultimately there are far more pressing elements to take into account…

Consequently stepping into Gold Company on Saturday filled me with significant trepidation as I had to make a decision as to who out of the seven auditionees would play the part of Anna in our upcoming production of The Sea.  I drafted in the help of Danny to give me some external perspective, which was really helpful.  However I need not have feared as this is where we come to the happiness that is Gold Company…firstly to have seven actors auditioning all of whom were good enough to play this extremely challenging role is impressive in itself.  Secondly that they threw themselves into the challenging audition process was another huge accolade to the callibre of these performances and thirdly that when Danny and I made our decision the six actors who didn’t get the part accepted it so generously and graciously made me realise that all of them were utterly class acts.  It was evident that rather than being blinkered into only looking at their own needs and wants they absolutely had a sense of the bigger picture.

So to the seven potential Anna’s that devised duets, were lifted high in the air as drowning maidens and who performed their speeches with eloquence and heart I congratulate you.  You are all class acts and I am proud to have you as members of Yew Tree Youth Theatre…now Gold Company lets get making work!