AUDITIONS: LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE
After a quick meeting with my play’s director, Kyle Weber, on Monday we had set a general strategy for casting the characters.
Casting for Teasers is, for the most part, like the MLB and NFL drafts. Each of the creative heads of the plays watch performers in a short open audition (like scouting) then hold call-backs to have a longer, in-depth audition (like the NFL combine). After call-backs, you fight over the actors you’d like to have in your production (each person participating in Teasers can only participate in two roles, be it writer, director or actor).
Throughout the process, we had some casting benefits and drawbacks. The largest benefit was only having to cast men and have only three characters. But the drawbacks included having more women audition than men and that our characters would have to speak in a Boston Irish accent.
THE CAST IS SET!
Fortunately, we found our three actors (after having to place some pressure on other productions to allow us to use one actor before he was maxed out):
Ken O’Donnell: Josh Hansen
Ted Kennedy: Andrew Champagne
Larry O’Brien: Chris Coleman
Now that the cast is set, it’s time for REWRITES!
COMING SOON: Summer of 68
After only a few months in my play writing class at Fresno City College, I found out that my 10-minute play, which is the main project of the class, will be produced for Teasers: An Evening of 10-minute Plays.
The show features student-written and directed plays.
My play, entitled Summer of 68, is about the after-effects of the Robert F. Kennedy assassination on Kennedy’s close friend and presidential campaign manager Ken O’Donnell. Many will recognize the name Ken O’Donnell from the Kevin Costner film Thirteen Days about the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Today, director Kyle Weber and I, along with the other heads of the other short plays, will begin auditions while also working out costumes, stage design and redefining the script.
As things happen in relation to the play, I’ll be posting it right here. You’ll get the behind-the-scenes look at the production process of a short play from the eyes of a playwright.
Here’s some information to put on your calendars:
Teasers: An Evening of 10-minute Plays
Fresno City College Theatre
May 7-9, 7:30 p.m.
(Notice: Some plays incorporate language that may not be appropriate for children).
