[NEohioPAL] audtion

Mon Mar 19 17:30:37 PDT 2012

greetings to all my friends and extended theater family out there!
I have been reading all the posts with an open mind and due diligence.  I think there have been many excellent points made on all sides of the equation.
I know it shouldn't matter, but I am a CaucasianMale in my 40's and have had a number of experiencesaround this town both good and bad over the last few years. I came to the theater late in life and have been in several shows at several theaters in the last several years.  I find it surprising that the readers of this list take a higher expectation of the people that make decisions for on stage then they do our politicians.. or our teachers.. or voice coaches or drama coaches, or even the guy that changes the oil in our cars.  We should not give so much power to others, but rather let our art speak for itself! 
I am sure in my heart.. that every director, board member, musical director, and anyone else that may have a part in the process of community casting do their best to be fair, right, and decent in their minds.   I once went to great effort to get permission from a director of a current show I was in that was in rehearsals...to skip a part of a choreographers rehearsal after2 hours so that I could go and auditionat an "open call 7-9 pm".  I arrived at the theater listed for auditions, only to find a nearly empty buildingwhere another show was rehearsing, and I had to interrupt them to try to find out wherethe auditions were.. or were supposed to be!
I made a sacrifice and so did the theater and director that I had made a commitment to, as well as the cast of that show; that was in current choreographyrehearsals.  After finding nothing at the time and place specified, I found a lousy excuse that few would find acceptable when I made contact with the director; that had made the claim of 7-9 and endedup not being available during that time, he made light of the cost to me personally as well as the show I was currently in!  When I did audition for him,I didn't feel comfortable and was not surprised that I was not cast.
I know better now that I should not have tried!  It's unlikely that a director that left an "open audition" early would admit their lack of faith, and I certainlywould not be cast when in a position to say that a director blew it! Especiallyas most directors fall back on saying I could have cast better then you when they think the cast of a show isn't putting in enough to their satisfaction.
Sometimes things just don't go the way we think they should.  I know I have come from auditions where I thought I wasn't given a fair shot at a part.. just as I know my boss at work doesn't do things the way I want, theater producers don't choose what I like, and certainly there are many many instances in my career where I didn't like what was happening around me in terms of interpretation, blocking, direction of a part, or choreography. 
I find that I have redress by not going to certain theaters or dealing with certain directors once I have fulfilled the commitment I made them.  I think many of us can relate to that.  Its how it is!   We would not badmouth a current production, but can make our feelings known by never again being "available" for certain people.
Now I know that many in positionsof authority at any given theater might  blame others by saying there is no work ethic.. the talent pool has gone down.. ect.. I think they will comfort themselves with that and who can blame them?  I would too if I earned a position like that and started judging people, judging their skills, their personalities and god knows what else so that only "I"(casting director)  can see that they are slackers and no one else can. Once a soul convinces itself that it can be judge, jury and executioner, its hard to give up that power.  I know I wouldn't be able to...would you?
In the end.. I think we all know that those that complain the most about such things as" the lack of commitment or talents willing to make the commitment" have lost touch with all that is good and right about a passion that is always in renewal lil theater. have lost the ability or the desire to inspire actors.  Would you go back to a director or producer that values your skills if you could?  if they were open to it?  a good question many people should ask..
greetings to the freinds of theater!!!

Would itbe great if everyone got what they wanted? absolutely!!  would it sell tickets? make the show better? bring more people in the theater for the performance?  generate more good will to the community that lives directly around the theater? I think that's a good question.
I have no idea and can only have faith that those with decision making power do know what is needed!
I think in the end, we all want shows to do well in local theater!  I think we can all agree that keeping the doors of any theater open from the smallest of local groups to the huge Equity shows that come to Clevelandthat its all good for all of us!  And the arts circuit of Cleveland !  not just theater.  There are huge talents in this town with the Clevleand Orchestra..The Fine Arts Program, the Rock Hall,  the Cleveland Institute of Music, the BW music program and the Cleveland youth orchestraas well as so many other prograsm that deserve recognition and their own listing.  In short, I think we should be using this venue for the betterment of all our borthers and sisters in the arts!  They, like us are finding less and less apreciation! 
Honestly.. who among us dares to judge??
I know I someone might ask how about artistic risk taking?  how about pushing limits? How about non-tradition casting?  its art right???  And anything can be excused if its called art right??
One could bring in a cast of all Portugueseaccented people regardless of race, nationality or creed, and still have a bummer of a show don't you think???
So where does that leave us?how can you accept those  every day people trying to give a bit of joy to our family and friendswhile we are on stage?  I personallythink it leaves us where we should be.. community performers lucky to be in Cleveland where there is a lot to go out for...even if we don't make it through the audition.
Thank You for your time and attention.
Dave Strong 
440.655.1338
StropngTalkLLC at gmail.com
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