Met director her and director him in the pub yesterday afternoon for a late lunch and planning session. Previous director was there too to ensure the ratio between the number of silly comments and sensible ones was kept as high as possible. Things like suggesting we should do Mort - The Musical. Well actually to drink beer, eat a burger and read the paper. Oh and to offer technical advice too.
It was very productive. After going through the play blow by blow we have now done the basic blocking and director her has an idea of some of the finer points of movement she will be looking for. The exact set details are still coming together and set man's advice will be needed on some of the finer details.
I said I wanted THE LIBRARY to run all the way down one side of our hall to the door. This would give us room for enough books going from the current ones right back to the ones which just say 'Ug'. We are having smaller tables this year to allow for the stage being extended into the audience. This should give us extra width to play with. Previous director said he wants walkways down both sides of the hall for the summer show... At least if we build one now for this show we can use it again next time.
We got through all the parts and calculated a minimum of ten people are required in addition to those playing the main eight roles. For future reference those main roles (people who will stay in these characters throughout) are Mort, DEATH, Albert, Ysabell, Cutwell, Keli, Doorknocker and Footnote. There are 20 other speaking roles, but some of those are only tiny parts in one scene so they will be doubled up to give people a fair crack of the whip. Just being cast as Cyrus the cess-pit cleaner, with a couple of lines in scene one (his only scene), and then playing a wedding guest or member of the conga line for the rest of the show would be a bit harsh.
There are some very good smaller parts which have one or two scenes for people to enjoy. Being cast as the Duke of Sto-Helit, Goodie Hamstring, the Abbott, Keeble, the High Priest, the Prince, the Vizier, the Town Crier or Rincewind would give a great chance for good characterisation. That's nine secondary roles for people to enjoy. Then doubling or trebling up other parts, maybe Lezek and the Landlord or Hrita, the Woman and the Acolyte for example would provide plenty of fun.
As director her said yesterday, we want people to have enough to do so that they don't get bored. I reckon the ideal number of people for the show would be 20-22 people. A few interesting names, some old, some new, are coming forward as people who might audition. Who knows. But I think that figure of 20-22 may well be around the number we actually get.
Director her and director him had already started discussing the format for the auditions. They don't want to restrict themselves to the sections that we have already selected, beyond an initial reading. There are individual characterisations which they will want to see for some of the parts, which is pretty logical. Casting someone as the High Priest or the Town Crier based on how they read the Mort or DEATH wouldn't be terribly precise.
Sadly though, I shall not be helping to cast the show as I am auditioning myself, but as a rule it is a fun process to go through, watching everyone try their hand at a variety of roles. Casting itself is tricky but entertaining, especially when you have to match people to two or three roles and have a choice between playing some parts as female or male. The only bad bit is having to tell everyone what part they have got - or haven't got. Honk! was OK, so was Snow White. Godspell was bad and Stags & Hens was a nightmare.
Director him and director her are hoping to get through it all in one hit a week from today so that we can swing into rehearsals from Monday Jan 8. Oh it's going to be fun.
Thought for the day: 'If you have a skeleton in the closet which you can't get rid of, you had best teach it to dance.' George Bernard Shaw.
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