Updates on Auditions!

Audition nights have come and gone! No much affluence, I'm afraid, but with those few that turned up I managed to lead interesting auditions.  These were organised in the form of informal workshops and plenty of ice breakers suitable for teenagers were used.

It was wonderful to see some extracts from the play come alive, too, and see the talent pouring from those young actresses! Many parts of the play leave space to imagination and improvisation: it was great to see them tune in to each other and to the script - I was really chuffed!

There isn't a cast as yet, and I'll probably need to cancel the date I set as performance evening, but the idea to carry on with workshops and working on the script is very tempting for now.  After all, we're not talking about a play as classical as Billy Elliot or Bugsy Malone!  The turn out was poor despite good publicity (posters and flyers in every school in town, oh... and this: http://www.leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk/lifestyle/leisure/theatre/your-chance-for-a-day-in-the-medical-room-1-5031926)

If I had advertised for Annie or any other already established play/musical I'd have probably had the entire cast already!  ;)

This only proves that when there's something NEW not many people are willing to take a risk and, in this, I feel pretty much isolated right now - although Mr Amos remains positive saying that we'll be able to stage the play with even just 10 teens (with 30 in the cast!)  Bless him! Hands up who thinks I've been too ambitious...

In my feeling isolated, though, there's a force telling me to push forward, no matter what! And I want to follow it, I want to take that risk! I've decided therefore to cast the play by invitation only: to begin with, my aim was to give an opportunity to every local teenager in love with the Performing Arts; now I have no other choice than to select my cast! And I don't like being selective...  The actors who read the play liked it and that's enough for me to carry on.

So workshops start this Wednesday... Bring it on!




PS. Yes, You read correctly: I secured a space for the performance before casting the play! With little experience in my new [many] roles, I have learnt that a cast might be needed before booking a theatre. However, I'm confident that a full production can still be put up in two months (The Grove in Dunstable puts up a professional production for youngsters lasting only two weeks) especially when motivated children are on board! Risky is my second name... I mean... my third name!