…is brutally difficult.
That is all.
OK, so that’s not all.
But it is brutal.
If your talent pool is shallow, it’s tough getting the right people.
If the talent pool is deep, how do you choose? How can you cut really, REALLY talented folk?
And in this community’s community theater community (yeah, I know, I veered into the Department of Redundancy Department, there, but it’s been a long week, people), the talent pool is like a hotel swimming pool, barely a wading pool at one end, and a deep diving well at the other. And it breaks along gender lines. So I faced both issues.
Faced, and faced ’em down, babies.
I got to make the best kind of phone calls yesterday, offering parts to actors. I also made one of the toughest calls I’ve ever had to make, going in the other direction. I didn’t call all of the ones who didn’t get cast, just this one because I respect and admire this performer more than any other in the callback room that night, and I felt that performer deserved to hear it. The voice on the other end was gracious and professional, and it made it even worse for me.
But enough about me.
The show now has a cast!
Not that I’m revealing it now. The theater will do that soon, later today… I’ll announce it here on Monday, just before our first read-through that night.