AYL: on to callbacks

So, Sunday and Monday night were auditions for As You Like It

Sweet Christmas, there are a lot of talented women in Ventura County. And I’ve seen a bunch of them in the last 72 hours.

Male performers, especially those of a younger-than-certain age, were tougher to come by. I made “personal ask” requests of quite a few, and my fears were realized. No, not that I’m a no-talent charlatan fraud… no, that most of the young men in the county interested in doing Shakespeare are opting for Hamlet on the other side of the Conejo Grade. I had warned the powers that be about that, but no one really seemed to take it seriously.

The bottom line is: don’t counter-program Shakespeare with Shakespeare if you’re trying to find talent.

It got so bad that for a 14-hour period on Monday, I was this close (*holds thumb and forefinger in a pinch of only a quarter-inch separation*) of making this an all-female production. Was actually getting pretty psyched about it (especially thanks to a fellow director who was instrumental in talking me down from the ledge over the Cliffs of Insanity)…

But alas, some younger male actors arrived and we’re back to a co-ed production… but who in what roles?

That’s a question for tonight’s callbacks. Of course, there is one mild complication: three of my callbacks are unavailable tonight. So it’s not completely inconceivable (see what I did there?) that there will be a few roles left open when I announce the cast tomorrow or Friday.

So, here I sit. Exhausted. I need sleep. But I want to prep for tonight.

Tonight is more pressing. Sleep will come.

With apologies to David Mamet, “sleep is for closers.”

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