How to Put on a Smash Hit- Part Deux

         Let’s continue, shall we? Last time we talked about the process of picking a show, securing performance right, and assembling a production team. Once this was all completed, the brain trust met and decided that auditions would be set for early January 2016. This would allow us plenty of time to cast the show, and begin rehearsals for the April production dates. Over my decades of directing and acting, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with auditions. 

As a director, I get excited about the possibilities. But at the same time nervous that people won’t show up, or I would have to disappoint some people. Neither option is fun. To be perfectly honest, when I decide on a show to direct, I think about who I could possibly cast in each role. I believe you have to do this in a community theatre setting, because you have to know if you can realistically cast your show. This method of thinking of people is not to be confused with pre-casting- this is the method where you decide on certain actors for specific roles even before auditions. I also have mixed feelings about pre-casting, and here’s why: many times over the years I’ve heard complaints in the community that they see the same people in shows over and over. They know if  ______________ is directing, then __________________ will be in the show. And often that’s true. But many times pre-casting takes place because people don’t show up for auditions, and you as a director must plan for that. As an actor I’ve been on both ends. One of my first experiences at SLT was when I was a freshman in college, and I heard that SLT was going to be performing a play that I really liked. But when I inquired about it, I found out that the show had already been cast, and I wouldn’t even have a chance. I was furious- this was an outrage! A grave injustice had taken place!! But over the many years, I’ve also been pre-cast in shows, which, to be frank, is kinda nice. So I definitely see both sides of the argument. For Spamalot, only one role was going to be pre-cast- King Arthur. I was casting myself. I didn’t feel too badly about it, because this show is choc full o’ really good male roles, and each have there own moments to shine.

            As the audition dates got closer, I was feeling apprehensive- would we get enough people to cast the show? Would the RIGHT people show up? The last show I directed, the musical “How to Succeed in Business….”, had a serious audition problem. Only about 13 people showed up, and I frantically began calling and begging people to be in my show. Fortunately, this was not the case for “Spamalot”. We had a tremendous turnout, and we were thrilled. But this brought a new anxiety. Most of the people that auditioned I knew, and had worked with over the years. We knew that not everyone was going to get a part, and some very talented people were going to be told that they were not being cast. So we began our casting meeting, and it was hard. Extremely hard. We had to make some tough decisions, and in the end there was some weeping and gnashing of teeth. But we put together what we felt like was the best cast based on the characters and the actors. I know there were some disappointed people. I know people didn’t get the parts they wanted. But sadly- that’s theatre. I’ve auditioned quite a bit myself over the years, and there were many times I didn’t get the outcome that I had hoped for. I used to tell my students that if they were going into the theatre business then they needed to get used to rejection. It stings. It sucks. But in the end, you just accept it and move on.

            We had our cast about the second week of January. And although the show was still months away, I was ready to start rehearsals. We began meeting a few times a week to learn music and choreography. This definitely pays off later on. Finally in mid-February, we actually got into the theatre. Now it begins! The way Rebecca and I worked together was that I did most of the actual blocking, and she organized and coordinated all of the other elements- costuming, lighting, set building, and numerous other tasks. She also blocked a couple of the scenes in the show, so she pretty much had her hands in everything! I absolutely couldn’t have done any of this without her!!

            At this point it becomes a puzzle. Trying to fit all of the pieces together in a race against the clock. Eight weeks of rehearsal seems like a long time, but believe you me, that time flew by. Slowly things started to gel and coalesce. Songs were memorized, lines were learned, and choreography was cleaned up. Costumes were sewn, sets were built, and props were created. What looked like a long time on paper, suddenly felt like a mad dash to the finish line. And a few weeks before opening night, I’ll confess, I was feeling some anxiety. Would it all come together? Would there ever be a night the entire cast was at rehearsal? (One of the pitfalls of true community theatre.)

            As I write this we are one day away from opening night. And I have to tell you- I couldn’t be more proud of the way it’s turned out. This has been a fantastic group of people to work with! Every person, from the boys who move the sets, to the people working in the box office, to the fellow actors I join onstage has give 110%, and I am truly honored that they have chosen this production to be a part of. I can’t wait for you all to see it! (Although I am extremely confident in it’s quality, I must confess- every show I ever do I wallow a bit in my own insecurities. Actors are a funny lot.) I’m ready for you to see our baby- our big, loveable, goofy, silly, sometimes inappropriate baby- warts and all. I want you as an audience to come away with pains in your sides and sore cheeks from laughing so much. I want you to have as much fun as we are performing it for you. So go get those tickets- we’ve been working a LONG time to entertain you! And remember- always look on the bright side of life……

They Say the Neon Lights are Bright......

              Often, over the years, as I am stopped on the streets of Shawnee and hounded for autographs and selfies, I am asked “How do you possibly find time to direct and star in all of those award winning plays at Shawnee Little Theater??” I realize in the span of a few minutes I couldn’t possibly tell them everything that goes into the vast creative process. But it has made me think about this- generally speaking, most people don’t realize the amount of time and effort that goes into selecting and mounting a production at a community theatre. They see the finished product and are pleased, and they know that some rehearsal went into it. But when you share with them just how much, they are often shocked. So I thought I would share the process with my masses of adoring fans. I will go into detail what has happened so far in the effort to bring the newest production at Shawnee Little Theatre to life. Strap in kids!

                It all started about a year ago. I serve on the Board of Directors at Shawnee Little Theatre, and I have often taken an active role in the selections of upcoming seasons. In early spring of 2015, we were frantically trying to put together the New Season for 2015-2016. We had most of the titles settled, yet we lacked a final show. It needed to be vast, epic, sprawling if you will. It needed to tie the season together, and push us into the following year. We had thrown out many titles, but nothing was sticking. Then finally, at a board meeting, our fine SLT President said “I’ve had a bit of inspiration. What about…..Spamalot??” (For those of you who do not know, Spamalot is a musical based on the film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”.) 

We all thought it was a magnificent idea! Rebecca even offered to direct said musical- with one caveat. “This is such a big show- I really need someone to help me….” And as she said this, her eyes, in slow motion, turned to me. You see, 8 years prior, Rebecca and I teamed up to co-direct one of the greatest shows ever performed in the state of Oklahoma- “Urinetown”. It was a great experience- we worked really well together, and in the process created magic. “Urinetown” was such a good experience and fun show that, if given the opportunity, I would do the show again. I can’t say that for most of the shows that I’ve been in. 

So with our previous history in mind, I told her that I would think it over and let her know as soon as possible. But first , I wanted to see the show. Even though “Spamalot” had played on Broadway years earlier and had toured, I had actually never seen it. I went home, and over the next few days, I may or may not have watched an illegally recorded production of it on a popular video website. And I laughed, and laughed, and laughed! I called Rebecca and said- “I’m in”. And the award winning duo of Bartley and Fry (or Fry and Bartley, depending on who you ask) were reunited, much to the delight of theatre audiences everywhere.

                Once a show is decided, the next thing that must be done is to procure the rights of performance. Every play or musical is has their rights controlled by a publisher- Samuel French, MTI, etc. And if you want to perform that show, you have to pay the publisher royalties for each performance. And, what most people don’t realize, is that there are strict copyright laws- when you purchase the rights, you are required to do the show as it is written. Often we’ll get complaints about a show’s mature language- why couldn’t you just cut those nasty words? Because- if the publisher finds out we have altered a script without getting their permission, we could be restricted from ever doing one of their shows again. So it is kind of a big deal. 

Anyhoo- we set about requesting performance rights to “Spamalot”, and we were happy that we got a quick response- Yes!!

                After rights have been settled, then it is customary for a director (or in this case directors), to begin assembling their production team. Over the years I have learned that the key to success as a director is to surround yourself with talented people, and then let them do their job. It makes the director’s job much easier, and makes the director look brilliant! So Rebecca and I began discussing in earnest who we would want involved in our production team. Since “Spamalot” is a musical, one of the first things we needed to do was get a good musical director. This is always tough- in every musical I have ever directed, I have had a hard time getting a good musical director. Not because there aren’t any- I have relationships with a plethora of outstanding musicians. But because they are so talented, these are often very busy people, who usually don’t have time to commit to such a long rehearsal period. I’ve been lucky in the past- I’ve had the good fortune of getting some wonderful musical directors. Rebecca and I put together a list of the usual suspects, and we quickly decided on one name- Sherri Thompson, a local music teacher in one of our community’s grade schools. We had both known Sherri for years, and were excited about the possibility of working with a musician of her caliber. We made the offer early in the summer of 2015, and waited patiently for her answer. After a brief waiting period, she agreed, and we were set at musical director! (Yes, it meant that her husband would have to be involved also, but sometimes concessions have to be made……) Now that was set, we began piecing together the rest of our team- of course a musical needs a top-notch choreographer. Once again, we had several possibilities, but we finally settled on young Trevor Mastin, a local lad who is attempting to make a career of theatre. He’s performed in, and directed and choreographed numerous shows, so we felt supremely confident in our choice. And to hold all of these lunatics together, you need a strong Stage Manager- someone who organizes many of the little details, helps run rehearsals, and controls the show backstage during the performances. We found another youngster, Bethany McWilliams, a recent graduate of a local university, to take on the herculean task of putting up with me. Luckily, Bethany has worked with me before, and knows all too well that sometimes extremely talented people can also be quite volatile at times. So by the end of the summer, we had our team. Avengers Assembled! And we began preparing in earnest for the next phase, which would be the casting of the show.

To be continued…….