Where have all the good men gone?
Wed, 13 Dec 2006, 01:31 pmStephen Gummerson41 posts in thread
Where have all the good men gone?
Wed, 13 Dec 2006, 01:31 pmI've noticed, as have you all I'm sure; that there are always a shortage of good men for audition s for Community Theatre. There also seems to be a shortage of good females aged 18-38. They seem to love acting/drama until the HSC & then drop out of hobbies like theatre until some reflect upon thir life again after 38. I got good men for Blackadder II in August 2006 which ended up being a sell out but I have spread the word wide & far for the play detailed below & for auditions this week & next I know it will be vital to find the leads I need.
I know some others have more trouble but if you know anyone who wants to act in Picton NSW they need to email me on pictontheatre@ausgate.com for an audition pack & prepare. I developed this pack to avoid re-explaining things over the phone if anyone missed a read through. Also, how can Australia get more men & women aged 18-38 involved in Community Theatre.
Although my auditions are only just starting I'm aware it will be difficult to find the few good male actors I need for this play. I chose it partly because, of all the Cooney/Chapman farces, it uses the biggest ratio of Women to men at 6 to 5. Please email me if anyone good wants to audition on pictontheatre@ausgate.com Show details below but long term strategy ideas appreciated.
‘Not Now, Darling’ by Ray Cooney and John Chapman is an hilarious tale set in a London fur salon where the mischievous plans of Gilbert Bodley to use a ₤5000 Mink coat to buy the affections of Janie, an East End mobster's wife and showgirl, all come undone (literally). In the typical British style that we love, the panic, blame, cover ups, flirtations, and shocks increase at a rapid pace bring down the innocent along with the guilty until everyone gets their just desserts.
The Directorial team comprises Stephen Gummerson (PTG President) who directed Picton’s successful sell out stage show of BBC's “Blackadder II” in 2006 and skilled actors/Directors Peta Scowcroft and Roshelle Williams.
No pre-casting ever. Some very big roles. Lots of fast pasted lines with good comic timing needed. No nudity but this funny & panic ridden farce requires 2 females to appear in bra & pants. although auditions are 12th & 16th Dec, email if you miss it afterwards as correct casting is vital & I can still audition people until we start rehearsals in mid Jan 2007.
Want to try acting in a live dinner show production? We need 6 females & 5 males who are friendly, committed, fun, would be great actors, and preferably aged 18 or over. Audition in Picton in December for a funny and daring British comedy. No experience necessary but by the time we open in April 2007 everyone on stage has to be outstanding. Picton Theatre Group has been putting on great shows for everyone in Macarthur for 30 years, everyone is a volunteer who is there for the fun of it and we usually produce comedies, musicals, and dramas. To launch their 2007 season they plan a daring British farce with plenty of fun, action, and surprises to leave audiencesi rolling in the aisles with laughter.
Emailing is preferred or call Stephen on a weekend or after 6pm on 0422 155 376.
observation
Wed, 20 Dec 2006, 01:16 pmWithout detracting from the many good comments above, I add the following observation. When I was an undergrad a few years ago there was an abundance of young actors of both genders auditioning for student theatre. From what I can tell of student productions now, this hasn't changed. Several years later, and the overwhelming majority of these people seem to have dropped out of theatre altogether - i.e. they are utterly absent from both the amateur and the professional circuits.
One of the distinct things that I recall when I was a student was how 'seriously' everone I was performing with took theatre. I was a latecomer to theatre, having only started to take formal tuition at age 20, and was simply happy to be getting regular roles in the student plays amongst people who had been acting since they entered highschool. Amongst the other student actors however, you simply weren't considered a creditable performer - even at the completely amateur (and often fairly abyssmal, plus admittedly occasionally very good) productions that were put on - unless you went around proclaiming that you intended to be a professional actor. A handful of the less pretentious of us joined GRADS, whilst the rest frankly snubbed the nose at community theatre as something that old fuddies did that was beneath their talents.
The ironic thing is that immediately upon finishing uni, ALL of the pretentious types quit acting altogether. I never saw nor heard of them in theatre again. A couple of very talented and quite modest inviduals went to NIDA/WAAPA and had varying success in professional careers. And those who had joined GRADS as undergraduates kept on doing plays with GRADS and other community theatre companies, as well as blue room/co-op gigs and the occasional piece of equity-rate paid work. In total there were maybe 5 people out of all the ones who I performed with in student theatre that ever continued in theatre after graduation.
As for the other 95%? It's almost like as soon as they got out of uni and theatre was no longer 'fashionable' they did a 180 flip and suddenly wanted no more to do with it. Or maybe they had some glamourous notion of gracing Broadway, and as soon as they realised the reality of professional acting, or their level of talent, they had no actual love of theatre to drive them to perform. I'm not sure - but I still find it amusing that the ones who took themselves the most seriously were the first ones to completely quit performing at any level.
Actor, martial artist and Philosophy PhD student. Making myself less employable one step at a time:-)
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