Today I have auditions for my farce, Ladies Man. I believe that I am more nervous then all the students hiding in the hall and alleys and lunch room corners. I realize that 75% of my job and thus success or failure is going to be determined by the choices that I make in the next two days. Because, after all, if you get the right actors then you just put them on a set that is fun and makes sense of the story – then you just get out of their way and let them do their thing. Sure, you hang around and cheer them as they discover the play. Sometimes you have trouble hearing or seeing – then that needs to be corrected. Sometimes you are able to ask good questions but most often you engage, permit, and celebrate the play
But today, I gotta watch over 120 folks do the audition thing. Certainly 100 or so are just not up to the work – but god bless them for showing up. What to do with the other 20? – well now THAT is on me.