Happy Thoughts = Casting Thoughts

Friends -

It's time for my least favorite part of directing - casting. Ironic, since I do it constantly (I'm always casting friends, family, and students in movies/plays I'm watching). I do dread the junior-high tears that inevitably come. So, I thought I'd ask for your friendly thoughts.

It's for our fall play, "Much Ado", which I recently finished cutting - I've reduced it to well under an hour, and expanded the original dozen or so characters into 31 named parts. That way all 34 of my actor-students will have particular roles - 31 characters, 2 filmmakers (we're creating a documentary on producing a Shakespeare play), and an assistant director.

Expanding the parts tapped into an odd vein of creativity, but I enjoyed it. Especially since I named all of the new characters with Shakespearean names - my own whispers of you all. For example, my Fleance is a co-conspirator with Don John, but Kim's charming portrayal in her scene with Christine will flicker in my mind whenever I see the name. <>

Anyway, I promised to post by the end of the day tomorrow. Wish me luck!

-Amanda