I just recently started directing an original stage play with my partner who is a playwright.  It's been a grassroots endeavor so we haven't had the structure of a theatre and a production company, etc. 

My biggest challenge has been dealing with actors.  We have cast some people who are friends and we have cast people in from the outside as well.  There are a couple concerns I have.  One is that we befriended all of the cast on facebook, which allows us to see into their lives more than I think we would in a regular director/actor relationship.  I have seen egos, I have seen actors who are playing sick and then talking about going out that same night, and most recently an actor who evidently didn't even read the whole script because she didn't know who one of the characters was when a friend of hers asked. 

Because this is grassroots my partner and I have decided to allow feedback from the actors about their parts.  I gave them their revised scripts almost a month ago and told them a cut off date of when they could respond with suggestions.  This one particular actor didn't e-mail back at all.  She's hard to get in touch with and when I do talk to her, she has an attitude.  Today I sent another reminder e-mail about our staged reading which comes up in a couple of weeks.  I said that they could respond with their suggestions no later than this weekend.  The actor went directly to my partner (playwright) on facebook and said that she was confused by the revised character.  Said she couldn't connect with the role and didn't understand it. 

Concerns.  1) I sent a contact list out yesterday and said that they must always contact the director first.  2) She had this script for over a month and obviously just read it.  3) She didn't even read the whole thing because she didn't know who one of the characters was based on a post on her facebook page.  4) She has an attitude and is difficult to pin down. 5) She deliberately challenged my authority today.

The reading is in a couple of weeks.  I know she will show because she showed to the other & she has professional experience & I trust her talent as an actor.  I do have an understudy that will come perform if need be, but the understudy is in another state.  So do I let this actor go now (do I have justification) or do I wait until after the staged reading so that at least we have the role covered? 

P.s. my partner re-wrote the part because she is very willing to accept constructive feedback.  I didn't really have a problem with her contacting my partner directly, but my partner did because she really believes in keeping our boundaries and obviously this actor is directly trying to challenge the authority.

We have different level of experienced actors in this cast.  Some new, some semi-experienced, and some professional.  This particular actor has some experience, but has more of an ego than some of the professional actors in the cast.  The differences are loud and clear.

Any suggestions?



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Edited by direct-errr - 7/23/10 at 10:33pm

Originally posted by JoeMc Me thinks your pushing it hill with your collective noses. While it's a novel idea to cast via facebook, but I assume it is to be performed live in a venue & not on facebook - what ever that is about? Go ahead with your reading cast call & see how things work out & where the chips fall in reality. Your biggest blue is allowing comments on the script, you would be better off taking these on board during rehearsals, as it's to be staged, rather than the author going around the twist making changes to accomodate actors disconected whims, foybles & comments. Take it all back to basic theatrical procedures that have worked for hundreds of years.

No, it is being performed in a community center first & we are trying to get it produced.  Yes we have definitely gone about this in a non-traditional way.  But also, we aren't casting through facebook, we have them on our friends list, so the one actor decided to contact the playwright through there instead of calling or e-mail. 
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Go ahead as planned.  Sounds like a non-issue. People have egos.

Great advice ya'll.  Yes they are all volunteer and yes some of them do have egos.  Some people are begging for roles and others are like it's nothing to them. 

And lol @ the "it's always the actors".  Oh the joys.  Thank you.
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Have the understudy prepared and ready if needed.