How to recruit cast
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Directing
Forum Discription: For questions about handling shows, actors, crew, board members, children ...or do we repeat ourselves?
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5638
Printed Date: 11/21/24 at 11:41am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: How to recruit cast
Posted By: Lane Class
Subject: How to recruit cast
Date Posted: 4/12/19 at 2:25pm
It looks like my next directing assignment will be Good People by David Lindsey Abair and I love the script. In am really excited by the prospects it offers. Even though I am in the midwest, we experience the same issues of class dividision, success, poor choices, unemployment and racial issues as much as the East. We ask are these problems cultural with no escape or . . . .
My problem is that I am not sure of the best way to recruit women of color for one of the leading roles which is an educated successful black university teacher married to the former boyfriend of a Southie who is frequently fired, pays this months bills with next month's check and seems locked in misery.
Typically we have no diversity in those who audition. Though we have tried to remedy that, we don't really know how as our community theatre is located in a small town (6-7,000), just a few short miles from a huge metropolitan area from which some of our actors come. In all my years directing at this theatre I have had very few African-Americans audition and one I cast was wonderful and there were no issues of which I was aware, but she never auditioned again and I do not know why.
This play is so genuine and so good and so relevant. How can I find a black actress without giving offense? I desperately need to hear from others who might have been faced with this dilemma and can suggest to me how to handle it. I would love to hear from black actors. It seems unbelievable to me, that we are in 2019 and are still grappling with race issues in the arts.
Good People
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Lane
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