April 05, 2006
The contest entries will be posted anon.
In the meantime, I am in Seattle, where a theater is holding auditions for a presentation of a musical of mine in two months. This is actually the first time I've sat through auditions for a piece of mine--if I'm involved I usually just call people and ask them to do it, and if I'm not involved I usually just show up near the end of rehearsals and act happy with the people they've cast, whether I am or not--and I spent all day yesterday being shocked.
The first thing that shocked me after a day of auditions was the discovery that, when directors and producers tell actors, "You were terrific, you're just not right for this role," they actually mean it. They're not just blowing them off condescendingly. In addition to the many people who would be really good in the roles for which they were auditioning, we saw many more people I would cast in a heartbeat in other roles in other shows, but not this one, with terrific voices and/or winning stage presences and/or really great pecs. It was difficult for me to say we shouldn't call back the people with that last quality, especially as I'm sure the theater could have located a sofa somewhere for a hastily improvised casting couch, but in the end my devotion to my show carried the day.
The second thing that shocked me was looking at the list of male candidates at the end of the day and realizing with a start that next to about half the names I had written the words "too gay."
I feel I should report myself to GLAAD or something.
Though really, if you're delivering a paean to a nineteen-year-old girl's breasts beneath her ragged blouse, there's only a certain amount of lisping an audience can accept before suspension of disbelief becomes impossible to maintain.
Posted by Faustus, MD at 11:07 PM
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http://www.joelderfner.com/blog/2006/05/post_76.html (from The Search for Love in Manhattan on 05/31/06):
Remember when I went to Seattle for auditions for a show of mine and ended up thinking that most of the men who auditioned for us were too gay? Well, we cast a couple of them anyway. And I have... (Read more...)
Comments
1) Uncle Zoloft said (on 04/ 6/06 at 08:13 AM):
I feel your pain.
I have contacted GLAAD and reported you.
2) Special Touch said (on 04/ 6/06 at 09:12 AM):
I think you mean GLAAD. GLAD fights for marriage equality in New England states.
3) chris said (on 04/ 6/06 at 09:25 AM):
too gay? *bitch slaps you!*
4) Kenny said (on 04/ 6/06 at 09:26 AM):
Although it seems shocking at the time, the words "too gay" twice appeared on forms I was reviewing during auditions. Once was for a contemporary a cappella group with which I sang, and the other was for a production of Chicago that I was music directing. In both cases, my colleagues looked at me as though I had lost my mind, and in both cases I was in college. I can blame my bravado on youth; what's your excuse?
5) Adam875 said (on 04/ 6/06 at 09:33 AM):
If you're uncomfortable writing "too gay" -- or more importantly, don't want other people to see -- try "NACH" -- "Not A Convincing Heterosexual."
6) David said (on 04/ 6/06 at 11:45 AM):
"my devotion to my show carried the day"
Um, your devotion to E.S. didn't?
7) Kenny said (on 04/ 6/06 at 12:43 PM):
Just so no one thinks I'm a complete jerk, there was a "wink" at the end of my comment, but I enclosed it within the brackets that are used for HTML tags, so it didn't show up. I truly do love me some Faustus.
8) will said (on 04/ 6/06 at 07:01 PM):
I hope you didn't turn anyone down just because they had peanut butter in their hair.
9) jim said (on 04/ 6/06 at 11:07 PM):
If you are uncomfortable with "too gay" how about the word faggy. "Too faggy." Maybe not.
10) goblinbox said (on 04/11/06 at 11:08 AM):
Did you really, truly, actually write "too gay" in your notes? Because that is hysterical.
I've always assumed the notes directors were writing during auditions were utterly dry.
11) Nadine at post dot harvard etc said (on 04/14/06 at 12:54 AM):
Hey,
Let me know next time you're in Seattle. I'd love to see you if I'm in town (may move to Asia sometime this year). I think the last time I saw you was at birdfarm's wedding?
12) Nadine at post dot harvard etc said (on 04/14/06 at 12:55 AM):
Hey,
Let me know next time you're in Seattle. I'd love to see you if I'm in town (may move to Asia sometime this year). I think the last time I saw you was at birdfarm's wedding?
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