Theater to come

So as of this past Wednesday, Hold Thy Peace has a plan for next semester. This coming season will be really remarkable for the club, for a number of reasons. As I've mentioned, my little Shakespearean cabaret-style revue, Merely Players, will be going up as a side project. But the mainstage is looking to be particularly interesting this time around as well. A new member of Hold Thy Peace, a smart, sweet guy by the name of Dave Benger had a really cool idea of cutting together Shakespeare's plays that feature the historical French princess Margaret into one new play with her as the main character. It's a clever, novel idea for the club, not least because we have not had many shows with a true female lead. As if this weren't enough, Dave's relationship with the UTC is good enough that he got Brandeis Players, one of the other theater groups, interested in co-sponsoring the show. Given the animosity that has existed between HTP and the other groups in the past, this is a pretty big step forward in improving relations. If the collaboration goes well, it could really do a lot for mutual respect, as well as increasing mobility between the troupes. I confess my bad experiences in e past have made me a bit nervous, but I have high hopes. I think Dave is both capable enough and well-liked enough to make this happen, so I'll keep my fingers crossed.

One worry I do have is that if a lot of new actors come out for Margaret because of Players' involvement, some HTP members may end up losing out on parts they otherwise would have gotten if there suddenly weren't extra competition. Don't get me wrong, I think Dave will cast fairly according to who he feels deserves the part, but still, otherwise deserving people who have dedicated a lot of effort to the club may get shut out. If that's the case, then I think the only right thing is if Merely Players becomes the "overflow" show, taking those HTP members that didn't get into the main stage. I confess that's not my preference, I'd rather take whoever suits the roles best, but I want the show to serve the needs of the club. Of course, there may be only nine people who want to be in the damn thing, in which case no matter what that will have to be my cast.

In other acting news, I have secured an audition slot with the Actor's Shakespeare Project. I am very nervous; it's actually been years since I had to do a truly serious audition. It occurs to me that I should probably not follow my usual MO of reading men's parts and trying to stretch myself. I am more likely to impress better if I choose a piece that suits a twenty-something girl-- of which I frankly have no good examples in my current prepared repertoire. I will have to choose one, and get it ready for this Tuesday. Geez, that's soon, and I have so little time. Another thing I want to try is to see if I can emulate the style of acting I often see in ASP shows-- if that features often, it may be that is the style they want and end up casting, so it might improve my chances. I am not expecting to get anywhere regardless, and am endeavoring to firmly keep from getting my hopes up. Still, I think it's worth a shot.