“Round One” of Hamlet auditions have been announced: April 11-12, I’ll be auditioning actors for the roles of Hamlet and Ophelia. This is a nerve-wracking process, and not just for the actors.
What if nobody shows up? Cape Breton’s theatre scene has recently experienced an impressive growth spurt, with the addition of several new theatre companies, including a Shakespeare in the Park collective. The result has been some very exciting and progressive theatre, but a strained talent pool; there just aren’t enough actors to go around. And while I’m confident that will change (thespianism is highly contagious), I’m not sure if it will turn around before April 11.
Plus, I realize now that the timing may not be ideal. My audition notices clearly state that “priority will be given to students,” but the university students I’m targeting will be in the midst of exam period, and likely too distracted to take the time to prepare for an audition, especially for a show that isn’t going up for another nine months.
(Only nine months till next January? EEEEEK)
What I need to do, of course, is have faith that this process will work itself out. It’s hard to imagine that no one on an island of 136,000 people is capable of playing Hamlet. But at this point, with auditions in 10 days and nobody signed up yet, I can probably safely dismiss VT’s suggestion to have half a dozen Hamlets scurrying around the stage. One enthusiastic Hamlet (and Ophelia) is all I need.
