Theater conducted auditions for the musical “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” Aug. 26 and 27. The show opens Oct. 27. Theater students also auditioned for the improv troupe the week before.
Many students auditioned, but not all made the cast or improv troupe.
“I know I’m going to make some people the happiest people ever, and some people are going to cry. And I hate that,” Theater Director Mr. Ferman said. “I wish I had a show that had 35,000 people. I can just cast them all, but I can’t. It’s just that’s not the nature of theater.”
Improv auditions were held after school on Aug. 21.
“So for improv, it’s really pretty simple,” Mr. Ferman said. “We choose the 10 to 15 funniest people that day and hope they’re still funny next week, and then they’re on the troupe the entire game.”
Improv auditions were publicized on the Legacy Theatre website making them accessible to anyone. They began with people entering and playing improv games which led to the decision of 10 to 15 people being casted for the troupe.
“And then for the musical, it’s a whole other ball,” Mr. Ferman said, “We started advertising the musical about a month ago. We told the kids about it last year, so they should be familiar with the show.”
Students auditioning chose one of six songs to perform on the first day that were provided on the online track sheet. On the second day, students ran through the dance combo and performed it in front of the directors.
“We’ll sit down and say who had strong voices, who had the best character. And sometimes it’s not the strongest voices that get the role, it may be someone that can sing it, but also has better character,” Mr. Ferman said. “It kind of depends, so sometimes it’s a gut feeling.”
When auditioning, directors also take resumes into consideration. Students with failing grades have a lower chance of getting a role in the production that they’re trying out for. Interactions with other people and certain looks can also play a part in casting.
“If they failed out of a show and I had to replace them last year, do I put them in still?” Mr. Ferman said. “You know, it’s all the things that come together to choose a cast. And again, it’s hard. I have to be confident in what I do. So it’s like, make a choice. That’s a choice I made. I gotta stick with it and stand behind it.”
Students also take into account the qualifications each individual character requires within the show. Whether it’s the looks of the character, the background, or the overall personality that has to be enacted on stage, sophomore Nicole Khong aims to attain a specific role.
“I’m auditioning for Marcy Park. I figured that I was kind of like her story. It really matches with how I was when I was a child,” Khong said. “I’m really rooting for that character, but I love the challenge.”
When searching for potential actors, Mr. Ferman also looks for talent when students audition for a specific character. Passion plays a huge role in being able to cast someone who is accurate for the part.
“It’s always amazing to just see the talent in people, the willingness to put themselves out there. It’s hard getting in front of an audience and singing,” Mr. Ferman said. “I don’t do it. I sit in the back and direct stuff.”
For Junior Cade Pickrell, his passion for acting onstage doesn’t only come from his desire to audition for theater productions, but also from seeing the end results of his effort when auditioning for a specific role.
“Personally, auditions are important to me because I just like to try new things, and I like to kind of get out there. And so auditioning has just been a way for me to try something new,” Pickrell said. “And also just the outcome of it and seeing what happened and going up to the cast list and that fun adrenaline of seeing if you made it or not.”
The results for the “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” auditions will be posted by the end of the day on August 28 if not earlier. Students will be able to view the list in the theater hall after finalization.
“I know that I’m going to have confidence on stage, because I’ve been practicing for two of these spots,” Pickrell said. “And even if I don’t get those two spots, I know that I’ll have some sort of chance of getting something at least in the show.”
Open auditions can also provide new opportunities for people who are interested in acting, but don’t take part in a theater class. This means that any student has the chance to take part in a production of their choice.
“All of our auditions are open. I could just say, okay, you 11 are in the book, just based on my class stuff and that sort of thing. But I would never see the kid that sat in the corner with the greasy hair until he actually got up there and put himself out there,” Mr. Ferman said. “It’s important because it gives everyone an opportunity and I’ve been surprised more than once.”
