Casting and our 2008-2009 Season

I am often asked where the actors come from who perform at Imagination Stage. Many people assume that because we are a theatre for young audiences that our company is made up of children. And while we do have a thriving education program that teaches acting, dance, singing and film to more than 3,000 children (ages 1-18) each year, our professional theatre is just that—a regional theatre that hires university trained, professional actors who are based in the Washington, DC area. Each year an organization called The League of Washington Theatres (LOWT) sponsors five full days of auditions for union and non-union actors. Artistic leaders and casting directors from more than 80 local theatres and agencies gather at the Round House Theatre to watch hundreds of actors perform for 2 minutes each. We sit there in the dark making notes on each resume, grading each performer, and making a special pile of the people who seem right for the shows in our upcoming season. LOWT tries to keep all the auditors in a good mood by providing delicious snacks throughout the day!

Casting for each new season then starts in early spring. We create a list of actors we know who seem right for a particular show and then add in anyone we found from the LOWT auditions. If the show is a musical, we ask each candidate to prepare “16 bars” for the Musical Director. This is the first cut. If an actor cannot sing the part for a musical role, it would not matter how well they read for the role. Singing is a talent and a skill that cannot be taught during a short 3-week rehearsal period! Once the capable singers are identified, the director calls this group in to read “sides.” These are short scenes from the play. The actors perform them in a variety of combinations. Sometimes an actor is asked to read for more than one role or to read the same scene with many different partners. How do the directors make the decision about whom to cast? That’s the million dollar question and not easy to answer. Washington is blessed with a wealth of talent. After each audition, I talk with my colleague Kate Bryer about which of the people we’ve seen could play a role. We are keen to make our casts inclusive and diverse but at the same time want to cast the best person for each role. Me, I never make any offers until I sleep on it. When I wake up in the morning I have generally made a decision. This is my dream cast! Or, wait a minute, I still haven’t seen the right person for a particular role. And we go back to the files, talk to people in the office about what we’re looking for and get a new list to audition.

At this point I’m happy to say that the first 5 shows for the 08-09 season are cast. Veteran local actress Helen Hedman (Olney Theatre Center) will be playing Miss Nelson in Miss Nelson is Missing, during the holiday season; Tara Giordano and Terrence Currier (Arena Stage) will star as Heidi and Alp in our new adaptation of Heidi in spring 09; Paige and Nick Hernandez will both participate in our hip hop show Zomo the Rabbit: A Hip-Hop Creation Myth—Paige as an actress/dancer and her brother as the DJ/Composer. We’re also proud to welcome Tami Lee Santimyer, a graduate of Gallaudet and most recently seen at the Kennedy Center in Marlee Matlin’s Nobody’s Perfect, for Playing from the Heart in November.

We’re are excited about bringing these artists and many others to our stage and audience. And we extend a loving embrace to all the extraordinary talent in the Washington, DC area. There are never enough roles to go around for all the actors who deserve them.

JS