Audrey A McGee

There is something to be said for starting a small theatre company.

There is something to be said for keeping a theatre company small.

In the three years that I co-ran Colorado Springs Young People Theatre Troupe, we went from two college kids scrambling to put on a show to a nonprofit theatre company developing full-length, powerful musicals with a much higher production quality. And that’s the dream, isn’t it? You may start out small, but you can quickly find the budget, the talent, the spaces to put on bigger and better shows. Soon you’ll be noticed! You’ll be respected! You’ll have influence!

Absolutely, I want that.

But there was this amazing kid in our very first production. I wasn’t even planning on casting them in a major role, but they took it over the minute they got the call. This actor didn’t have a lot of experience in the limelight, but they were the best learner I have ever had the pleasure of working with. They asked questions. They took every note. They were eager for more. By the time the show opened, a month after casting, this actor was owning the role like they’d been playing leads for years. It was a transformation that I wouldn’t have been able to see, had my original casting gone according to plan.

Our second year, one of our actors was in middle age and had only acted in the background of shows, along with their kids. They had auditioned elsewhere, but had been rejected with some discouraging feedback. When cast in a major role in our show – specifically, one with deep stage relationships and long monologues – they felt intimidated. But they were willing to try, and I worked with them to crack the mystery of acting. Again, at show time, the growth was evident – they’d memorized the monologues and felt so much more comfortable. A year or so later, and I got to see them on stage at a larger company; they were comfortable, confident, and so in-character. I was so excited and proud of them.

Our third year, we did a musical. My perception was that less-experienced performers are easier to cast in a play than in a musical – talent is more subjective in acting than in singing and dancing. My goal was achieved; we got a fantastic cast – so many amazing singers, actors, and dancers. But looking back on the experience, I remember being so concerned with the look of it. Costumes, sets, and props were very elaborate, considering it took place in Wonderland. Our performers looked so good, they acted so well, the singing was gorgeous, the dancing delightful.

And I didn’t get that actor.

The kind who took a lead role with little experience and left with growth in both skill and confidence.

We didn’t cast them.

We had grown bigger, found better talent, focused on looking glamorous. The result was, indeed, amazing. But I missed that actor.

Now, here’s the thing.

I don’t want to start an acting school.

That is, not for this purpose.

Actors aren’t particularly affirmed by getting a role in a class they paid for. It’s a necessary role, it’s a learning experience.

Isn’t that ironic?

I think it’s pretty common that actors will learn more from an auditioned experience than from a specifically educational experience.

Actors are affirmed by getting chosen at auditions. That confidence and trust that is placed in them by the director, plus the understanding of their own talents and qualities, is an incredible motivation to continue pursuing and learning about the craft.

Why couldn’t we have stayed a small company?

Why couldn’t I see more of that growth?

It’s because of the cardinal rule of casting:

“Now, given these two actors, the perfect type and the skilled professional, which choice do you make? …Always hire the skilled actor.” -William Ball, A Sense of Direction

After we drew attention our first two years, we got those actors. It was our responsibility to cast them. Wasn’t it?

But what if we stopped asking for a resume?

What if we started seeking out those inexperienced actors?

What would happen if we put our trust in those who were ready to learn, who had something to learn?

The actor in my second show, who had been rejected before our show and cast after it – what if we hadn’t been there? There are no classes for middle-aged actors in my area. Without someone who needed them, who wanted them, they may have been rejected for roles because they had no experience.

How can they get experience if there is no one who is willing to work with them in actual, real, major roles?

This theatre is purely theoretical. It has dozens of practical issues.

But something’s off in the growth-minded community theatre world.

We need to start asking who’s growing.

We need to start asking who needs it.

Disclaimers: (This information clarifies my experience but, I trust, does not negate my point.) I am BEYOND THANKFUL for our amazing musical cast. I know we cast the right people, and it turned out to be an amazing show. We also had some actors in minor parts who I saw grow in marvelous ways. I was also producing that show, not directing, so naturally I was more focused on the look of it. With acting schools, I am NOT saying throw the baby out with the bathwater – I love acting classes, and they are crucial to actor development.

What do you think of the community theatre scene? How can we work on promoting growth together?