Rehearsals … running lines, and then being on stage for 14 performances is a big commitment and finding the perfect actor to take it on for a major role in the ECHO Players production of You Can’t Get There From Here is proving difficult for Director Wendy Punter.
Auditions for the comedy written by Pat Cook haven’t wrapped up yet because Punter is still looking for a male between age 25 to 35 for one of the leading roles.
The show runs Feb. 9 to 26, 2012 at the Village Theatre and Punter would like to begin rehearsing but she is still searching for the perfect guy to play the role of reporter Arthur Lyman.
Punter, who directed the popular Over the River and Through the Woods last season, said she had a hard time casting young people in that production and now she is faced with the same struggles in her latest play.
“We have a good pool of mature actors in this area but it is hard to find young people. It gets disheartening for a director,” she admitted.
Punter said ECHO Players tries to present plays that appeal to all audiences and they want to do productions that include a mixture of all age groups but it isn’t easy finding young actors in these parts.
“There are theatre groups in Nanaimo, Ladysmith, Courtenay and Port Alberni and they are all looking for young people and they get snapped up right away.”
She said roles for young men are even harder to fill because typically a lot of men don’t go into acting.
She said for the males that do choose to act they have to balance their work and family lives with their commitment to the theatre and that can prove difficult.
She said it can be a bit overwhelming for any actor but the experience of performing in live theatre is also rewarding.
She stated that ideally she would like an experienced actor for this role because it is a comedy.
“Comedy is all about timing and you need some experience because it is a key part.”
She said she has trained rookies before and she is always open to anybody who is inexperienced and willing to work hard.
“It’s a great part for someone trying to make their way into theatre. For this role they need to portray someone who is sophisticated and driven but with a soft spot,” she explained and added, “They also have to look good.”
So she is calling on all hunks between age 25 and 35 who want to get on stage to give her a call and audition for the first of this season’s comedies which involves the strange happenings at a bed and breakfast.
The Mavis Garner Bed and Breakfast is not the sort of place you’d find on a freeway or even a map. That’s because they get most of their customers from cars disabled when they hit the pothole on Main Street. Scandal sheet reporter Lyman decides to do an exposé on the pothole “scam” and checks into the bed and breakfast. During his stay he’s fined eight times, dragged across town by the local watchdog and fired from his job. What else could he do but fall in love with one of the proprietors.
Punter said there is a love interest in the play but the kissing scene only involves a gentle kiss, so hopefully that won’t scare off anyone considering trying out for the part.
The next performance at the Village Theatre is Blitzen, a warm, moving story of a family re-discovery the magic of Christmas.
Details about all upcoming performances are available in the 2011/2012 season brochure at the Village Theatre.
They are also posted on ECHO Players’ website at www.echoplayers.ca.