Monthly Archives: January 2016

The first meeting of the cast has us sitting around the best tables of the crappy collection of tables in the school. The desk is outfitted a color-coded bound script, rehearsal schedule, contact list, blank journal to keep notes, a pencil (that, yes, you will return each and every rehearsal), copy of the play’s reference work – On Death and Dying – and a bottle of water. Oh, and fear! – – bit of anxiety – but fear nevertheless. Read more →

Casting a play is never easy. I must go through a dozen variations before I commit to one. After the auditions wind down around 8pm or so, I sat in my office and looked all al of the paper forms – – working to place the forms into a dozen different piles. Read more →

Tonight is callbacks for the play – and I am confused.  It was easy for me to separate those that were able to personalize the story and courageous enough to pause and be in communion with their acting partner.  I got that done.  Now the job comes to take a number of 132 auditions down to a workable 20 or so.  With 9 roles to cast, I would ideally like to callback 18 people and would worry if I found it necessary to call back more than 27 people.  Read more →

Audition Date is here.  Normally I am the least attended audition of the year.  I attribute this to being late in the year when academics are making their biggest crunch.  t could be that I require a memorized prepared scene – which chases away the procrastinators.  Maybe they just don’t like me.  Frowny face. Read more →

There are a set of “classic Higgins assignments” that I have used for over 25 years – assignments that have created a bit of history for their infamy.  One of those assignments is the Alpha Play.  The play came from an assignment long ago in which I asked all of my students in Plays and Playwrights to write a comedy – a play designed to make the audience laugh.  We spent a great deal of time talking about the ingredients of comedy from both an acting and a playwriting experience.  Then we set out to write the play – and it was DISASTEROUS.  Most of the plays barely managed a chuckle form their audience.  Something needed to be done. Read more →