Saturday, March 07, 2009

For want of a star



You may remember that a play excerpt that I've written is being performed as part of the monthly 'Play-offs' at the Dylan Thomas Centre. It was supposed to be happening in February but that event was cancelled because of the weather so now it's being put on next Wednesday.


I haven't been able to go to the rehearsals for a few weeks but I went along on Friday night for what I thought would be the final read-through: it turned out to be the first (proper) read-through. The man cast as Da wasn't there so someone else read for him; Mam is a new-comer who read for the first time last night (but excellently); and Mair, the central character, was also read by someone who was standing in. And this brings me to the main problem: we don't have a leading lady.


The first girl cast as Mair could have done it in February but can't do it in March; the next one felt she was too English; the next one - well, there isn't a next one at the moment. The director said he'll sort it out.


Can you hear me sighing? At least I'll have plenty of excuses when my play doesn't win.


By the way, if the name sounds familiar it's because I rewrote my monologue (as seen recently on Youtube) as a play.


(The Play-offs feature excerpts from plays by amateur writers. These are not performed as such, but read through by actors, also amateurs.)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ok - you have the role. Get the skirt out.

Dragonstar said...

It seems nothing is ever easy! Fingers crossed for Wednesday.

Anonymous said...

It will be fine :0) shall I send you some chocolate?

Anonymous said...

That's a worry. I hope it goes okay on the day.

xx

Liz Hinds said...

I did sugest that, aileni, as a last resort when I was feeling desperate. the director turned me down as being too old. 'The audience has to believe in you,' he said.

It's not, is it, dragonstar?

Thank you, amanda!

Thanks, hulla. I'm sure it'll fine.

Katney said...

I took a group of seventh graders to The MErchant of Venice. A couple of these were kids who were diamonds in the rough. The rest, though a bit more refined, had never seen Shakespeare performed.

One of the actors had appendicitis and was in the hospital. I don't remember the part, but it was a fairly big role and one for a young man.

The part was played that evening by the director, an older but not elederly gentleman who weighed a good 300 pounds (so was obviously not in costume) and read his lines from his copy of the play.

My kids did not notice. They were enthralled.

The director needs to open his eyes and think outside the box.

Anonymous said...

I will do it of course!!