Auditions for Odessa College’s spring production of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing have been extended to Feb. 5and 6 at the Globe Theatre.
There are 11 actors and every one is double cast, Theatre Director Aaron Ganz said. Some roles have been cast, but there aremany more than need actors.
According to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust website, the plot of Much Ado About Nothing is “Count Claudio falls in lovewith Hero, the daughter of his host. Hero’s cousin Beatrice (a confirmed spinster) and Benedict (an eternal bachelor) are eachduped into believing the other is in love with them. Claudio is deceived by a malicious plot and denounces Hero as unchastebefore they marry.”
Ganz said Much Ado is his favorite piece.
When they stage Much Ado, the audience will feel such a connection to the characters that they’re not going to want to leavethe “this world and this story,” he added.
Ganz said his way of directing Shakespeare, since it can sometimes go over audience’s heads, is to have a narrator that servesas a bridge between the world today and its audience and the world of the play.
The narrator will be willing to go into the audience, figuratively, to make sure the audience isn’t left behind and making surethey are brought into the Shakespearean world so they feel part of it.
“It’s a celebration of acting. It’s a celebration of every component of theater … music, dance and language; what it’s like to becommunal together and not just not just sitting in separate seats, but for us to feel like we are part of something. … The actorwho plays the narrator is also the actor who plays Balthazar. There are two characters in this play, Balthazar and Ursula thatare like servants. They have just a few lines. But I’ve used it as an opportunity to grab onto all the great, sweet, playful,romantic moments throughout Shakespeare’s canon, whether it’s from As You Like It, or Taming of the Shrew; these iconiclines that we all know; the ones that are famous … are going to be woven into the play and create a whole other love storybetween these two people that are usually in the background. There will be yet another romantic pairing built out of theechoes of love throughout Shakespeare’s canon,” Ganz said.
But first, Ganz needs more actors. It doesn’t matter how much experience they have or their occupation. He’ll ask people tobring in anything from Shakespeare, maybe 30 seconds of a love song and he’ll play some music so the auditioners canexpress themselves in dance in whatever form they choose.
“… That means they could clomp around, they can clap their hands. …,” Ganz said.
Remaining auditions are 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 5 and 6 at the Globe.
“… The biggest thing I can convey is if somebody wants to come here, but those hours don’t work for them, they should reachout to me and I’ll set up a private audition for them this week,” Ganz said.
Those who want to try out can reach Ganz at [email protected] or call or text 424-535-7333.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of. … Auditions are not about judgments. The only thing we’re trying out is whether we likeworking together. … People will have text to go home and work with and come into rehearsal. There will be songs and therewill be movement that they’re supposed to practice. This is just a test case of them having material to come in with, and if I’ma good teammate, I’m going to be able to take whatever they care about, whatever they’ve put in, and help them find a way tobe freer and fuller and express more of what they know about this world. I have methods and language that are going to bemore helpful for certain people than others. … Everyone has enough talent to succeed if they trust me if they trust theprocess, they trust their teammates. Every human being has more than enough to be able to succeed. (There’s) no exceptionto that rule,” Ganz said.
Previews of Much Ado About Nothing will be April 25 and 26. The production wll open April 27 and close May 5.
The two preview performances will be at 6 p.m., subject to change.
Performances will be at 7 p.m. and there will probably be a matinee.
