My name is Lindsey Esch and I am directing The Courier at OSU. Earlier this week we had audtions and cast the One Acts for the Festival starting May 31st. This was a standard audition process, however, was the first time I was on the other side. Overall, I loved it.
It was still slightly stressful but for different reasons. I think this was made more intense because six directors were competing for the same actors. Also, a lot of talented people showed up which is great for the future of the department but hard for casting. I hope all the people who auditioned know that they are free to contact me for any notes I made, which could help them in the future.
Casting went smoother than I anticipated and everyone ended up with primary choices. One thing that is difficult however, is casting someone that was preferred for another show without knowing which role/show they preferred more. I really want to respect actor autonomy in regards to their preferences and certain choices, so I can only hope their preferences line up with how the casting turned out.
Throughout this process, I learned that I came off as very intense at auditions since I was so focused. I also learned how to stop actors and ask for them to take the piece in a different direction.
In the end, I'm incredibly excited to begin this process and am working towards finishing my script (blocking) outline now. Stay tuned.
- Lindsey Esch
