Casting

It's suddenly February and I have a cast.
All of them are people I know or have seen onstage, none of them are the people I thought would end up in that role.
We cast a show, not necessarily a role. We want an ensemble that compliments and balances one another. Sometimes we get to auditions and Person A seems perfect for the part of the husband, but Person B who is MORE perfect for the part of the wife can't have a husband that young. Or that old. So you move on.
Or these two had amazing chemistry in their audition scenes, even though you didn't think they were a fit offstage.
It's akin to putting together a giant people puzzle, but you only know where the pieces need to end up, but not what they are yet. It was great fun pairing people up, grouping people up for reads and letting the chemistry mingle. Sometimes you have a person read for their second or third choice and sparks fly and magic happens. But the hard part, the really hard part, is turning away people you love from parts you know they have worked hard on. You hope they are professional and understanding - and most are. And if they're not, they don't last long in theatre. It's mostly rejection followed by disappointment with occasional glimpses of amazing greatness. So on to first read!