Seascape - The Cast

I'm pleased to formally post the cast list for Seascape:

Charlie:  John Honeycutt
Nancy: Julie Oliver
Leslie: Ryan Brock
Sarah: Samantha Corey

I am really honored to be working with such a strong group of actors.  The fact that such great people are putting their trust in me as a director/co-producer fills me with pride.  I know this show will be great already.
Someone asked me what I'd be doing as a director.  With this cast... basically trying to stay out of their way! I look forward to helping craft the play, asking questions, helping the actors make choices that are clear and consistent, helping them find the reality of their characters in their physical and vocal performance.  But mostly, yeah, I'll be a resource for support and an extra set of eyes.

When he directed me in Earnest, Jack Hall made the observation that "theatre is an actor's medium, film is a director's medium" and that statement is quite true.  In film, a director can choose which camera angle to use.  Which take, which performance.  Sometimes directors will film rehearsal and use that (because they feel the spontaneity of the performance is important).  Sometimes directors will shoot a scene 40 or 50 times (Kubrick had a reputation for doing this).  Through the use of editing and selection, the director can really control the performance and the choices in film.  The pace, the tone, even the meaning of the scenes can really be altered by the choices made in the editing room.  In theatre, it's very much the opposite.  You can work and work a piece, you can prepare an actor, you can discuss motivation, objectives, personality, choices, etc for weeks.  But when the curtain goes up, those choices belong to the actor.  The actor has to be completely comfortable in the character and just be.  And that's not something the director can control. You have to prepare with the actors, and then give them control.  Ultimately, it's about trusting each other's vision, understanding and art.  Which is why I'm really looking forward to working with such a talented cast.

I'm really looking forward to this show.  You should be too.