LESS THAN TWO WEEKS TO GO

It seems like we have two scenarios working to their logical conclusions. The show Life X 3 will be ending, and the auditions for Murdering Marlowe will be starting.

The day we close one will give way to the night we begin the other.

This is the time where I begin to wonder if the last-minute masses will make their way to see our show. I can't see why not: a tight cast, interesting script, tons of press and a new space.

Of course what seems obvious on the one hand, can lead to empty houses on the other. A show like Life X 3 challenges and has that funky title. Not like Vagina Monologues or Santaland Diaries, but something else all together, which doesn't have them running up eight flights of stairs to see it. Just kidding - you can take the elevator.

Yes, this is the fun little struggle you deal with when you present your art. "And there was much rejoicing. Yeah."

As for Murdering Marlowe, the situation stays the same: where are the men? Can we get some guys, please? One of the most pressing issues with suburban theatre is the lack of quality male actors. And with the recent influx of theater activity in the last 7 years, it all becomes that much harder.

What you'll find is many male actors stay close to groups that star them, regardless of the material. Sure, there are exceptions, but usually it is a tall order getting people to travel. Still, the pool is very shallow when it comes to male actors, regardless of where you dip your feet.

Chicago has actors. The young twenty-somethings don't mind building a resume by doing a show in the burbs - once. That's it. Only one time will they make that drive. I can't blame them. When we worked in Chicago for four years, the drive wore me down like a Rachel Yamagata song.

So the plight with Murdering Marlowe is that he might never come to life to begin with. If I can't get the right cast, I will have to rethink the whole situation. The play requires 7 men and 2 women, which means that right now we have an inverted situation, with nine women and two men scheduled to audition. That's how it goes, so many plays with males parts and too many women to fill. Now don't get me wrong, I've worked with some wonderful women in the theatre. The problem is there aren't that many men left in the burbs. And so many plays are dominated by men.

The last few shows I've directed have found me dodging the bullet when comes to casting. The Laramie Project, We Only Have Ives For You, Squirrels and Life X 3 - all these plays almost didn't happen because the male actors I needed didn't show until the last minute. Sometimes the last minute wasn't enough, leading me to make many, many phone calls.

That's why you have a backup plan (new play) if you need to change directions. It's also why I take Aleve on a regular basis.