Glendale College’s theater department has made it their duty to produce enthralling student productions over the years; this semester is no different with the upcoming showing of the classic “Macbeth,” and the more contemporary “Savage in Limbo.”
“It’s always nerve-racking at first,” said Lora Goudey about her acting. Goudey auditioned for a part in “Savage in Limbo.” When Goudey was asked how she felt after her audition, she said “at this point, I’ve gone to quite a few auditioning processes so that I’m already used to it.”
The auditions were held on Sept. 3 and 4 and were attended by a handful of GCC’s best actors. One could feel the nervous tension in the air as anxious actors, practicing their lines, started to fill up the auditorium lobby.
“Leading up to the audition, I felt really nervous,” said Joseph Gjura, 15, who was auditioning for “Macbeth.” “But once you’re up there, adrenaline kicks in and I just kind of went with it. Besides, I think it’s okay to be nervous, it just shows that you want it that much more.”
The amount of work that goes into producing plays of this magnitude is no mystery. It’s understood that it is incredibly hard to produce a play in such a short time – the actors only have five weeks before their first production, add on the tough task of finding the right people that will best fit the characters and you have the recipe for a disastrous situation.
Jeanette Farr and Melissa Randel will be producing and directing the plays. They will both have the difficult task of casting for both productions. “As far as the actors go, I look for the ones that make bold choices,” said Farr, who will be directing “Macbeth.” “I look for the ones that just go for it. This [audition] is the time to show me that they can do it.”
“They have to be able to do their homework; also, I like to see the actors take on the characters and how they can connect that with their own lives,” said Melissa Randel, director of “Savage in Limbo.” “I chose actors who I know can do that.”
This year is the first year that the theater department will offer the class “Voice for the Actor,” which will be taught by Andrea Stark. The aim of the class is to teach and train the actors’ speech. For instance, one of the plays will require the actors to speak with a Bronx accent; this class will help and teach them to do just that. “This is really more of a growth plan for the actor. We look at what the actor needs and what they need help with,” said Farr.
“Casting is always an exciting process,” said Randel. “Since we can’t use the same actors, we sort of make a wish list for who we want.”
“Savage in Limbo” will run in the studio theater for eight performances: Oct. 9 through 19. “Macbeth” will run in the mainstage theater for eight performances, from Nov. 6 through 16.
