Casting and the Graciousness Taught Me

So this has been a not so great week. The stress level is up and so is the frustration with people. I know that I wrote yesterday that things are better, but one step into rehearsal today and I just knew that nothing had changed. Everyone still wanted power over everyone else, with some exceptions including me who just said I'm working on lines today so let me be (and amazingly enough they did). So tomorrow morning, first thing is the presentation of our scene and then life will be so much better! I'm ready for that.

We also received our parts for the play we are touring this January, Much Ado About Nothing. There are only nine of us, so we get a couple of parts each. I didn't think that Mick would cast me as Beatrice. I was kind of hoping for it, but I knew that I wasn't going to get it. So I thought that he would cast me as Don Pedro, the prince! I would have enjoyed that part a lot. As he was going through the list he said Don Pedro and then Abby. In the past I've had these weird things that I just knew when my name would be called. I knew my name would be next. And it was. I'm Claudio. Yes, I'm playing a man. Yes, he is one of the lovers in the show. Yes, I'm a bit worried about having to play a man wooing a woman, enough said.

I was a bit disappointed. But then I realized that there are lots of guys who want to have the part of Claudio. That look at that part and say "there is something there worth competing for." After that I realized how much of a wide range of emotions Claudio goes through in the play. And I am very flattered that Mick thought I am worthy of that part, that I can do it, that I am good enough to play Claudio. It is a real compliment. I am grateful for the challenge.

Sym on the other hand. Sym is not a happy woman right now. She doesn't like the way that it has been cast. And she's not afraid to tell people. It makes me think of all the times at Northwestern where the same kind of situation was potentially there, and never happened. Because at Northwestern they teach you how to be gracious, and humble when cast lists go up. That this might not be your turn, but you can rejoice with those who get their chance. I wish that spirit could abound here. But time will heal. And we move on to the next thing.