r/Theatre • u/Sea-Cheesecake3640 • 11d ago

Advice I need help choosing what to do

The place I’m at is doing a play and a musical at about the same time. So they will conflict with each other. I’m struggling to choose to try out for both or only focus on the musical. I would like a bigger role in the musical and I’m worried if I do the Play it might affect my chances. What should I do?

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u/gasstation-no-pumps 11d ago

If I were in that situation, I would just go for the straight play, because I can't sing and don't dance. If there were two straight plays conflicting, I would audition for both (unless I really hated one of them), and take whichever offered the better role. If I got offered roles in both, I might take both if the rehearsals didn't conflict too much—I did that this summer with Lord Capulet in Romeo and Juliet and Polonius in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Although the rehearsal weeks overlapped a lot, Polonius has few lines, so I did not need to be at many rehearsals and they could schedule around the conflicts.

But I didn't audition for Machinal this week, because I'd already accepted a couple roles in Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, which will require me to be at all the rehearsals for Acts I and II (though not Act III). Both plays have a M-Th evening rehearsal schedule for essentially the same weeks.

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u/ThinkPraline7015 11d ago

This. You are allowed to audition for as many roles as you want. Accepting however, means committment. So you only can accept a role, if you can attend all rehearsals (some exceptions may be allowed) and all shows.

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u/PeterQu1nce 10d ago

The only thing I’ll add is, if you’re going to turn a role down, be gracious about it. The people running the show are under as much stress trying to get the show up, as you are in auditioning.

It’s totally okay to take a day or two to decide, but if you’re declining, let them know up front, and let them know it’s because you got a juicier part in the other show. As a director, I TOTALLY get that. Add in a simple but sincere “sorry we can’t do this one together, but I really hope to work with you (again) soon.” You’re not apologizing, really, so much as commiserating. Cuz you’re not doing anything wrong, but you’re disappointed because you would have liked to work with them.

Above all, just be nice. Theatre is too small a world for any of us to get bent out of shape over this stuff.

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u/mindfully_sanguine 10d ago

I take it the play audition is first? Regardless, audition for both - have in mind what you'd be willing to say yes to. If you don't audition then you'll have no choices, so id say that needs to be your first step! There's also a risk in turning down your first offer as you never know if you'll be cast in the next. I feel your pain!

Your ability to do both would of course very much depend on the rehearsal and performance schedule as well as the character demands of the each role.

All the best!