​Midsummer Night's Dream castings. Roles marked TBC are still in discussion with people being auditioned for those roles over the final part of this week. Well done to EVERYONE :) First main rehearsal takes place on Sunday.
Tara MacGowran (Lysander)
Charlotte Slade (Robin Starveling, Mustardseed)
TBC (Snout)
Victoria Balster (Titania & Hippolyta)
Keanna Mabin(Hermia)
TBC (Bottom)
Daniel McCarthy (Flute)
Joe Staton (Quince & Egeus)
Laura Jury (Puck)
Rich Sandford (Oberon)
Peter Carey (Demetrius)
Gemma Burford (Philostrate & Peaseblossom)
Alex Slade (Moth)
Joe Tresize (Snug)
Sarah Rutty (Helena)
Carl Reynolds (Theseus)

The main auditions for A Midsummer Nights Dream took place yesterday at our rehearsal base of Chestnut Community centre. 
We were absolutely blown away by the talent and skills seen - it was a long difficult meeting working out the castings. 
We have been sending out casting offers last night and today; and will be announcing the full final cast list as soon as we are able. 
​Cant wait to get into rehearsals and working with everyone! 

One of our side-projects, portfolio photoshoots, was something that had to be sidelined for the past few months with how busy we became with Macbeth and Great Gale. Finally, this winter, we got out again, and started the New Year with a photoshoot on Breakwater Beach. 
We do plan to run more this coming year, but it was lovely to be back doing this again as well, with members of our team, and friends. 
Photos below by Andrew Barnes and Laura Jury

Yesterday, we received a message on an advert for our upcoming auditions for A Midsummer Nights Dream, that was absolutely heartbreaking. 
"I would like to audition, but I'm black" 
Obviously we (Laura as representative) replied immediately to let the person know that skin colour or ethnicity, is no barrier to working with us, but this warranted a bigger clarification. 

In South Devon, where we are based, the local demographic is less "diverse" than in other parts of the country, but that does not mean any kind of discrimination in our cast or crewing. There is no issue about skin colour, religion, ethnicity, LGBT orientation, or anything else like that. In face we have quite a diverse team, who all produce incredible, world-class work together. 

Selection in castings is based entirely upon auditions and professionalism, as stated in our audition page , and there are no other criteria, either overt or covert. No other details have any relevance to the selection process. 

On a wider scale, discrimination on such grounds is not only unethical, it is also illegal, and should be reported to Equity or a similar authority. 

In these times, with budgets stretched, and marketing of shows always being a challenge for any theatre company, we are proposing this new initiative, where theatre companies exchange advertising. A text page of line adverts in a programme, where we list each others productions in the same region, means that we all reach more audiences, encourage theatre-going, and grow together.  This isn't intended to exchange money, just help one another with a few lines of text. 

Since it is based on an exchange, (just with the provision of a checking copy to the companies involved, to prove openly that agreements are honoured), it should hopefully be something that is accessible to all companies. 

We are based in the Southwest (Southwest UK), and that is the area that we would cover, but if people in other areas of the country want to initiate the same kind of idea - that would be awesome :) 

Please get in touch if you would like to exchange with us, and get involved in this new idea. 
​Laura (company director) - email southdevonplayers@gmail.com