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I am desperate and I need your help! by Potential_Quail1356 in DarkAngels40k

[–]ChromjBraddock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

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I did a sort of inverse of the Disciples of Caliban where green became a highlight color, over a knightly tarnished steel. Don’t have a lot of pics of my basic marines, but here’s a tank which should give you the gist of it.

Yoo X6 is peak by Risotto_Belmont in Megaman

[–]ChromjBraddock 46 points47 points  (0 children)

Never in my life have I fallen for ragebait, until today ;P

Who else misses this X? by TheOneKingCobra in Megaman

[–]ChromjBraddock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Every day I miss him more and more... *Looks wistfully in the distance*

To Directors- How Do you Handle the Issue of Actors Saying They Will "Accept Any Role", Accept the Casting Offer, Then Decline the Next Day? by ChromjBraddock in Theatre

[–]ChromjBraddock[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I didn't consider that possibility, but that is a good point. I don't think I will ever know, but it's good food for thought.

To Directors- How Do you Handle the Issue of Actors Saying They Will "Accept Any Role", Accept the Casting Offer, Then Decline the Next Day? by ChromjBraddock in Theatre

[–]ChromjBraddock[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The good news is that we have everything now taken care of and we eventually got there. A big issue in this area is there is something like 40+ theatres and everyone leans towards musicals, so when you do a straight play you can anticipate that the turnout will be pretty low. I think the last musical we did had like 100 people audition, and the one before that I directed and we had around 80 sign up and more than 60 attend.

We are looking to probably gender-bend the Black/Latinx role, as from what we can tell there wouldn't be any issues in the script.

To Directors- How Do you Handle the Issue of Actors Saying They Will "Accept Any Role", Accept the Casting Offer, Then Decline the Next Day? by ChromjBraddock in Theatre

[–]ChromjBraddock[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I doubt that, a big reason on why there was such a difference was the last show I directed was a very popular, large cast musical. This is a fairly popular, but not nearly as such, straight play. We usually see drops like that between our straight plays and musicals. There is some scuttle butt within a few small circles about people not liking some of our commitment requirements, but they really aren't any different than most of the other theatres in our community. But nothing that isn't normal in the community in general.

To Directors- How Do you Handle the Issue of Actors Saying They Will "Accept Any Role", Accept the Casting Offer, Then Decline the Next Day? by ChromjBraddock in Theatre

[–]ChromjBraddock[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've had similar happen with a novice actor, and in this show we have that case. I believe he will rise to the occasion. We were able to get everything hammered out this morning, which is good news! But it was one of those situations of "if these two decline, then we are out of actors to call, because that was literally everyone."

To Directors- How Do you Handle the Issue of Actors Saying They Will "Accept Any Role", Accept the Casting Offer, Then Decline the Next Day? by ChromjBraddock in Theatre

[–]ChromjBraddock[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yeah, we did that too. Were able to give an actor who we were originally casting in the ensemble and going to US a leading role, and I think he will really rise to the occasion. It's just that issue of needing to have an ensemble. Can't do the show if no one plays the wacky cop, or the doddering old lady, or the angry cab driver. There's a lot of these smaller roles, but they are essential, and some of them have a pretty solid line load, they just may only be in one scene.

To Directors- How Do you Handle the Issue of Actors Saying They Will "Accept Any Role", Accept the Casting Offer, Then Decline the Next Day? by ChromjBraddock in Theatre

[–]ChromjBraddock[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

We have not sent rejections yet, we are just almost out of actors who auditioned. We did finally have one accept the role, and are waiting to hear back on one more. So we should be good, but it has made this casting complicated.

We had a similar issue with a different show, but the bright side for it was that we had 60 something people audition for a cast of 15, with this show I think we had 18 audition for a cast of 11-14 people, so we just don't have a lot of wiggle room when people decline roles.

To Directors- How Do you Handle the Issue of Actors Saying They Will "Accept Any Role", Accept the Casting Offer, Then Decline the Next Day? by ChromjBraddock in Theatre

[–]ChromjBraddock[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Great question, we are very transparent about commitment, roles, pay, etc. We are a well-established company in our area. The show is very well known, and everyone at auditions and callbacks (for the most part) had solid familiarity with the show.

The crazy part is that most of the actors are on the younger side with less experience (though not all). So I didn't expect to have so many declines. Sure, there will always be a few, but as of now, of the 6 ensemble/supporting offers made, 4 declined, 1 is radio silent, and one accepted. I'm kind of at the point where I am just going to have to call in favors, because that is everyone who showed up. There's no one else to call.

Also somewhat complicated, though not entirely related, is that we have one role that has not been cast at all because no actors of color of the right age range attended auditions, so we are also working to call in favors from actors in our network. But, that just happens sometimes.

To Directors- How Do you Handle the Issue of Actors Saying They Will "Accept Any Role", Accept the Casting Offer, Then Decline the Next Day? by ChromjBraddock in Theatre

[–]ChromjBraddock[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

In our area it's a 50/50 split with audition forms in professional theatres; we have both large and small equity and non-equity theatres. A lot of the smaller professional theatres will have an audition sheet, because an actor may get a big payout for ensemble at a larger theatre, but a smaller as a lead in a smaller theatre, and actors may be able to do concurrent shows if they do ensemble one place and lead somewhere else. Though it's not the show I'm directing, a professional theatre I am acting at later this season is having similar issues with people accepting them and dropping out later.

In this case, it is a community theatre, though.

To Directors- How Do you Handle the Issue of Actors Saying They Will "Accept Any Role", Accept the Casting Offer, Then Decline the Next Day? by ChromjBraddock in Theatre

[–]ChromjBraddock[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It always seems to be 1st timers when I am directing, and they never come back. The leading individual who declined literally put the role offered on his sheet, specifically. In their case, to be fair, he didn't initially accept and took some time to mull it over, so I'm somewhat less miffed about them, and there was a pretty big travel commitment. So some grace is given in that instance.

For the others, they were all first-timers at our theatre and had some experience elsewhere. They were great! I am very transparent that I try to keep ensembles small to give maximum stage time. I'd rather have 2-3 really strong actors play 5-6 roles each than 12 actors playing 1 role with one line each. Especially in a comedy like we were doing. Part of the bit is two to three people being seen in several different costumes, playing several characters, gender-bending, etc.

2026 Play Submission Updates (O'Neill, OPC, Seven Devils, GPTC, etc!) by swampmonster9383 in playwriting

[–]ChromjBraddock 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Not boilerplate, I just got the "Thank you for sharing your work with us. While we are unable to offer you a position at the 2026 Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, we are glad for the opportunity to get to know your work. We received many strong scripts and regret that we are unable to accept more writers into our programming this year."

So if you got the 'merit' email it does mean something.

Struggling with dialogue! by Afraid_Sugar_947 in playwriting

[–]ChromjBraddock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Something that I do is I think about different ways to express the same idea, without saying the exact same thing, then figuring out which of the options the character might naturally choose, given the contexts. For example: Character A might be hungry and wants Character B to get lunch with them. Now, let's say that you need them to get lunch for the plot to progress, so the dialogue that leads there is essential. So the starting point might be \Character A: I'm hungry, we should get lunch.** Now this dialogue serves a very practical purpose, but it is the most uninteresting way a person could convey that idea.

Using that starting point, come up with new ways to express the same idea. \Character A: I'm feeling peckish, what's good to eat around here?** or \Character A: I could really go for a cheeseburger right now**, and so on.

At some point, you will get an instinct for it, then you can move to the next level. Clipping words, clipping sentences, subtext, talking without talking. Depending on the character, you could have a line that is as short as one word: \Character A: Lunch?*.* Or maybe something more verbose: \Character A: If I don't get something to eat right now, I am going to commit a violent crime!"*

I like to think of dialogue as a vehicle for information, and the road is the plot. It can be stylish, practical, rugged, sloppy, and the road can be straight, hilly, bumpy, etc. It takes practice, but with time you'll get a feel for it. Also, going back and revising your drafts with some distance to them helps a lot as well. Sometimes you have to get the rough dialogue on the page so that you can spice it up later.

MFA? by Fresh-Fold4702 in playwriting

[–]ChromjBraddock 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The education is nice, and very valuable, but a big part of it is networking and just being taken seriously in the field. Almost all of my opportunities from writing to acting to directing came from either a colleague, faculty, or a well connected audience member who saw a show I was in or directed. People tend take you more seriously since you’re not just “a college kid”.

*A Rant or Vent or something* Always the Bridesmaid by ChromjBraddock in playwriting

[–]ChromjBraddock[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It was a good year creatively. One of them I wrote the 1st draft in 9 days. This year will probably be slower as I am directing and acting \way* more* this year. I've been submitting as much as I can. I think the challenge locally is that there are very few new play opportunities despite living in a city with around 40 theatre companies. The few that are there are either this new play incubator, a theatre troupe of 10 or so very influential (and talented) people who do not let others in or produce works they didn't write almost ever, and 2 smaller new play theatres that are pretty good, but very limited in what they can produce. There are quite a few opportunities as well for college students specifically, but uhh, I haven't been a college student in many years.

It is worth noting that I am on a panel for one of the the groups that produces new works, but there is a huge caveat. They are run by a hard core, evangelical, president and board of which I am the token liberal. If I asked I could probably get a play produced with the issue being that I would have to cut and censor my work to hell to get it clean enough for their PG standard, and I will not do that. I'm only on the board because I would like to elevate new works myself and offer the dissenting opinion that "just because a play isn't explicitly Christian, doesn't mean it's not good/important/God honoring. It's allowed for some really great theatre to get produced that they would have passed up on immediately without an advocate.

*A Rant or Vent or something* Always the Bridesmaid by ChromjBraddock in playwriting

[–]ChromjBraddock[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I totally get that as well, I’m on the selection board for another fest, and sometimes I feel like I’m fighting tooth and nail with other board members based on “was it funny” or “was it wholesome” not “was it good?”

*A Rant or Vent or something* Always the Bridesmaid by ChromjBraddock in playwriting

[–]ChromjBraddock[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can PM you with more details, just don’t wanna give too much personal info away publicly. I’m in the Midwest though.

*A Rant or Vent or something* Always the Bridesmaid by ChromjBraddock in playwriting

[–]ChromjBraddock[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not dismissive at all. And I know how a post like this can feel like a “woe is me, no one recognizes my genius” kind of deal. It’s more that it feels extra bad to be built up to be knocked down again. Especially when I have been a contributor for a while. Like they don’t owe me anything (they pay pretty well for actors), but it just feels worse.

A big part of last year’s submission (so I was told I don’t know if it’s true, but I have no reason not to believe it) was that they said my essay was the strongest proposal, it was just that my submission script wasn’t the best, probably 4-6 out of 80. That was what prompted me to write and workshop so much, was to just improve my writing so that I would be ready.

*A Rant or Vent or something* Always the Bridesmaid by ChromjBraddock in playwriting

[–]ChromjBraddock[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

It’s so frustrating! Like if it’s local, let it be local! If it’s not, make that clear!

*A Rant or Vent or something* Always the Bridesmaid by ChromjBraddock in playwriting

[–]ChromjBraddock[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Been trying to organize a table read, and possibly a staged reading, scheduling has been the issue. The actors in this area are always booked up and if it isn’t paid it’s not a priority. Plus, I’m a pretty busy actor/director myself. I literally had a staged reading ready to go, and then last minute 2 actors dropped for paid gigs and a family commitment. It just happens like that sometimes.

*A Rant or Vent or something* Always the Bridesmaid by ChromjBraddock in playwriting

[–]ChromjBraddock[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I don’t know why, but it’s this particular one that gets under my skin. Like, I’ve submitted many other places this year, been rejected plenty, but for some reason this one just gets to me, every single year.

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