Theatre craziness.....

After five years with RTP, I have noticed a couple of trends within our little community.
1.)A lot of the same actors are used in almost every production.
2.)A LOT of people notice the same thing.
3.)A LOT of people complain about it.
Having been involved with Rosebriar Shakespeare Co. and Wagnalls as well, I get the feeling this is common in community theatre in general.
Now, I'm not going to totally complain about this.
As I see it, this issue is twofold:
-Certain Directors cast the same people.
-The same people are the ONLY people who audition.
VERY frustrating.
So, who is to blame????
..........
I hate to hear any of the groups with which I am involved called a "club" or a "clique."
I blame those who come to the shows, complain about the shows/actors, yet do nothing.
Don't like see me in 3 or 4 shows out of our season?
COME AUDITION.
Submit a show you'd like to direct.
Get involved.
Don't sit at in the middle of a restaurant with your friends and complain, complain, complain.
I complain about theatre stuff from time to time, but then I really try to fix it.
We cast 32 actors in Treasure Island.
A couple of the actors we cast are brand new, and we wanted to give them a chance to really learn about being onstage and theatre in general.
Some of them were cast so that they would be forced to take direction and learn to take their role seriously.

Some of my actors are individuals about whom I've heard complains before, whether it be their frequency or their capabilities as a performer.
For one or two of them, I cast them because I wanted to get my hands on them and direct the crap out of them so they'd be forced to actually act, instead of getting onstage and doing the same character they do with every performance: THEMSELVES.
NOT happening in my show.
I dubbed this idea KILLING THE ACTOR.
We may have cast John Doe in the role of Clyde Whatever, but, come production time, you aren't going to see John Doe on that stage.
It's 100% Clyde Whatever.
I firmly believe it is important to allow the actor to create and grow, but they have to grow into their character.
I don't think their goal should be "Take this character and make it YOU."
It should be "Become this character."

Blablablah...
Come March 27th, we'll see how it all works out.
For now, I must finish gettig all the scripts ready for this week.
I'm also on the hunt for a show to submit for next year's season.....
argh.

(Little Johnny Jones finished today....)