Somewhere in this season’s rep is an actor who can convincingly unravel with jealousy as a king in The Winter’s Tale, then turn around a few nights later and play one of the goofiest supporting roles in all of Shakespeare. Finding that actor, before anyone else even knows he’s the answer, is the job of Bob Mason, Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s casting director.
Bob talks about growing up in a small town in southwestern New York, a college acting class that hooked him on Shakespeare’s language, and fifteen years acting in Chicago before a former classmate talked him into casting instead. He explains how casting has changed since the pandemic, what it’s like working with Edward Hall’s very specific audition process, and the particular puzzle of casting a true repertory production for the first time: a single company of actors who all need to work in two different plays, with their own doubled pairings and tonal shifts to balance.
Bringing Up the Lights is an original series from Sound Concept Media, written and narrated by Keith Conrad.
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