Are You Daring Enough to Audition for Full Monty?
Auditions for Full Monty are coming up September 25th through September 27th! I had the opportunity to interview director Lynda Mondragon about the upcoming Santa Maria Civic Theater Show – The Full Monty: The Musical.
Why Full Monty?
I liked the movie when I watched it and after I heard there was a musical version I rushed to get it. I fell in love with the score. I think the music in this production takes the story to a whole other level. The play has a lot of heart and it lets us watch these guys grow over a two-hour production.
All of the characters are facing personal issues such as parenthood, divorce, self-esteem, body image, sexuality, or taking care of a parent. These are all real issues that we face as a society and it gave a lot of “realness” to the script. It feels like the story and the characters are based in reality. A script like this allows you to explore and face these challenges but the show isn’t a downer. It’s hopeful and light-hearted and makes you like the characters and root for them.
There’s so much out there that deals with women in body images and insecurities that it’s a fun role reversal to see it from a man’s perspective. I think sometimes we forget that we’re all universally the same although our experiences of these feelings are different.
Full Monty Remount
Full Monty was originally scheduled in May of 2020 as the closing show of our 61st season. We had just completed auditions and started early rehearsals when the pandemic first started back in March 2020. Due to state guidelines, SMCT made the difficult decision to cancel Red Velvet Cake War which was set to premiere that same weekend. There was a lot of uncertainty but I went to the board and we decided to cancel Full Monty as the pandemic continued
An on-stage live production was not an option in 2020. In June 2021 the board made the decision to create a truncated 2021-2022 season for the theatre’s 63rd season.
How do you get ready for a show like this?
For me, the process starts a year to six months before I even have auditions. One of my hobbies is listening to musicals and reading scripts so when I choose a script to direct I already have a vision for the production. I’ve already worked it in my head. It turns into an obsession. I start to hear the songs in my sleep and imagine casting people I meet or see in the grocery store. I’m always on the lookout at thrift stores and other places for sets and costumes.
Once I familiarize myself with the show I start building the set in my head based on what I know is already available at the theatre. First I make exhaustive lists on Amazon of items I know we’ll need to buy. Then, I start thinking about schemes I’d like actors to read for callbacks. I work with the theatre to try and advertise as well as reach out to friends, family, acquaintances for auditions.
With a big show like this we also try to secure a great team to work with me. A show like this needs technical support, stage managers, a musical director, and a stage crew. This team helps move and store set pieces, create and organize props, and can help with quick changes, especially for the guys. We need folks to help with tech such as lighting and sound cues. We may need people to run special effects that can’t be controlled from the lighting booth. Ideally, I’d have a choreographer and an intimacy coordinator.
What is an intimacy coordinator?
An intimacy coordinator is someone who ensures the well-being of actors that participate in intimate scenes. it’s not something that the SMCT has done but I know that directors including myself are hyper-aware and sensitive to those needs especially when you’re in a small intimate space like ours.
You have to be aware and sensitive to cast members as people as well as artists with their unique experiences that they bring and what their boundaries are. You don’t want to pressure people to do something they aren’t comfortable with.
With that said, there are 6-7 roles in this play where men have to show their bodies. Ultimately that’s some of the suspense of the show, the “will they or won’t they”. Part of the challenge of this particular play is finding solutions based on my cast’s comfort level.
So should potential cast members be comfortable with nudity?
When approaching people about Full Monty auditions everyone always assumes that each part requires nudity. It’s not true! There are more “non-naked” characters than not. This show is so much more than that last five seconds. The nudity takes a back seat to everything else you’re experiencing at that point.
Like every good play, you get invested in the relationships between the characters and you are rooting for them to succeed. It’s not sleazy or done just for laughs, the story is charming and beautiful like a flower growing through cracks in concrete.
Full Monty is a unique raunchy experience but it’s also very heartfelt and loving. It’s about supporting your friends. I feel very connected to that message because it’s similar to how I have to get people to audition for the show. People are scared and I’m asking them to trust me to take them on the ride and trust that I’ll look out for them. We will have a lot of fun just like the characters in the play.
Who else should audition for Full Monty?
Although the focus of the play is on the core six guys, the ensemble is crucial to this production. Many of the supporting cast members have songs of their own and are tied into the main plot lines.
One of my favorite groups of this show is the women. They bring a lot of balance to the show and this show allows them to turn the tables on traditional gender roles and behaviors. The women are fully realized characters of their own, not just 2d props. You actually get to hear their unique points of view.
The opening number “It’s a woman’s world” is a fun turnaround because these women are the breadwinners in the town because of the mill closure. This song is about them letting loose and bonding together at the bathroom in the club.
Does everyone sing?
If you’re worried about singing during Full Monty auditions you should know that there are also non-singing roles both in the ensemble and in minor characters. I’ll probably cast a smaller ensemble so they will be playing multiple roles with multiple characters and costume changes.
If you’re interested in auditioning for one of the core guys but maybe you are insecure about dancing, know that this is more of a movement-based show. It’s based on characters not on fast feet. None of the characters are suddenly Baryshnikov. It’s a show that focuses on heart and story, not the dancing
How are you planning to stage Full Monty at SMCT?
One of my favorite things to do as a director with SMCT is put on a production that you can’t imagine happening in such a small space. For example, in Seussical, we had a cast of over thirty and incorporated multiple words and different societies all within our little black box theatre.
Even with smaller or non-musical productions I’ve added elements to surprise the audience. In Kimberly Akimbo we were able to bring on a reassembled car for scenes and I’m hoping to do something similar for Full Monty.
I like to challenge myself and see how you can do more with less. One of my favorite things to do is create magic in a black box space. I’m still looking for the right pieces but I think audiences will be surprised.
What challenges do you see?
Because this is a remount I was fortunate enough to have already started all of my pre-production processes in early 2020. A lot of things usually challenge a director early on such as securing a musical director, making rehearsal tracks, and preparing audition pieces for callbacks. Normally I’d be stressing about those things before our Full Monty auditions but they’re already completed.
However, due to the pandemic, I’m facing unpredictability in the process. I’m worried that actors are less likely to audition. There are challenges of keeping actors and crew safe, and working within state and local guidelines. I’m planning to get creative with rehearsal space and schedules and making sure everyone stays healthy and safe.
How will you keep actors safe during auditions?
For auditions we’ll have folks mask up while waiting and when congregated in the main area. We’ll be doing smaller distance musical auditions to keep within local guidelines. This is a hurdle we’ve never had to deal with before, doing a musical like this during the pandemic. Once things are cast we will be doing some rehearsals virtual and some of them possibly outside especially at the beginning. As we move into rehearsals we’ll do the best we can and adjust schedules and spaces as needed to keep everyone safe.
Everyone wants to know, will we be seeing “The Full Monty”?
Well we’ve got to keep SOME secrets about the production but I can say that my plans for the final number will leave everyone…satisfied.
Want to be a part of the show?
Santa Maria Civic Theatre is 100% volunteer run. We need actors and stage crew to make this musical a success! Visit The Full Monty: The Musical audition page to learn more about Full Monty auditions. If you’d like to get involved and volunteer with this show or with any show, get in touch with us!