adminEntertainment Correspondent
MORE than 87 people turned out for auditions of the first ever movie in Mutare – Good Man Among Us – held last week at Courtauld Theatre.
Aspiring actors and actresses from ages between 18 and 50 came from as far as Harare and other districts such as Nyanga, Mutasa, Chimanimani and Chipinge for auditions.
The panel of judges comprised former Studio 263 actress and musician Barbara Vhengedza and film director Ignatius Matope.
Matope said more than 40 people were turned away after they could not grasp the movie script on time.
“Not all roles on offer were auditioned for. We gave people an opportunity to choose a role they would like to try out. Some of the roles were never picked. Most of the aspiring actors who came were too young for the roles. Film auditions are quite rare. They are usually a tedious, time consuming and expensive process. As such, film-makers usually write films with seasoned actors in mind.
This was a great opportunity for aspiring actors in the province. There are no known actors in the city and part of the audition process is to create an actor-database not only for this film but also for future film projects in the city. We collected names, contact details, pictures and recorded videos.
“We were auditioning for the three lead roles and nine supporting characters. The auditions went on well and we did discover fire in the city. We met some really talented actors and actresses in the city who were confident. We were looking for things like confidence, script interpretation, character analysis, creativity, emotional range and eloquence.
Most people who came through were too nervous, shy to perform in front of a small panel and the camera or too concerned about memorising the lines of the script and not giving an authentic performance,” he said.
Online Reporter