One of the reasons I woke up early was because the callback last night started to worry me and here's why: I had an actress reading for what on paper is a seventy-year-old black lady - actress reading being white and in her late forties. She was a little confused and so I joked with her, said I'd been brought in because Doug felt I was the only one who could help the writer (I didn't want to even do this), and we both felt that this friend character might just work better as contrast and dynamic if it was white. I also wrote the playwright and told him if a great black lady showed up then that would be fine, too. I also joked that there's nothing like a white writer trying to write black. It was all banter and me trying to get the actress comfortable. But then a remark was dropped that all the people who were at the callbacks could hear everything. It bothered me a little because I don't think anyone should hear anything that another director is doing with his actors, but I forgot about it until this morning, when I realized they were recording it, too, and were going to send it to folks who weren't there, like the author.
So, I wrote Doug and the producer this morning asking them to NOT send this to anyone, especially the author, because without understanding what was going on and the context, it would sound awful. I told Doug he could send to Hartley and she could edit it out. This is why I hate this world we live in, because joking isn't allowed and humor isn't allowed and context isn't allowed. So, I have no idea what will be what with this, although each and every comment made can be given context and explained that it was joking. So, I'm concerned, but in the end if I don't direct this ten-minute play it's not gonna bother me.
