As
a director, one of the most daunting tasks is having to turn away a plethora of
talented actors after an intense month of auditions. When the casting call announcement was posted
on the various social media sites, a flood of resumes surfaced on my desk –
each one vying for a role in my upcoming war drama “74”.
As
each potential candidate took to the stage, immersing themselves in their
respective role, my assistant director and I realised that the proficient level
of acting in Cyprus would not make the elimination process any easier. My lengthy absence from blogging was largely
due to the haunting hours spent in an enclosed part of my home, fighting
through the copious evaluation forms submitted by my team of professionals.
And,
after meticulous deliberation, the results were posted on Facebook amidst the
jubilant cheers of the selected, and the disappointing cries of the
precluded. The marketing campaign had
officially begun.
The
weeks that followed saw a tide of professional emails flooding my inbox – the
majority of which thanked me for the experience, and the opportunity given to
them to audition for the production. A
small group of actors chose to voice their displeasure, not realising that such
a response would categorise them as “avoidable”. The level of immaturity, which is often
revealed by the so-called “bad-sportsmanship”, was evident through the hidden
innuendos concealed between the sentences; metaphorical figures of speech used
to reveal their frustration of not being selected.
But
why should one care? Surely Julia
Roberts doesn’t call the director and blast him for his choice of another
leading lady? The acting game can easily
be compared to a beauty pageant: only one winner can take the crown.
Perhaps
one could ease the laws on a society which is, in my opinion, intimate? I think
so; c'est la vie.
The
creative juices are ripe. I have just
completed the script for a royal comedy titled “Divorced, Beheaded, Died…
Divorced, Beheaded, Survived”. Based on the illustrious life of King Henry
VIII, this royal comedy focuses on the Tudor king's royal appetite for the
opposite sex, and the women who found themselves tangled in his lustful quest.
Prior
to my explicit interpretation of Henry’s sex life, I will be directing a bio-drama
based on the life of Aristotle Onassis. Inspired
by the true story of the relationships between the Promethean shipping magnate,
his first wife Tina, his lover Maria Callas and second wife Jackie Kennedy,
this is an extraordinary account of one man's voracious appetite for sex, money
and power – how those with great wealth and political influence live their
lives detached from the moral code and realities of ordinary mortals.
I’m
almost certain that one would consider me a hypocrite. I’ve babbled on about the silly innuendos
implied by the agitated actors in their emails, but my overtones of sex are
quite apparent in the scripts for my forthcoming dramas. One might suggest a hint of “Fifty Shades of
Grey”, but I don’t foresee any explicitly erotic scenes featuring elements of
sexual practices involving bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, and
sadism/masochism. Although, King Henry
VIII’s marital indecisiveness could leave one thinking otherwise. I’ll have to dwell on those thoughts for a
while. I’m not implying any sexual
deprivation, but it’s reassuring knowing that the audience will observe everything
through my eyes…
Weight
for me soon. Paul
For more information on Paul Lambis, and to order his book online,
visit www.paul-lambis.com
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