Lunch And Auditions

Bracketed the day with Aline:
Picked her up at noon and we repaired to Dockside for lunch.  Had 14-bean soup--but I didn't count them, so it could have been false advertising--and half a chicken salad sandwich.  Delish.
Again picked up my perennial partner for the Arsenic and Old Lace auditions.  It was at the remotely-situated elementary school in Barnegat where we had been before--strange venue--and in light of that misadventure (see entry of December 14, '12), we didn't have high hopes.
Well, what a pleasant surprise.  We weren't the only ones there--a young guy and three other women tried out, too.  Then who should walk in but Rick M.--hugs there--who was in YCTIWY with us, and Neil G. I found that confusing because Neil had announced that he was "starring" in Arsenic, but read various parts last night.  Well, maybe he was only sitting in.
Far from being the somewhat scatter-brained guy he seemed before, Lou was well organized and handed out nicely bound scripts.  He then assigned pieces of dialogue to different people on various pages.  Of course, Aline and I were asked to read for the kindly, but murderous aunts, and I think I came over well.
I liked Lou's direction style.  I've been directed by a number of people now: one was almost completely hands-off and had little constructive to say, being more concerned with the mechanics of blocking and so on.  Another tended to be silent if the actors did something right, vocal if he thought they erred, a style that never brings out the best in me.  The one I found most helpful was Tara M., who directed me in Steel Magnolias--seems like twenty years ago, but was only in May of 2010.  Tara emphasized the good and simply suggested improvements to the not-so-good, and was sure to praise when she legitimately could.  Lou proved to be that type of director and whether I get a part or not, last night I revised far upward my opinion of him.