The two areas I need the most help with right now are handling and recruiting supporting characters. In order to make this otherwise unmanageable production more manageable, those roles will be character types that basically improvise acting out how their character would react to events as needed between acts of the play to make the event more immersive and interactive. That way they have no set script to memorize or rehearsals to attend. They will be civilian government or military reps. from various powerful nations (other than Britain who is at war with us at the moment) in the year 1857. One change is that the US is split and Texas and California never joined. Also Venice survived to take over Italy and take Machiavelli's writings along with them.
We mostly need a large number of people attending as delegates, that enjoy getting noticed, deferred to, and hamming it up, to dress well, and pretend to be government and military reps any time someone speaks to them during the event. They will get to do things, but have no set lines or expectations otherwise. They will naturally be free to attend all performances, panels, etc. but are simply asked to show up to the 5 acts of the play. As little else is scheduled during each of those brief vignettes, that is more fun than burdensome. Only a few of these are taken so far.
If someone really wants to represent the British Empire, that would be great, but they will need a second outfit, as they would be arrested, rather visibly and loudly, carted off, and need to return as different character, as the British have sworn revenge for Dr Babbage running off with what they consider to be British military property. Just an idea.
We still have no rep from France, Spain, Russia, Austro-Hungary, China, Japan, or Portugal, which would all be glaring omissions. We have military reps for Germany, The Venetian Republic (Italy), and the Ottoman Empire, although some of those may not survive the play (it is a murder mystery) if others want to be seconds for them. We also have an Egyptian rep (civilian) and possibly Persian civilian.
They are supposed to pre-register, so we know they are likely to show up, and then if two people want to be the same delegate, I select the one whose outfit looks most suited to that country and offer a different country to the other, but none are turned away for this. There are many countries to choose from and at least one military and one civilian should attend from each.
I also need people to portray marine guards. As the group supplying these is a multicultural and multinational force, they don't need to look alike, but will have red sashes, possibly with gears on them if we have the time. (I have a machine that cuts metal foil into gears, but they have to be backed by something stiff or use gold painted leather ones to avoid problems with thin metal foil.)
They will act like guards and follow directions during stage performances, but again have few lines other than "Yes sir/maam, or yes Admiral" so no rehearsal is needed, and thus, I cannot expect to get free passes for them either. Local drama departments will certainly be contacted, but you may have steampunk interested friends that would like to do this.
We might have other roles like this (details are secret) that would involve a gun battle using steampunked cap guns, so anyone that is interested should buy an inexpensive modern cap gun, the type that use the red caps in a circle of 8, paint it with gold spray paint, then add contrasting colors such as metallic copper and brown for rust/tarnish look as well as any Steampunk accents desired and bring it ready to shoot. That means you will need to avoid much paint, or things like hot glue, getting into functional areas of the pistol, but this is usually not a problem so long as it is just a little paint.
I would appreciate any help you could offer in stirring up interest in this area of the production.
As no rehearsals or script memorization are required for any of the above supporting characters, I cannot get them a free pass for admission, but it will make their time at the event much more fun.
sincerely,
Admiral Ramon Leon del Mar, Casting Director
