Tarts and Widows or My Continuing and Bizzare Relationship with "Big River"

I love open calls on Sundays. They are generally not that busy. And they are always entertaining. Today I went out for a non-union production of Big River.
The show performs in Feb at a theatre in Westchester. This theatre, brags about doing the most union shows of any theatre in New York. So, once or twice a year, they do a non-union show through another company. That way they can say they are purely equity. So, while "some pay" is always frightening to see on an audition notice, it is always much more comforting when it could lead to shows with Equity contracts. I wasn't doing anything else today, so of course I went!
Years ago, I did a production of "Big River." It was the least time I did a show at a community theatre. I had done shows there before, but I had been accustomed to dance captaining for them and getting paid. So when I got a desperate call from one of the directors, searching for one more young female that wouldn't be completely intolerable for their production of the show, I said yes. I wasn't doing anything else. (Which is apparently how all my stories about this show go.)
I had fun. I was the alto sister and then had a grand old time playing some crazy character roles in the chorus. My personal favorite, was the awkward, unintelligent tart from Arkansas. So much fun to play! And definitely not getting me any dates. Despite the high kicks. :)
So auditioning today, I figured I was good for the chorus. Woo! I like being in choruses. It's fun. A job is a job after all.
They started with the first few groups singing, reading, and dancing. There were only 70 something of us, but they only had the studio for four hours. So they couldn't keep taking as much time as they had been. I was 64, and they were running out of time. So they typed us in groups and sang us as quickly as possible. I was not in the Mary Jane group. I was not surprised. But I was in the widow Douglas group. Which was surprising. And they had me read after I sang a comedically bawdy little ditty. Apparently, they are playing the widow young. I would be a little bit more of a young, gold digging widow. Less churchey. Especially after the song that I sang.
I wouldn't mind doing the show again. While it is a little slow, the characters are super fun to play. Mark Twain wrote some crazies. I am a good crazy. And it would be a job!
The world is a weird place in a wonderful sort of way. Another entertaining Sunday! :)