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“Ninety percent of the director’s job is casting.” These are the words of Keith Dixon, director of Baton Rouge Little Theater’s upcoming production of My Fair Lady. While it’s easy to overlook the work that leads up to opening night, the audition process alone is a major component of any theatrical production.

When I walked into the callback auditions for My Fair Lady, I expected the atmosphere to be somewhat tense. But instead of fidgety, nervous actors awaiting their chance to perform, I found only friendly, smiling faces visiting with friends and introducing themselves to unknown competitors. “I thought it was one of the most fun, lighthearted auditions I’ve ever been in,” says Jennifer Ellis, who will play the lead role of Eliza Doolittle in the classic musical.

There was no panel of grumpy judges at this audition. Instead, it felt like a workshop or rehearsal. After Dixon led them in a short warm up, the group danced, sang individually and performed scene readings in front of everyone, cheering on and encouraging fellow performers. Sarah Ford, who will play in the ensemble for the show, liked having the entire group present for her audition. “That way you get to see the rest of the competition,” she says with a smile. As for the nerves I expected to see, Tim Callais says it’s no longer a factor for him, after having performed in the last two BRLT productions. “I don’t really get nervous anymore. Keith makes it really relaxed.”

The upcoming production marks the third time BRLT will present My Fair Lady, and this time around, the timeless battle of the sexes tale will have a bit of a twist. “What we are doing is taking an old favorite and packaging it just a little bit differently,” with a smaller cast and two pianists on stage. Still, Dixon assures his patrons, “Our mission here is to present something for the entire community, so we’re not messing with it. The audience will get what they expect from My Fair Lady but more in terms of today’s life and relationships.”

The experience present in the cast is staggering. Jennifer Ellis and Jack Wilson—who play cockney, lower class Eliza and upper crust Professor Higgins¬—have performed in over 20 shows for Baton Rouge Little Theater alone. Ellis says what keeps her coming back is the creative outlet it provides. “It’s a chance to do something that expresses me.” And after three years away from the theater, Ellis says Eliza Doolittle was a role she just couldn’t pass up. “I’ve known the music since I was four. It’s just so exciting to sing the songs and say the words.”

For Mary Pellerin, who will be performing in her second BRLT production after last summer’s Beauty and the Beast, it’s about the camaraderie among cast members. “Before Beauty and the Beast, we didn’t know each other, and by the end the cast had become a tight family.” Even with all of the experience on the cast, some members—including Carolyn Bowman and Crystal Eldringhoff—will be performing in their first show with BRLT.

Rehearsals will run for about six weeks, a good amount of time for the size of the production. “We’ll work on the music first, then choreography for the big numbers and then move to staging the play,” Dixon says. The actors are expected to be off book (have all of their lines memorized) about two thirds of the way through rehearsals. That’s when the blocking of scenes brings actors further into the collaborative process.

My strongest impression from rehearsals was the enthusiasm of all involved. Members of the cast come from all different walks of life: They are school teachers to lawyers, musical directors to students. Yet they join together effortlessly on stage. With a demanding schedule and applause as their only compensation, what keeps them coming back is a love for the theater and the desire to share that love with the rest of the community.

My Fair Lady will run at Baton Rouge Little Theater from Sept. 15 through Oct. 1.