Because of its combination of scripted acting and explicitly sexual performance, the audition process for "Matinée" was carefully crafted. In order to make sure that all the actors and actresses would be comfortable and fully understand the challenges of the role, director
Jennifer Lyon Bell needed to create a multistage audition process.
After reading the script, every actor and actress had an initial private conversation with director, and the chance to ask detailed questions. Subsequent auditions involved increasing involvement with the role: plain readings followed by improvisations followed by an improvisation involving nudity. Then finalists were paired and auditioned together. Finally, each finalist was asked which other partners he/she most preferred to work with. Steven McAlistair and Alicia Whitsover - who had never met each other before the auditions - turned out to be the couple with the right combination of acting talent, bravery, spontaneity, and sexual authenticity.
