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Pageant of the Masters hopefuls strike a pose

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For 69-year-old identical twins Marla and Tina Ross, the rainy weather Saturday evening couldn’t dampen their spirits while they awaited their turn for a chance to be in the next Pageant of the Masters.

“Our energy is explosive,” said Marla, who learned of the casting call in an advertisement in the Huntington Beach Independent. “We love to volunteer.”

The sisters, who began volunteering as candy stripers at age 16 in Brooklyn, said they wanted to be a part of the annual summer pageant — in which real people pose to look exactly like figures in artwork — after watching a friend appear in the show.

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They joined hundreds of hopefuls from Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange counties at casting calls Friday and Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon at the pageant’s home, the Irvine Bowl at the Festival of Arts grounds in Laguna Beach.

“The turnout is wonderful,” said pageant director Diane Challis Davy. This year, the pageant held a Friday casting call for the first time, and the extra night drew more than 100 people.

The pageant will be hosted nightly from July 8 through Aug. 31.

Challis Davy, who is in her 20th year as artistic director, announced the pageant’s theme, “The Pursuit of Happiness,” in November. The theme will explore the sources of happiness, both ancient and modern.

The tableaux vivantes will showcase works ranging from Winslow Homer’s “The Country School” and Norman Rockwell’s “The Window Washer” to Currier and Ives’ “Youth: Season of Love” and John Sloan’s “McSorley’s Cats.”

“It’s a perfect theme,” said technical director Richard “Butch” Hill. “We do something serious and then something lighter, so this will be a good show.”

Last year’s theme, “The Art Detective,” was inspired by television shows like “History Detectives” and the “Connections” series as well as Challis Davy’s love of Sherlock Holmes stories. The art included works by Rembrandt, Botticelli and Manet.

Saturday evening, participants chatted during the application process and gathered around a wall of images containing pictures of classic paintings that will be portrayed in the upcoming show.

Each day, after about 400 prospective cast members filled out paperwork about body dimensions, each person was tape-measured and photographed. The creative team later returns to these 3-by-5 pictures and selects people for each tableau — from a bronze statue of George Washington to Betsy Ross presenting the American flag — based on their height and resemblance to the subject.

People of all sizes and ages are needed to be cast members, and the only ability required is to hold a pose for 90 seconds. Volunteers are also needed to help with wardrobe, makeup and refreshments. Last year’s casting call drew about 1,300 people, from which Challis Davy and her team chose about 300.

Once one or two set pieces have been fully constructed, pose-holding rehearsals begin. The volunteer posers are divided into two groups. One group will perform seven days in a row before the next cast of similar heights takes over for the next week.

Doug Hood, a volunteer for almost 20 years, said he returns to help behind the scenes because of the camaraderie. Hood has subbed as four different subjects in the pageant’s traditional finale, “The Last Supper,” as well as representing Alfred Hitchcock and King Henry VIII.

“This should be a great show,” he said while leading hundreds of volunteers to be measured at stations. “We’ve got the new face out front, and that should be great.”

The grounds’ entryway, which thousands of guests have passed through to attend the city’s oldest arts festival, is under renovation and should be completed in time for the summer festivities. The $3.5-million project will include a revamped facade made primarily of recycled materials, such as copper and zinc, in grays and greens. The plan also calls for a landscaped pedestrian promenade that will replace a 13-space public parking lot in front of the grounds.

Challis Davy said she is happy to welcome the new entrance and new and longtime volunteers.

“We’re really pleased these people are interested in the pageant,” she said as she looked at a crowded backstage. “I see a lot of new faces, and that’s always a good sign. It’s a diverse group of people.”

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