The General Director and I commiserated.  We decided to use local actors only as spear holders. 

Well, that blew up in our faces.

 One quit/was fired 3 days before the first rehearsal over FACEBOOK, when he let me know that he didn't own a FUCKING CAR.  He thought his wife might be able to drive him to rehearsal (even though HE'S GAY), and told me he'd give me "notice" when he couldn't be at rehearsal. Right, because we just schedule rehearsals at a WHIM, so just let me know what's convenient for you, SPEAR HOLDER.

  The other quit less than 24 hours before the first rehearsal, thanking me for the "offer", even though she had a signed contract and we'd already built her goddamned costume.  And she's not a standard size.  There's no Trolls'R'Us  in town that I can sell her costume to.

Supernumeraries.  Not so super.