Patterson, Stage Directing

CASTING: The Ideal and the Real(Step Four)

OverviewThe director must know what qualities are basic for each role well before the casting session. Once you have made casting decisions, you have also made significant interpretative decisions about the outward appearance of the character as well as about the actor’s emotional availability to create the character you have envisioned. Casting can also have positive or negative effects on the ease and pleasure of the rehearsal process. The director must be prepared to efficiently manage the casting process and be considerate of the actors before, during and after auditions.

Objectives Prepare for casting by

summarizing character qualities and traits

Organize an audition

Plan and manage the audition process

Evaluate auditionees

Understand the audition process from the actor’s perspective

SUCCESSMost director’s agree that success depends on making good casting choices…

Vocal qualities

Visual qualities

Emotional qualities

“Can the actor act the part?”

Casting for look and sound.

The director is responsible for how the actors look and sound. This obligation includes orchestrating the actors’ interpretation of the characters they play; devising onstage movement with the actors’ help; and leading the actors to create those telling activities that reveal character and plot. Here in the actors in this scene from Catherine Butterfield’s play, BROWNSTONE, seem to have captured the personality and action traits of their characters. They are communicating and are in the moment.

Failure…the wrong actors can devastate the production.

Casting is an art

Professional directors usually leave casting to professional casting directors

The initial screening process allows the director of avoid the “cattle call”

Professional Head Shots

Pitfalls of the audition A difficult way to assess potential

Experience helps

“Experienced directors need fifteen seconds with an actor to know whether they are right or not.”

EssenceWhat the director is seeking…Directors envision physicality, but essence trumps physicality. Keeping an open mind can lead to astonishing and surprising choices.

SO…keep an open mind!

Identify your needs Age range

Physical requirements

Dialect skills required

Physical skills required

Personality and “essence”

Special requirements

For musicals: vocal range

Creating Casting Sheets

Develop a system for analyzing each candidate as they audition

Make sure your system is organized so you can review your notes

Casting Notices

CHECKLIST- Name of Play

- Writer and director

- Company name

- Location of production and rehearsals

- Location, date, time of auditions

- Materials required for auditions

- Roles and descriptions

- How to submit the audition

- Union or non-union; paid or not paid

- Type: open call? interview? agent

submission?

- Special requirements: nudity, smoking,

etc.

ExampleRed Apple Theatre Company announces auditions for all roles in M. Wainstein’s production, opening May 11, 2013 at the Red Apple Theatre. 104 East 42nd, New York City.

Roles available: Prior Walter (20s to early 30s)emaciated, emotionally vulnerable; Louis, his partner, late 20s, Mormon from Salt Lake City; etc.

Auditions at the Ansonia Hotel, 72nd and Broadway, Suite 1509; Thursday February 7. Submissions accepted by email only; no open calls; by appointment only. All roles paid, rehearsals and performances. Show runs May 11 for an open-ended run; performances Wednesday through Sundays. Emails to angels@mac.com.

Advertise your notice

ONLINE

IN PRINT

Local outlets Hotlines Facebook Local newspaper Callboards

Types of Calls Equity Principal and Chorus Auditions (At AEA)

Agent Submissions (Large production companies)

Non-equity open calls (Cattle calls)

Large Unified Auditions (SETC, Straw Hat, etc.)

Non-equity auditions by appointment

Planning The Audition Arrange for the rehearsal room

Obtain chairs, tables, music stands as needed

Determine time and length of audition

Create an appointment grid

Hire or arrange a Hall Monitor

Hire or arrange for a Reader

Create a sign-in procedure

Hire a good accompanist, if needed

Prepare sides

Provide casting information in a single-sheet handout

Create an Audition form to note conflicts

AEA Audition Room

Chicago

AEA audition room NYC

Audition Formats Monologues

Cold Readings

Can actors take direction

What can be accomplished with preparation

Observe

Pay attention

Honor the process

Make necessary notes

Put notes directly on the resume/headshot

Warning Signs

Bad or indifferent attitude

Resists direction and unable to take direction

Ill-preparedness

Sloppily dressed

Talks about other offers

Sloppy resume

Rude to hall monitor

Overly patronizing

Late or full of excuses

Callbacks

Go over notes

Decide who to callback

Organize the callbacks

Casting Musicals The Vocal Audition

The Dance Audition

The Callback

Interview

Etiquette1. Greet each actor and thank him or her for

attending.

2. Meet each actor. Introduce yourself and others in the room

3. Prepare. Explain to the actors how the audition is going to be conducted and what is expected.

4. Attending. Make sure everyone in the room is focused on the autitionee.

5. Listening. Allow all actors to complete the process.

6. Thanking. Now matter how poorly or well it went.

Final Thoughts Don’t rush the process

Don’t waste time either

Imagine groupings…think of the ensemble

Chemistry is important

Trust your gut

For further reading…

Dean, Alexander and Lawrence Carra. FUNDAMENTALS OF PLAY DIRECTING, 5th edition. Wadsworth, 1989.

Patterson, Jim. STAGE DIRECTING, 2nd edition. Waveland Press, 2015.

Wainstein, Michael. STAGE DIRECTING, A Director’s Itinerary. Focus Publishing, 2012.