Planning and Running Auditions, Part II

PLANNING AND RUNNING AUDITIONS:

PART 2

DEALING WITH BLOWBACK:

How do you keep the kids and their parents from getting angry when you post the cast list? My librettist Matthew Boresi runs the musical theatre program at the Music Institute of Chicago, and he has developed an ingenious plan to minimize blowback. First, he sends home a letter to the parents about the right way to deal with the cast list. The parents are instructed to read this letter to their kids. The letter includes passages like the following:

• Who is placed in what role often has as much to do with fit, not solely with ability.  It is not a case of the “best” person getting the biggest role and the “worst” person getting the smallest.  Theater isn’t a foot race with a first and last place – it is about telling a story!

 

• The people watching auditions (i.e., the teachers) want everyone to do a great job!  We want our biggest problem to be how to give great roles to everyone, and we hope the students will make our task challenging by having strong auditions.  This isn’t like American Idol – we don’t hope you mess up – and we don’t ever make fun of you!

 

• Unfortunately, we can’t learn everything about a student’s talent from one audition – and we make mistakes sometimes!   If someone doesn’t get the part they wanted, they may have had a bad day, or maybe we did!  One audition does not prove whether you are “good” or “bad,” and the show must go on…

 

Although it is rarely apparent to a disappointed young actor when casting is announced – no matter what their role, our productions are always a fun and exciting learning experience for everyone involved.  It is impossible to completely suppress one’s ego or desire for a specific role, but the more one thinks of this program as a weekly workshop that ends with a recital, the more they can get on with the business of learning and fun.

 

We hope that these notes help you discuss the audition process with your young performer.  Auditioning is a sometimes nerve-wracking but perpetually present element of Musical Theater, and we hope to help our students become as comfortable with it as possible!  As always, do not hesitate to contact us with questions at…

Then, (and here’s the diabolically clever part) he doesn’t post the cast list until he’s already rehearsed group numbers for three weeks. The kids are enjoying one another’s company and have already bonded and made friends before the drama of who is cast takes over. He has very few calls, and very few kids drop out of the show. This approach may not be possible in your situation, but what you do before the auditions can make the post-audition drama a little less maddening.

If parents do call, I like to remind them that rejection is a big part of being an actor, and that if their child wants to pursue a career in the theatre, dealing with rejection is absolutely essential. Sometimes this strategy works. Sometimes parents just can’t be placated. Cast as fairly as possible, and then sympathetically hold a firm line.

CALLBACKS

As you’re discussing who will be called back with the rest of your directorial staff, be thinking about what you’ll need to see as the vocal director. Is there a song selection which would show you what you need from all your male actors? Or 2 selections, one for tenors and one for basses? Try and pick something hard and short, and teach it to the kids you called back. Usually it’ll wind up as a pool. For example, if you’re casting Oklahoma, your pool for men will include Curlys and Will Parkers and Juds and Carneses. Your best singing actor who fits the part will probably be Curly. The rest of the guys who were up for Curly will probably be the pool for Will Parker and Jud. (Jud should be your best actor) A great side (a side is a portion of a monologue or song chosen for audition purposes) to teach the guys would be the section that has “I got a beautiful feelin’ everything’s goin’ my way”, which is a little tricky, and somewhat high. You don’t need to hear everyone sing everything they’re up for if you’re careful in your choices of sides. The director should be doing the same with dialogue from the show.

There may be a place in the show where two characters need to sing together and balance. You may want to sing couples together to find out if one of them blows the other one out of the water. But don’t waste everyone’s time. If you really only have one choice for a role, don’t keep everybody singing for no reason.

NEGOTIATING

You should have a meeting scheduled after the callbacks, and it should certainly be in a place where none of the people who auditioned can hear you talk candidly. It is also very important that you remove people from the room who should not be helping you make decisions. Helpful parents shouldn’t be there unless they’re directing. Your costume designer does not need to be there; probably your rehearsal pianist shouldn’t be there either. Under no circumstances should students be in the casting room. Unless your school has some specific casting related policies and procedures that need to be followed, I don’t know if an administrator has a place in the room either. The meeting should have only the people who are most qualified to make the decisions, it should be as candid as possible, and as free of unhelpful input as possible. It should also be understood by everyone in the room that none of the discussion leaves the room.

Start with the casting of the most difficult parts; the leads. You’ll probably hit a ‘catch-22’ spot at some point, where casting the perfect X messes up your casting for Y. If that happens, ask the utilitarian question: “Does this show work without an interesting person playing role X?” “Does it work without a good actress playing Y?” Answer that question, and then go with it. Many times that question is about the protagonist and the antagonist. Some shows demand a good actor playing the protagonist. Carousel is an example of that. (please don’t do Carousel at a middle school) You must have a good Billy Bigelow. Jigger can be anybody. Oklahoma needs a good actor playing Jud, otherwise what’s the point of the show? Laurey doesn’t want to go to the social with Jud because he’s frightening, not because he’s a dead fish. But a lousy Will doesn’t sink the show.

You’re probably not going to get your way about every part, so go into that meeting knowing which hills you’re willing to die on, and concede other parts that aren’t so important to you. Don’t be afraid to advocate strongly for your position. And when you’ve worked your way down to the very small parts, that’s the time to look through your list for kids who have put in their time, but didn’t make the cut to be a lead, or kids who have potential, but aren’t ready for the big leagues yet. Don’t give kids roles they can’t handle just to be nice.

POSTING THE CAST LIST

How strong is your stomach? If you can handle it, put the list up when you’re there to talk to kids. If you can’t handle the drama, (no pun intended) post the list on the internet or post it right before you leave for the day. Even if you think nobody will believe you, put a blurb on the sheet that thanks everyone for coming and tells people they did a good job. It’s a courtesy, but a good one.

Casting is 90% of the success of a show. Getting the right person in the right role is crucial. Take the time to do the planning and preparation to start with your best foot forward in the audition process.