Active TopicsActive Topics  Display List of Forum MembersMemberlist  CalendarCalendar  Search The ForumSearch  HelpHelp
  RegisterRegister  LoginLogin
Directing
 Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Directing
Message Icon Topic: "Private Auditions"(Topic Closed Topic Closed) Post Reply Post New Topic
<< Prev Page  of 2
Author Message
Guests
Guest
Guest

bullet Posted: 10/16/06 at 6:40pm

I would like to add to make sure you have at least one other person with you during the audition session--preferably the casting committee.  There are many reasons for this advice, besides having someone else who can refer to the audition when decisions are being made a few weeks later.  Also, I would videotape the private audition, so you can remember what he did.

(I sometimes don't remember how someone auditioned a week later, let alone 2 months later.)

IP IP Logged
B-M-D
Celebrity
Celebrity
Avatar

Joined: 11/03/05
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 346
bullet Posted: 10/16/06 at 9:33pm

Originally posted by castMe


B-M-D.  Would you start a new thread and explain what a casting committee is and what it does.  Thanks 

Will be happy to once the dust settles on the board outages.   I've had to re-do a couple or three postings having had them disappear after clicking the post reply button while in an outage.

 

BD

"Dying is easy, comedy is hard."
IP IP Logged
castMe
Celebrity
Celebrity
Avatar

Joined: 11/02/05
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 206
bullet Posted: 10/17/06 at 5:09pm
B-M-D   me too.  It sometimes takes me hours to log in.
Investigate. Imagine. Choose.
IP IP Logged
TonyDi
Celebrity
Celebrity
Avatar

Joined: 9/13/06
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 325
bullet Posted: 10/18/06 at 11:58am

Just a word of warning from a BAD experience I had.  Many years ago, I was publicly and privately promised the role of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof.  The guy who directed told EVERYONE in the theater group that if HE got to direct, I was going to play the role.  I know, may sound a bit pompous but I wasn't the one saying it.  AT ANY RATE, when the auditions came around and the director conducted those auditions, I was THE ONLY one auditioning for Tevye at all - out of well over a hundred and thirty auditioners.  I read with every stinking combination in God's green world as the ONLY Tevye candidate there - who 1) WANTED THE ROLE and 2) WHO READ FOR THE ROLE.  TWO DAYS of auditions were held with call backs.  The day the decisions were made I was told that they wanted me to do LAZAR WOLF the butcher.  Seems they PRE-AUDITIONED someone who had gone on HIS BUSINESS TRIP (but who had done the role 10 years prior) BUT who was NOT at auditions, NO MENTION OR ANNOUNCEMENT was made that the role was NOT available (they HAD PRE-CAST him before he even LEFT) and during the audition process NO-ONE ELSE READ for the role AT ALL - but ME.

Needless to say I TOOK the role because I wanted to do the show...graciously accepting the "secondary" role in this case.  People who had heard the public declarations were livid that I was not playing the role.  I did whatever I possibly could to quell any dissatisfaction about it being totally the pro (while steaming under my breath to myself).  But I did it graciously.  Well when I told the guy (WE HAD TO SHARE A DRESSING ROOM) what had been done he was totally pissed off that they had done that to me and would have gladly declined had he known.  As it was we got along GREAT he and I.  He however, was drunk at just about every performance, I NEVER know what lyrics I was going to have to make up to RHYME with him in TO LIFE, and I literally blew him off the stage at every performance - NOT TRYING to - just that I did because he didn't know what the heck he was doing or where he was most of the time.

SO I said all that to say this - if you DO PRE AUDITION someone for a particular role - be honest to the rest of the auditioners and let them know that there are others who have been seen before who could not make it to auditions for business reasons/conflicts and that EVERYONE would receive a FAIR ASSESSMENT as to who gets the role.  OR DON'T PRE-AUDITION someone who can't show up to auditions.  It's fair either way - and HAD I been told, I wouldn't have had to work so hard to "fill-in" while the director matched people up with the Tevye who wasn't there that they had already cast...leaving me to do it all and then be offered a secondary role...which by the way, I am glad I did.  Because 10 years after that I got to DO Tevye and while I COULD have done it before, I was glad I had 10 more years to learn the role.  THEN when I did it, it was the best I could possibly do.

Tony Di

"Almost famous"
IP IP Logged
falstaff29
Celebrity
Celebrity
Avatar

Joined: 9/17/04
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 155
bullet Posted: 10/29/06 at 5:35pm
Regarding the situation, I see nothing wrong with holding a separate audition for the person who can't attend the real thing BUT definitely let people at auditions know.  My experience as an actor where I've auditioned for a show that, for one reason or another, had precast a role or at least seen and considered someone outside of auditions is that if the auditionees know, they'll usually be cool with it.  And if you cast someone who didn't show up to auditions, you'd better be sure he's actually talented.  I've auditioned for shows where someone was cast outside of auditions or (worse) just precast without an audition.  But as long as they're good enough that, when you start working with them, you think, Aha, that's why he cast him! and I know about it at the start of auditions, then I'm cool with it.
IP IP Logged
JShieldsIowa
Star
Star
Avatar

Joined: 11/05/06
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 49
bullet Posted: 11/13/06 at 1:15pm
Working in CT in a college town - I get a lot of requests for "private" auditions.  I usually try to lump as many together as possible.  I tape every audition now because of that.  But one thing to keep in mind - if you schedule multiple general audition dates and the person has a hard time making it to any of them - keep in mind this person MAY be over committing him or herself.  Granted, if the reason is a trip like outlined in the original post - you'll probably be safe.  I would suggest talking indepth with the auditioner about conflicts and scheduling.  It only took me once to burnt by that one! 
IP IP Logged
<< Prev Page  of 2
Post Reply Post New Topic
Printable version Printable version

Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums version 8.05
Copyright ©2001-2006 Web Wiz Guide
buy generic cialis are in line cialis canada outcome for yourself viagra sales cost saving benefit viagra uk convert your buy phentermine online pay phentermine cod payment Lenders Everything xanax online your existing xanax overnight absolute must free incest stories online The value gay incest advance The key free dog sex pics cash flow dog sex the reduced noise free gay college guys of the period gay guys