Pre-casting- wrong?
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Topic: Pre-casting- wrong?
Posted By: Treefrog
Subject: Pre-casting- wrong?
Date Posted: 7/17/05 at 11:05pm
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Hi! I am new here, but am thrilled to find this great community! Several directors in my community theater group have given me the scripts for upcoming shows. Basically, it has been made fairly clear to me that if I want roles in these plays, I have them. The roles are fantastic, and I really want to do them- however- I feel like it is wrong to pre-cast in COMMUNITY theater. I know directors will always have certain actors in mind when auditioning for parts, but at least they aren't giving the parts away to these folks before auditions even happen. So, I don't want to cut off my nose to spite my face, but I also don't feel entirely comfortable with this process. What do you all think? |
Replies:
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 7/18/05 at 7:27am
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I don't have a problem with it.
What I do have a problem with is directors who have pre- cast a role, but think it's somehow 'kinder' to let others audition for the role anyway. That is really tacky, as far as I'm concerned. But, I dont have a problem with precasting per-se - as long as the director is upfront at the auditions that x-role is already cast. |
Posted By: Linda S
Date Posted: 7/18/05 at 9:28am
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Hi, There are couple of ways to handle this: 1. When you handed you a script say, "I will be happy to audition." Then show up and muck in with everyone else. Then like everyone else wait and see what happens. 2. If you are offered a part. (Pre-casting does happen for a variety of reasons.) I agree that it should be clear from the beginning who has been cast. I put it right on the audition sheet. When I do pre-cast, I don't make it "fairly clear." I make it clear. I ask the performer out right, and and get a commitment. If that is not the case in your situation, I would go with option 1. Thank them and ask when auditions are.
L.
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Posted By: dougb
Date Posted: 7/18/05 at 11:01am
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We don't permit pre-casting except in extraordinary cases - I can't
remember the last time we did it. If a director pre-cast a part
without approval and announcing it and we found out about it, we would
not use them again. The big theater in our area has a similar policy but pre-casting happens quite often. It is usually couched in ambigous terms and not announced. A good friend of mine was recently sent a script with a note asking him to play a specific part - nothing about auditioning. Precasting happens. Still - if someone at a different theater offered to pre-cast me I would jump at the opportunity. It is not my job as the actor to insure that the policies of the theater were being followed. |
Posted By: dboris
Date Posted: 7/18/05 at 12:40pm
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I don't see a problem with pre-casting in certain situations as long as it is made clear on the audition notice and at the auditions that the role has already been cast. The downside to pre-casting, if you do it a lot, may be that it will discourage people from auditioning the the first place. Maybe someone would come out for a lead role, but happily take a smaller role. If the lead role is already pre-cast, they may not come out at all. Dan |
Posted By: th8rguykc
Date Posted: 7/18/05 at 2:27pm
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My experience is that directors who do lots of pre-casting will find themselves having to do more and more of it as people will stop auditioning for them. My group does have a policy about no pre-casting. |
Posted By: pauliebonn
Date Posted: 7/22/05 at 1:44am
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Depending on the role that is pre-cast, I can understand it happening. But I am in agreement with everyone else that the practice has to be limited. you can't always have the same performers in a sesaon, or you will become stale.
A community theater is just that. A thater for the whole community, not just a "chosen" few. If you are going to pre-cast, make sure everyone that auditions, knows of the casting first.
P |
Posted By: casey05
Date Posted: 7/22/05 at 6:55am
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I think that as a general rule, while most directors think
such-and-such would be perfect for the role and pre-cast them, they
miss out on seeing a variety of other talent who tend to be so much
better. One of the companies I'm involved with (there's around ten separate theatre companies in our district) has a history of having pre-cast certain roles based on status - the school captain of the elite boy's private school in the city would be almost sure to be playing the lead in Footloose (as happened several months earlier). Or, say the head of a local law firm - who couldn't act or sing - would find themselves as Captain Von Trapp in the Sound of Music. While this does happen - certain directors have a habit of doing this , which I suppose - as long as the person could act (the school captain had an awesome voice) I feel that it's okay. The crusty old director in Noises Off, for example, is being played by the Artistic Director (President) of our company. There are certain people who always seem to be precast to play similar roles in each play (e.g. an old nosy lady who always seems to play those sort of old nosy roles) - it comes down to typecasting as well, I suppose. I suppose it comes down to the situation. If I knew myself that there was someone else who could play the role better than me and who was auditioning, I'm not sure whether I would accept a precast. I possibly would out of my own "want" for the role, but if it was a play I wasn't interested in, I would probably pass. Hmm. |
Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 7/22/05 at 11:06am
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I believe pre-casting is inevitable.
As soon as a director is hired for a project, they immediately begin thinking of people who would be "right" for the part. Those are the actors whom the director calls first to come "audition" for the part. Sometimes those people are unavailable and auditions are held to fill in the blanks. I've known situations where a director refused a project because he wasn't sure he could find the actors he wanted and was unwilling to go fishing or settle for someone less experienced or confident. For example, it would be extremely difficult to do a show like "Hello, Dolly" or "Mame" unless there was already a strong female performer in the community who could command that lead. Likewise, I can't imagine a theater choosing to do "Always Patsy Cline" unless they already had an actress in mind who could carry those tunes. It is unfortunate and unfair, but then again, so is the entire casting process. How many of us have lost a role to someone we consider a lesser performer simply because they had the "right look" for a part? ------------- "None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone |
Posted By: Shatcher
Date Posted: 7/22/05 at 2:36pm
If you choose to on to professional theatre or even TV and flim you will run into precasting all the time, better get used to it. If you feel uncomfortable with it or don't think you can play the role than go to the audtions and see what happens. You won't get offered to many free passes in life though so you might as well take what few come your way.!
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Posted By: POB14
Date Posted: 7/22/05 at 4:12pm
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As to Treefrog's original question, I don't see anything wrong with an actor accepting a role just because it was precast. Not your problem how the show gets cast. (Although I would follow Linda's Suggestion 1 also.) As to the larger issue of precasting -- well, that should probably be a thread of its own. I'm generally in agreement with Topper, though. ------------- POB Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard |