casting roles by age
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Directing
Forum Discription: For questions about handling shows, actors, crew, board members, children ...or do we repeat ourselves?
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3883
Printed Date: 6/02/24 at 6:44am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: casting roles by age
Posted By: jclarinet
Subject: casting roles by age
Date Posted: 3/16/09 at 2:27pm
| Our community theater recently cast Peter Pan and only called back older women 30+. I am confused. I thought Peter Pan was a young boy. I know the range of the singing may require a mature voice, but not 30+. The quality of these older women was not as good as some of the other talent, one of whom actually played Peter Pan for her high school. |
Replies:
Posted By: imamember
Date Posted: 3/16/09 at 3:32pm
| I'm sure the director has a vision. It may be a crappy vision, but it's their vision and only time will tell. |
Posted By: jclarinet
Date Posted: 3/16/09 at 4:17pm
| That's exactly the excuse the director gave! |
Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 3/17/09 at 7:51am
|
So.. Is the director a guy, say age 30-50?... just kidding.. (sort of) ------------- Marty W "Till next we trod the boards.." |
Posted By: imamember
Date Posted: 3/17/09 at 9:19am
| There ya go then. It's really out o your hands. Any complaining or commiserating won't change the directors choices. |
Posted By: David McCall
Date Posted: 3/17/09 at 10:29am
You gotta feel sorry for the guys running the flying rig.  ------------- David M |
Posted By: pdavis69
Date Posted: 3/17/09 at 4:32pm
|
Mary Martin was 41 in the 1954 debut and Cathy Rigby has been playing the part into her 50's. Sounds like sour grapes over a casting decision. ------------- Patrick L. Davis Fort Findlay Playhouse |
Posted By: jclarinet
Date Posted: 3/23/09 at 5:45pm
| Cathy Rigby was 22 when she was first cast as Peter Pan. Wouldn't be a problem if they had posted the age range they were looking for. Do directors really like sitting through endless auditions watching people they have no intention of casting? |
Posted By: Fractal514
Date Posted: 3/24/09 at 11:48pm
|
Jclarinet, I respect that you disagree with the director, but clearly at this point you are just complaining with no real argument to back you up. Actors second guess directors all the time, and quite honestly, it's offensive to us, well, to me at least. If you don't like the decision made by the director, then I would suggest not auditioning for that director again. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but honestly, after the show has been cast, complaining about it only serves to ensure that you will not be cast in the future. BTW, just because you have a logic that makes sense in your head, doesn't mean that the director or anyone else has to agree. I had a guy argue with me last night that the leading player I cast wasn't as good a signer as he was, he then admitted she was a wayyyy better dancer, but that doesn't matter cause Pippin is a singing show, and I had to respectuflly disagree. Didn't matter to him though, he see's it his way, and I know that the show needs to be danced well. |
Posted By: John Luzaich
Date Posted: 5/01/09 at 12:47pm
|
The original poster here objected to women in their 30's being considered for the role of Peter in Peter Pan. I saw a fabulous production with Sandy Duncan in the show in 1979 on Broadway - she was in her 30's! I think most community theatres do try to cast age appropriate, but when there's been precedent set before... maybe the director of your Peter Pan knew some of the history of the show with Mary Martin, Sandy Duncan, etc, and did their research prior to auditions. Directors usually go in to auditions pretty well prepared. And, your director either was trying to replicate that, or at least thought it was OK to consider that age group if the right talent appeared. ------------- John cfct@cfu.net http://www.osterregent.org http://www.facebook.com/osterregent |
Posted By: AzBobby
Date Posted: 6/17/09 at 1:31pm
|
I've witnessed directors with a vision I may not have predicted, but which turned out to be obvious later for better or worse. One way I side with the poster is in consideration of posting an age range for auditions IF the age range exists. Peter Pan is an oddball case though, where the director may have secretly hoped for a Mary Martin type in the role but had to see all comers just in case. The key word is consideration -- I have seen directors waste the time of talented people because they simply didn't have their vision planned out and were hoping things fell into place for them instead. That's just inexcusable! I hate the traditional casting of a mature woman as Peter Pan anyway (just plain creepy) and I hate that particular Broadway musical, so it's hard for me to cast judgment on just how wrong the casting can go. =) |