Six Inside Tips from the Casting Director
By Innovative Arts (IA)
When a student comes to audition for us, some factors for what role they get are in their control and some are out of their control. Here are six inside tips that will help you better understand what role you were offered and why.
What is in Your Control
Vocal Ability
The first thing we consider is can you sing the songs required for this role on key and with accuracy? Since it is musical theater, singing is a very important part in landing larger roles, so if this is an area you want to grow in, considering registering for our Vocal Class.
Acting Ability
The next thing we look for is can you act the role convincingly? Sometimes a particular role is so different from the student’s natural personality, it is quite the push for them to act it well. It requires training and development. They will often tell us, if you give me the role, I can do it. But we don’t cast that way. If we haven’t seen you portray certain personalities or character traits in the audition or in smaller roles, we can’t be sure you can do it in a larger role. The next step could be enrolling in our Acting Classes.
Trustworthiness
Doing the hard work outside of rehearsal to memorize lines is extremely important in landing larger roles. The director and cast need to be able to depend that you will know your lines by the off-book date. “Some students will say to us, ‘Just give me a leading role, and I’ll make sure I learn the lines.’ But if they don’t learn their five lines by the off-book date, they aren’t going to be able to learn 25 lines on time,” says Sophie. If you need help with memorizing lines, download our Guide to Going Off-Book: 5 Tips on Memorizing Your Lines Faster
What Is Not In Your Control
Vocal Type
Some roles require bold, brassy voices while others require softer vocal tones with more inflection. You may have an amazing voice, but the role may not suite your vocal type, so casting sometimes depends on having a voice that can sing in a particular style.
Age and Height
At this level of development, it is beneficial for students to perform with castmates that are similar in age and height.
Experience Level of Cast
Often time when a student gets a call about casting, all they know is the role they are being offered but don’t it means they will have the opportunity to work with more experienced actors and directors. Some students may be given a smaller role but in a more seasoned cast so the overall experience for them will be more fun and formative.
The casting process can be challenging, but understanding what is in your control and what is not will help you do what you can to land the role you really want and trust the rest of the process to the leaders around you who truly do have your best interest in mind.
Vocal Ability
The first thing we consider is can you sing the songs required for this role on key and with accuracy? Since it is musical theater, singing is a very important part in landing larger roles, so if this is an area you want to grow in, considering registering for our Vocal Class.
Acting Ability
The next thing we look for is can you act the role convincingly? Sometimes a particular role is so different from the student’s natural personality, it is quite the push for them to act it well. It requires training and development. They will often tell us, if you give me the role, I can do it. But we don’t cast that way. If we haven’t seen you portray certain personalities or character traits in the audition or in smaller roles, we can’t be sure you can do it in a larger role. The next step could be enrolling in our Acting Classes.
Trustworthiness
Doing the hard work outside of rehearsal to memorize lines is extremely important in landing larger roles. The director and cast need to be able to depend that you will know your lines by the off-book date. “Some students will say to us, ‘Just give me a leading role, and I’ll make sure I learn the lines.’ But if they don’t learn their five lines by the off-book date, they aren’t going to be able to learn 25 lines on time,” says Sophie. If you need help with memorizing lines, download our Guide to Going Off-Book: 5 Tips on Memorizing Your Lines Faster
What Is Not In Your Control
Vocal Type
Some roles require bold, brassy voices while others require softer vocal tones with more inflection. You may have an amazing voice, but the role may not suite your vocal type, so casting sometimes depends on having a voice that can sing in a particular style.
Age and Height
At this level of development, it is beneficial for students to perform with castmates that are similar in age and height.
Experience Level of Cast
Often time when a student gets a call about casting, all they know is the role they are being offered but don’t it means they will have the opportunity to work with more experienced actors and directors. Some students may be given a smaller role but in a more seasoned cast so the overall experience for them will be more fun and formative.
The casting process can be challenging, but understanding what is in your control and what is not will help you do what you can to land the role you really want and trust the rest of the process to the leaders around you who truly do have your best interest in mind.