Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Contacting the Director

Author

Message

hobbyactor
Lead
Lead

Joined: 12/22/11
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 47

Topic: Contacting the Director
Posted: 12/22/11 at 7:36am

Is it ever ok to contact a director after auditions?

Recently I attended auditions for a local community theatre production. The director stated that everyone who auditioned would be contacted by a certain date. It is now several days past the specified date and there has been no word.

IP Logged

ZFix2000
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 5/26/11
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 7

Posted: 12/22/11 at 7:51am

Unfortunately quite a few directors and theatres are very lax in their letting everyone know audition results if you are not cast. I feel it is very rude and unacceptable behavior from people who want you to give your all if you are cast.Then they get offended if you accept another offer while waiting for them to get off their butt. I think it is up to you if you call or not. If you do find out the show has been cast and they did not contact everyone, it would make me think twice about auditioning for them again.

If You Can Dream It I Can Create It

IP Logged

pdavis69
Celebrity

Joined: 3/26/06
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 437

Posted: 12/22/11 at 9:23am

If the director stated "everyone who auditioned will be contacted by xxxxx date" then yes you have every right to call and politely ask about the cast. A tradition at our theatre has been to state only those cast will be contacted tonight when a decision is made. It can be a rough wait, but if you do not get a call, you have not been cast.

Patrick L. Davis
Fort Findlay Playhouse

IP Logged

Majicwrench
Celebrity

Joined: 2/07/07
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 178

Posted: 12/22/11 at 4:02pm

If someone told me "everyone would be contacted" and then they didn't follow thru, darn right I would be giving them a call.

On the flip side, I have (tried) calling everyone who auditioned for shows, you end up with wrong numbers, message machines that don't work, 3 yr olds answering the phone....what a hassle.

Keith

IP Logged

edh915
Celebrity

Joined: 11/19/09
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 325

Posted: 12/22/11 at 5:23pm

By all means, contact the director and ask if the show has been cast yet - particularly since he said "everyone" would be contacted.

To be fair - he may be having difficulty getting ahold of his preferred cast. I know I don't contact secondary characters until I have my leads locked in place, because I may have to promote a secondary to primary and use someone I was not going to cast initially to fill the secondary spot. Majicwrench is right. It can really be a chore contacting people who (you'd think) should be dying to hear from you.

Break a leg.

IP Logged

hobbyactor
Lead
Lead

Joined: 12/22/11
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 47

Posted: 12/23/11 at 7:35am

Thank you for all the replies.

At this point, I am about 99% sure that I was not cast. I have a potential conflict with rehearsals that I had already discussed with the director. He told me to go ahead and audition, but the turnout was decent so I figured he wouldn't want to take the risk with me.

There are only around 5 people that he would have to notify that were not cast. In the past, he has used email for this, and I know he has my email.

I think I will shoot him an email. I have been approached about another project and need to get a few things scheduled. It would be nice to turn the 99% into 100% before I make other commitments.

IP Logged

Directing
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Directing

Author	Message
hobbyactor Lead Joined: 12/22/11 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 47	Topic: Contacting the Director Posted: 12/22/11 at 7:36am
	Is it ever ok to contact a director after auditions? Recently I attended auditions for a local community theatre production. The director stated that everyone who auditioned would be contacted by a certain date. It is now several days past the specified date and there has been no word.

	IP Logged

ZFix2000 Walk-On Joined: 5/26/11 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 7	Posted: 12/22/11 at 7:51am
	Unfortunately quite a few directors and theatres are very lax in their letting everyone know audition results if you are not cast. I feel it is very rude and unacceptable behavior from people who want you to give your all if you are cast.Then they get offended if you accept another offer while waiting for them to get off their butt. I think it is up to you if you call or not. If you do find out the show has been cast and they did not contact everyone, it would make me think twice about auditioning for them again.
	If You Can Dream It I Can Create It
	IP Logged

pdavis69 Celebrity Joined: 3/26/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 437	Posted: 12/22/11 at 9:23am
	If the director stated "everyone who auditioned will be contacted by xxxxx date" then yes you have every right to call and politely ask about the cast. A tradition at our theatre has been to state only those cast will be contacted tonight when a decision is made. It can be a rough wait, but if you do not get a call, you have not been cast.
	Patrick L. Davis Fort Findlay Playhouse
	IP Logged

Majicwrench Celebrity Joined: 2/07/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 178	Posted: 12/22/11 at 4:02pm
	If someone told me "everyone would be contacted" and then they didn't follow thru, darn right I would be giving them a call. On the flip side, I have (tried) calling everyone who auditioned for shows, you end up with wrong numbers, message machines that don't work, 3 yr olds answering the phone....what a hassle. Keith
	IP Logged

edh915 Celebrity Joined: 11/19/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 325	Posted: 12/22/11 at 5:23pm
	By all means, contact the director and ask if the show has been cast yet - particularly since he said "everyone" would be contacted. To be fair - he may be having difficulty getting ahold of his preferred cast. I know I don't contact secondary characters until I have my leads locked in place, because I may have to promote a secondary to primary and use someone I was not going to cast initially to fill the secondary spot. Majicwrench is right. It can really be a chore contacting people who (you'd think) should be dying to hear from you. Break a leg.
	IP Logged

hobbyactor Lead Joined: 12/22/11 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 47	Posted: 12/23/11 at 7:35am
	Thank you for all the replies. At this point, I am about 99% sure that I was not cast. I have a potential conflict with rehearsals that I had already discussed with the director. He told me to go ahead and audition, but the turnout was decent so I figured he wouldn't want to take the risk with me. There are only around 5 people that he would have to notify that were not cast. In the past, he has used email for this, and I know he has my email. I think I will shoot him an email. I have been approached about another project and need to get a few things scheduled. It would be nice to turn the 99% into 100% before I make other commitments.
	IP Logged