POB,

Well thank you for your response and apology.  I too, must apologize for my rant.  Sorry about that.  Long winded too - part of who I am.  I understand that things I might have said may have appeared to be reactionary.  If you want, go read the other post on the ACTING link and you may understand a bit more who I was dealing with (a tempermental, arrogant actor who was a problem case from the outset albeit after auditions).  Who knew??  So let's just not get off on the wrong foot and I'll contain myself as much as possible.  I'm a hot-headed Italian and it's a fault being so outspoken, to the point, and abrupt.  But I am too old to waste too much time (don't have that much left  so I have no time for attitudes from actors who I work with or anyone else).  Believe me when I say, I DO NOT have attitude.  I have FOUGHT THAT TOOTH AND NAIL like a pitbull, for the last nearly 50 freaking years from those who exhibited that.  I may come off that way to some.  But I assure you I am not. 

Anyway, I will accept your apology and trust you will accept mine.  Now we can move ahead and I HOPE that I can contribute something to the group.  I AM NOT the last word believe me.  But as I said (no brag, just fact) I HAVE been doing this almost 50 years in one form or the other.  NOT that THAT counts for anything.  I am aware it does not.  But if I CAN be of assistance I trust people will accept it in the spirit of good will, good sense, relatively good experience, time and age/wisdom (if it's even really wise at all).

THANKS FOR YOUR REMARKS.

TonyDi

Y'all keep this and we'll have to extend Happy Hour... which, come to think of it, isn't a bad idea.

But I'll tell you guys one thing; I'm learning a heckuva a lot!

Be my guest.  I stole it from John Cleese in Fawlty Towers. 

Late to the party, but what's new... Put my vote down for the don't call side.... I have been on both sides of the fence, and don't know how on earth I would handle the rejection call, let alone coming up with the enrgy and stamina to handle calling a huge rejection list as director. It is hard enough when an actor wants to quible about the role they were offered or the one they thought they should get.  Multiply that by a large cast shows reject list, yikes...  As others have said, I respect those of you who will take this high road approach, but as for me, I have always gone with (and perfer to have those I try out for do the same) "We will call you by xxxx if cast. Otherwise, thanks for trying out" approach.  I personally, add a something that use to be standard in our theater, but has gone into disuse.  I like to send a little note card.  In it I thank them again for coming out and encourage them to try out again.

Not right, not wrong... Just one more opinion.....

What a great idea.....putting the cast list on your or the theatre's answering machine!  I blush that I had never thought of that.

Also great is putting it on your website, but a lot of our webmasters just aren't able to post it as promptly as would be desirable.

My pet peeve is posting the cast list on the theatre door (and, I hasten to point out, I do not include school, university, etc. theatres in this as their auditioners have easy access to the list).  In our area, many of us work at several theatres, and several drive great distances to get to them (I recently worked with a woman that drove 1 1/2 hours ONE WAY to get to rehearsals).  It is outrageous to expect someone to drive all that way just to see if they are cast when a short and simple phone call would be considerate and benefit the theatre's outreach and PR.  Another friend was just recently cast in a show 45 minutes from her house.  When she asked the director if he could possibly call her because of the distance involved, his response was "we don't do that here".

I am firmly in favor of the "we'll call you by 11:00 tonight if you are cast; if not, thank you for auditioning and please come back again" school of thought.  I also think it's imperative to write a little thank you note to those not cast thanking them for their time and interest, and inviting them to help out in a tech area and come back to audition for the next show.