During try outs how much does personal appearance play in your selection? For example: Two people try out for the same role and both act on the same level. One looks more like I envision the character to be, the other doesn't. So all things being equal who gets the part?

Barb

It's all pretty subjective but for the most part, if their talent is equal and if the look of the other person hasn't set me spinning on a different idea then the person that's closest to what I envision will usually win the role.

Please forgive me for saying so - since I am a newbie on this forum (although certainly not a newbie at theater) - but I NEVER pre-suppose who is going to show up, what they look like (costumed or not), and talent-wise, if all things are equal - I agree with CastMe in that I go with what I had envisioned the character to be.  If it's a familiar character type - namely ethnicity, size or other traits, I naturally will lean toward the actor that "fits the role" as long as all other things are equal.  I don't worry about difficult actors (but I always have contingency plans) and one who might have been difficult to work with for one director....well hasn't met me yet.  Part of the job of the director is to do whatever it takes to put out a quality product in the end using those he or she chooses to work with, taking into account that the job usually means that you might end up getting a difficult actor or actress.  As long as THEY can put out like I want them to, I can deal with egos and attitudes (which I pretty much can take care of from the outset as well).  I really don't worry that an actor or actress comes to auditions "looking the part".  As long as they show me what I need to see in their auditions, then I simply have to make the choices which I believe are best for the production.

MOST of the time, in reasonably tight theater communities, many people know each other or will have worked with each other enough - including working for me as a director OR fellow-actor in shows - so the choices are a little easier to make.  I've been heavily involved in my community for a solid 20 years or more and I know most of the actors in town - or a lot of them...enough that I can make choices knowing their work from other things.  But for auditions, I remain as OPEN as I possibly can be - because you never know who is going to show up and blow you totally out of the water and be someone who you didn't know, didn't expect or didn't even consider as a possiblity.  I've had that happen numerous times - much to my delight and it makes the job ever so much easier.

Good luck

TonyDi

When I cast my play that I did back in July, I very much depended on physical appearance because the play was about a family- mom- dad and 3 kids.  The casting went so well that after the show I actually had people asking me if the cast were related.  Some of them still wouldn't believe it.  Both the 'mom & dad' had dark hair and 2 of the three kids had dark hair as well. The third child was a cute as a button blonde.  Also, the cast bonded so well  and picked up so many of each other's mannersisms that my own son- who ran lights- and knew the cast was not related said to me- I know they're not related but you woulnd't know by watching them in this play.

I go with the one who, it seems to me, made the effort to convey the character.  It shows preparation and an awareness of who the character is and what the play is about.  I have never been impressed by "actors" who come to auditions and have no idea of what the play is about.  Dress also often reflects things about the nature of the person auditioning.  I have rarely seen people who are sloppy in personal habits not be sloppy with other things.   There are always exceptions, true, but more often than not appearance is revealing.