I am just venting a bit about a farce of an audition last night.  I agreed to Stage Manage our CT's next play even though I had not met the Director yet (this woman has never directed for our CT before).  Her "open" audition was a sham.  She had already picked actors for the three major roles - all people she had directed in the same play many, many years ago.  ALL three of these actors look too old now for these roles (I guess that's what makeup is for...*meow* ).  There were many good (better) actors present at the auditions who were very interested in the lead roles and who were frustrated that they were not even asked to read!

I should have realized that our Artistic Director was planning this when she insisted that we do this play.  SHE got the lead role!

And I was assigned the task of phoning everyone and telling them they didn't get a part.  I have to now soothe lots of ruffled feathers.

*big sigh*

I just cast The Curious Savage and was accused of pre-casting because I gave the lead roles to two new people. Go figure! Two people who have been the lead in every other play (we have only done 3 so far) wanted the lead again and I was so impressed with two new actors that they got the roles that the other actress wanted (Mrs. Savage and Fairy Mae). I gave the role of the stepdaughter Lily Belle to the previous star and she was so upset that she said she wouldn't be in the play, but I talked her in to being a team player.

Yes, I make my calls too and hate that part of directing. I am threatening to just post the cast and take off for a month so no one can cry. Oh, yes, one gal cried and cried because she wasn't cast. God help me!

Normally I'd say that most directors have good idea of who they might want in a show.   Some people might call that pre-casting but any director that doesn't have an idea who might be appropriate going into it hasn't done their homework.   However, from what you describe I'd say you have about as tight case of pre-casting that I've heard of.   My condolances to you.

One thing that we never do at my CT is call the folks that didn't get cast.  We post the cast list on a phone line and on our web site after the actors have accepted the roles.   Phoning the people that didn't get cast is just too painfull for both parties.  Invariably someone will always ask why they weren't cast.   And there can be any number of reasons, none of which usually satisfies anyone.

Originally posted by B-M-D  However, from what you describe I'd say you have about as tight case of pre-casting that I've heard of.   My condolances to you.

I beg your pardon. The new people that read were brand new. I had no idea they were even trying out so how could I pre cast?  But they were good and I am happy with the casting.  Maybe we do our casting differently than you. We post a notice for a time and place and anyone is invited to show up. They don't have to make an appointment. Each year we have had new people show up and that is delightful. Some are good and others aren't but I like the freshness of the way we do it.

This is a recurring issue here, and just to stir the pot a bit . . . .

What do you consider pre-casting?  Where is the line?

Suppose I'm doing Hedda Gabler.  (I am doing Hedda Gabler, but not as a director; I'm playing Judge Brack.  End of plug.)  Two ladies come in to audition for the role of Hedda:  let's call them Barb and K8tt.  (This is all a hypothetical; I don't know either of them in real life.)  Now Barb does a fine audition, reads well, doesn't trip over the furniture.  But K8tt stumbles over every other word, never looks up from her book, and almost falls into the orchestra pit twice.

And I proceed to cast K8tt.

The reason I do this is, I have worked with k8tt (in our hypothetical world) ten times before, and I know she's just one of those people who audition badly.  Maybe she has a little reading problem, maybe she just chokes at auditions; I don't know why.  But I know she's given knock-'em-on-their-tushies performances every single time. 

Barb, however, I've never met.  What I just saw might be as good as she gets.  Maybe she can't learn lines.  Maybe she sets fire to puppies for fun.  The point is, I just don't know.

Now, is this precasting?  Is it permissible?

What if I know Barb, and I know she can't learn lines, and sets fire to puppies?   Is it precasting now?

Or is it only precasting if I won't ever change my mind, no matter if Judi Dench shows up to audition?

Where is the line?