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.

Years ago our theatre was doing a production of Quilters and it was pre cast. Fortunately it wasn't a show that many of us were passionate about, but it was the infuriating "sham" aspect that was annoying. During the auditions the one director said something and the other replied with "no because Heather will be doing that part" a few of us just looked at each other and fortunately found it more absurdly amusing than anything else.

As a director I may have ideas of who I hope auditions for a show, but I will not cast a show until auditions are finished.

I agree with BD, I don't call those who don't make it. We post it on our doors and on our website and it usually appears fairly soon in our local paper.

Barb, I don't think that B-M-D's last comment was directed towards you, but rather to k8tt's original post...

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?

Thanks Kathy S for clarifying my statement you were 110% right, I was commenting on the original post.

As for POB's scenario it's an interesting proposition.   I wouldn't define any of those situations as pre-casting.   I certainly wouldn't recommend passing on Judi Dench if she showed up to audition but hey that's your prerogative as director.     I think that for each production and actor for that matter the director's parameters may be different. I think it's unrealistic and a bit naive to think that a director may not have a preference for certain actors or not be more reluctant to cast someone that they've never worked with before or seen.   You can only go with what you know and if that means relying on more than just the audition and resume I have no problem with that.

Pre-casting? If handled correctly (meaning you put in all the notices that "the role of X has been cast") it's not necessarily a bad thing. It's bad when they don't announce it, have you audition, read lines, learn part of a dance and then later you find out the role(s) you wanted was/were never available. Of course, the last is a hypothetical for me.

I'm one of those types who try to do my best at auditions and take pretty much anything. If I really like the show, I'll even work crew just to be involved. There was one show that I auditioned for, along with a friend who seemed ideal for this one role. His audition was amazing, the director was impressed. The guy who got cast? Didn't audition as well. I was in the show, though - the actor really fit for the director's idea of the part. (Heck, lots of times I'll go see a show I didn't get a part in just to see who the director *did* cast - it gives me a better idea of what they might look for in future shows.)

Now, as to calling those of us who didn't get cast - well, it's nice. I don't expect it to be the director (unless I got cast). At least one of the theaters has the producer call - sometimes they'll recommend that I audition for another show (which is how I ended up in "On The 20th Century" - an awesome show!). And it's always easy for me to either remind them or ask them if I can help out backstage for the show. Of course, I love to sew and paint, so, there you go...

Just wanted to add in my two cents.

-Cd

P.S. After my last audition, I actually had a friend on the casting committee. She was able to tell me that a) my second monologue wasn't a good choice and, b) I wasn't the physical type that the director wanted for the role. Both things I can work on - thanks to some honest feedback!