Casting

Let me begin with a confession - I love to audition! Absolutely LOVE it! Okay, I don't love auditioning for musicals. Too much work. I've gotten myself in trouble over the years because I frankly will audition for shows that I really don't want to do. One of my best roles ever, Dr. Miranda in Death and the Maiden, was handed to me after I accompanied a friend to auditions for support, and couldn't resist putting my name in the hat. Because I had to commute to Arlington, MA to rehearse and perform, I tried to talk my way out of it (seriously), but eventually took it.

Here's the truth about auditions: You are only acting for yourself. Remember, you have no idea how many factors go into a director's casting decisions. You can give the greatest audition in theatrical history and not get the part because, simply, no one else matches up with you. Maybe the director has too many people in the cast with the same color hair, or the same height, or needs them all the same height. Look, you can't control anything at auditions except your own performance when the bell rings. If you love acting, then you should love auditioning; because the only one you can assure yourself of pleasing is yourself.

And that brings me to casting. As a director, I have so many things to consider when I'm assembling a cast that I need a very precise method of keeping track of everybody. I take few, simple notes which get reviewed in private many times over. Most importantly, I watch the actors auditioning for certain signs that they are going to fit my scheme.

1. Do they demonstrate instincts?

Everybody can have a bad audition, for a variety of reasons. So, I watch for instinctive moves as they audition. Did they gesture with an upstage hand? Did they punctuate a movement or a line somehow? Did they make eye contact? Did they play to me, as their principle audience? I may read with an actor, in an attempt to regard them as a fellow actor would. It works.

     2. Did they surprise me?

There's nothing that I'd like to see more than an actor make a choice which I wasn't expecting. That shows imagination, and I can always work with someone who is imaginative.

    3. Are they fearless?

I remember the first time I was cast. My director told me that I wasn't afraid to look foolish. Actors can't be hesitant about how they seem to others. Ever.

    4. Are they respectful of the process, and of others?

Don't give me excuses, attitude, or complain. There are always others who want that role.


The Cast of Harvey:
Elwood: Chris Demers
Veta: Valerie Jean Kerr
Myrtle May: Nikki Akrabof
Mrs. Chauvenet: Debra Buckley
Nurse Kelly: Jessi Cole
Duane Wilson: Mark Landry
Dr. Sanderson: David Afflick
Dr. Chumley: Erik Hodges
Betty Chumley: Mary Case
Judge Gaffney: Roger Albright
EJ Lofgren: Jon Doherty