Acting as a Business by Brian O'Neil

Author:Brian O'Neil
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-11-13T16:00:00+00:00

6

What’s Going On? Who’s Casting What?

Theater and Film

THEATER

Whether working in conjunction with an agent or not, it is of utmost importance to be aware of what is going on, and to know who will be doing what—as far in advance of the casting process as possible. One of the most common and unfortunate situations actors find themselves in is learning crucial casting information too late. Often, an actor will lament that had he been aware that a casting director who knows him, or a director with whom he had once worked, was casting a production, he would have been able to secure an audition. But plays generally do not produce, cast, direct, and find theaters in which to house themselves overnight. In the theater, most of this information is made available well in advance of production. The wise actor knows well ahead of time which productions will be mounted, who will be casting them, and, as best he can, whether there are roles for which he might be suited. Such actors are rare, but they do exist. Not coincidentally, it is this same actor who is often employed, as well. In the last chapter, we met one such actor; let me tell you about another.

Recently, an actor came to see me to discuss career matters that did not include unemployment. Despite lack of representation, she had been working on Broadway for nearly ten straight years without interruption—another rarity. In the course of our meeting, I asked her if she was aware of the specifics of the upcoming theatrical season. She not only knew which productions were planned for both on Broadway and off, but in some cases, such as revivals of former productions, she had already read the play. Where the proposed production was based on material from another source, such as a novel, she had read the novel. If the production being planned was based on a popular film, she had rented the film, and knew if there was a role for her. In addition, she knew the names of most of the casting directors who had been hired to cast these productions and the approximate start dates. It was easy to see why she had not seen the unemployment line in nearly a decade.

Even for the student, or beginning actor, who may not yet feel ready to compete at this level, I recommend developing this habit of long-range awareness in the earliest stages of one’s career. I would not expect an actor to know from the start all that will be happening in the theater, well in advance. It is a habit one must work to develop so that it becomes second nature. Then it’s easy. However, if it feels like too much homework and research to trouble yourself with, remember the actors in the above story and at the end of the last chapter. They are the stuff your real competition is made of!

How did the actor on the previous page know so much so far in

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