Casting

Musical revues are a great choice for a school production. There is no limit on how many students you can cast, you can tailor the casting of the show to fit the skills and talents of the students involved, and unless you choose a revue with strict casting requirements (for example, Shout! The Mod Musical is specifically written for an all-female cast), you aren’t bound by gender identity, race, sexual orientation, or age when casting the show. Let’s take a look at some tips for casting your musical revue. As a reminder, a musical revue is a style of musical theatre that combines singing, dancing, music, and sketches. The material included in a musical revue focuses on a particular theme. Some musical revues feature a single musical artist (such as A Grand Night for Singing, which features the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein, or Putting It Together, featuring the music of Stephen Sondheim) while others include pieces by many different artists. Some musical revues have a loose storyline but the overall theme is the main focus. Some examples of musical revues include Edges, Songs for a New World, The Theory of Relativity, Working, Side by Side by Sondheim, Red Hot and Cole, The No Frills Revue, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Beehive: The 60’s Musical, Monty Python’s Edukational Show, Forbidden Broadway, MTI’s Broadway Junior Revue: Pure Imagination and MTI’s Broadway Junior Revue: Raise Your Voice, A Pocketful of Rhymes, Jerry’s Girls, and Smokey Joe’s Café. Some musical revues require a specific number of performers while others are more flexible and allow for creativity when including more performers, adding an ensemble, and assigning songs to different performers. Always be sure to check with the licencing company to ensure that your ideas for your musical revue do not conflict with the requirements of the show as set out by the rights holders. If you are producing a musical revue that allows flexibility for casting, you could include every student who auditions, even students who aren’t the strongest singers. Many musical revues feature scenes or monologues between songs, and you can feature your stronger actors in those sections. Similarly, your students who love movement and dance can be featured as dancers in certain numbers. Shy or inexperienced drama students might only want to be in a couple of numbers or just in full-cast numbers, and that’s fine too — musical revues are a great way for them to dip their toe into the performing pool. During the audition process, create a spreadsheet with each student’s name in the first column, as well as a column each for “acting,” “singing,” and “dancing.” You can use this spreadsheet for a variety of purposes. You could rate their skill level in each area as displayed in the audition (3 for a highly skilled student, 1 for a less skilled student), have students give themselves a rating, or use it to indicate whether the student prefers acting, singing, or dancing. In the latter option, 1 indicates first choice, 2 indicates second choice, and 3 represents third choice. For example:

Every production requires the right blend of individuals to help tell the story. As theatre teachers, the challenge is finding these individuals and matching them to the parts that will best bring your production to life. So how do we ensure the casting process is successful for both your students and your show? So we went straight to the source to get the inside scoop from those who’ve been there: drama teachers. We asked: What is your best piece of casting advice for fellow directors? Kindness countsBe positive and encouraging throughout the process. Some students are terrified. (Christa) BE KIND. Your community theatre production or high school play is not Broadway, so give it a rest. Your job is to nurture, teach, and inspire a love of theatre. (Rebecca) Remind everyone who auditions that they did a great job; even if they do not get a part they will feel better and try again. (MMS) Create an inclusive audition environment that feels like a workshop — a shared experience rather than a competition. Community is built and there is more support for those who get cast from those who didn’t. (Christa) Talent isn’t everythingWork ethic > talent. All day, every day. (Amanda) Attendance matters. Don’t cast someone in an important role who is absent a lot. (Kelly) Cast commitment over talent every time. (Trevor) Personality and character over talent! Always ask yourself, “Do I want to work with this person?” (Skee) Take a chance on talented, hardworking people even if you don’t initially see how their type can fit the role. If they can sing the part, are dedicated, qualified and reliable give them a shot — especially if that’s what you say you value. You can cast a taller sibling to be the young one, grandparents don’t need to look like their grandchildren, etc. (Jordan) Go with your gutAbsolutely go with your gut. If something feels off, don’t cast them out of pity or obligation. Cast what your show really needs. (Beth) Trust your instincts. Don’t be afraid to cast against type. (Matt) Create the callback list with your head, the cast list with your gut. (Dan) Craft the play you’d want to be in the audience for. Trust your sensibilities. (Shannon) Cast the best person for the partSometimes your show needs that student and sometimes your student needs that show. I’m all about making amazing theatre, but I’m also about creating community, learning, and encouraging amazing human beings and sometimes that looks like casting someone who isn’t quite right or might take a bit more work. (Brittany) Type can be important and is part of the story-telling, but as the great Artistic Director of the American Conservatory Theatre said, “When faced with a choice between the right type and the right talent, go with the talent.” To augment that, especially in educational or community theatre where your talent pool is limited, it’s important to put the right personality in the right role. A student actor might not be gifted, but if their own personality will illuminate a role, then they will be a success in it. (Michael) Don’t cast based on how long someone has been in the program. Cast the best person. (CJK) Don’t let parents bully you! If a 6th grader is better for a role than an 8th grader, don’t let their age hold you back from casting them. (Rebecca) Don’t be afraid to take risks. Cast against type if an actor is really best for a role. You will likely be pleasantly surprised. (Kim) Give newcomers a chance at acting. And don’t get hung up on the physical appearance of the actor. If the spirit of the character comes through, that’s your person. (Jeannette) To callback or not to callback…Do not have callbacks unless absolutely necessary. Do good tryouts and you should know what you have. Callbacks just hurt kids more. (Jared) HOLD CALLBACKS. Look for chemistry between scene partners. I call it “SIZZLE,” that certain something that pops off and makes you want to see more. (Lara) Do what you say & say what you doIf you say you don’t precast, don’t. Kids will see right through it. (Sean) Whatever you say you’re going to do after auditions, follow through and do it. It is only your reputation. People tend to remember things like that. (Jim) No matter what, someone’s feelings are going to get hurt. You can acknowledge that at auditions with the students; let them know you’re aware of their feelings and casting is not easy, but that it’s your responsibility to place students in the positions where they can learn most and most succeed. (John) Keep it fairCast with a casting team. It helps you when parents accuse you of favoritism or whatever. (Christi) Communicate the cast listEmail the cast list to those who auditioned and BCC their email addresses. This way the students can choose the environment where they read it and react accordingly. They can choose to be with friends or by themselves. Also, email the list after school. If it is sent before or during school, the results could distract them in other classes. This way it gives them the night to think about it and process in their own ways, again, without having to be in public if they choose. (Tim) Post on Friday afternoon. It gives them (and you) time to reflect and recover. Ask for an indication from them that they “accept” (either initial the cast list or e-mail). Emotions tend to abate over the weekend (especially THAT parent!). (Chad) Post the cast list at the end of the day (preferably on a Friday), and leave the area immediately. (Karla) Always “sleep on it” at least one night before posting the cast list. (Christa) A few final suggestionsI always ask each student for their top three choices of characters they would like to play. It’s not always the lead parts you think they’d actually want. Makes it easier. Everyone got one of their top three. (Angela) Look for the heart of the character. You can teach the rest (accents, style, etc.). (Holly) Always leave room for a surprise. (Gary) Be patient. Don’t rush the process. If you need another day, take it! (Carolyn) Want more information on the casting process?We’ve got you covered! • How to deal: Not getting the part you wanted • How do you cast school plays? • Thoughts on gender and casting • Putting on a class production: Casting • Pros and cons of double-casting • Casting challenge: Not enough actors! • Casting challenge: Too many actors!

Casting a show, or even a class reading, is a tricky business. It takes care and thought to find just the right person to fill each role. As the song “I Hope I Get It” from A Chorus Line says, “How many people does he need? How many boys, how many girls?” Gender is a major consideration when casting a show, but there is more to think about than just the number of roles available. How can teachers promote inclusivity and create new and interesting acting opportunities for students through their casting choices? 1. Start a discussion with your students about their thoughts on gender and casting.When studying plays in class, discuss with your students why a playwright may have indicated that a certain role must be a certain gender. Does it affect the story? Do the characters in the show portray “traditional” gender roles or stereotypes? Is the show a product of the time period in which it was written? How would an actor feel to play a role of a different gender? How would it affect the play if a person of a different gender played a particular role? Go beyond “Well, the playwright wrote it that way.” Does it matter? In some shows, yes, gender does matter. In others, it doesn’t. Why? Do a “dream cast” with famous performers for the play you’re currently studying. Challenge your students to think beyond gender for interesting casting choices. Could Ezra Miller play Juliet? What about The Rock as Heather Chandler? How about Lupita Nyong’o as Prince Charming? Do your students have roles that they themselves would love to play, regardless of the traditional gender casting of the role? 2. Select plays/musicals with gender-neutral or gender-flexible casting opportunities.Choose plays to read as a class or for production in which any student can play any role, regardless of gender identity. Theatrefolk has tons of options for plays with gender-flexible roles. Open your world up to interesting casting choices and acting challenges for your students! Try having students of different genders read the same monologue. How do different students’ genders affect the portrayal of the character, if they do at all? How do others students in the class receive the portrayal? This can be difficult, as students may be considering and refining their definition of gender. What thoughts, concerns, or stereotypes immediately come to students’ minds? 3. Consider gender-expansive casting in your shows.It’s common to see “cross-gender” casting in school theatre productions. How many of your female students have had to dress as boys and play male roles before? Probably most of them, at some point in their theatrical lives. (It’s pretty rare for a male student to play a female role, unless it’s one that is played in drag.) But where possible, try to cast roles with students of different genders, if they are well suited to the role. Consider whether the student will play the role as the gender it’s written for, or as the gender of the student. I once saw a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Stratford Festival in which the role of Lysander was played by a woman, as a woman. This meant that Helena and Lysander ended up together in the end as a same-sex couple, and it worked just fine. It’s much easier to do gender-expansive casting in a show that is public domain, such as Shakespeare’s catalogue of plays. If you have chosen a show that requires rights to be paid, please be aware that the playwright must approve script changes, which includes gender-expansive casting of roles that are written to be a specific gender. As well, some students may be unsure about non-traditional casting choices. You may want to include an audition questionnaire that touches on gender-expansive casting opportunities and whether your students are comfortable playing a role of a different gender. 4. Look beyond the binary.Gender stereotypes can be deeply ingrained in us, even if we believe ourselves to be open-minded and up-to-speed on gender identity. There’s more than simply “cross-gender” casting. Don’t forget that roles can be played as and by students who are genderfluid, transgender, cisgender, agender, non-binary, or genderqueer. Look beyond the male/female binary and be thoughtful and inclusive in your casting choices. Let “Who is the best student to play this role?” be your casting criterion. Check out our post, Pronouns in the Drama Classroom, for more about this topic.

**This is the third part of a five part class production series. Check out Part 1: What to Produce? and Part 2: Who Does What?. Things are moving along well with your class production. You’ve decided what exactly your production will be, and you’re in the process of figuring out who will do what in terms of offstage roles. Now it’s time to think about what role(s) your students will perform onstage. Every production needs some sort of performance aspect, of course, and your students will be eager to get their production cast and start working on their roles. The first thing that comes to mind when casting a production is holding auditions. Students prepare a piece (usually a monologue that is similar in nature to the show you are producing, as well as an appropriate song if the show is a musical) and present it to the audition panel – the director and stage manager, as well as any other appropriate staff (musical director, choreographer, producer, etc.). Consider whether you want to hold open or closed auditions. Closed auditions are when students audition privately for the audition panel, one after another in a separate room from the rest of the class. Open auditions are when the full class is present in the room while each student presents their audition. There are advantages to both methods. Open auditions are very transparent. Students can see who is well prepared and confident, and it gives them the chance to prove that they can perform under pressure. Open auditions also give you the opportunity to see how students support each other and how they behave when they aren’t the immediate focus of your attention. Closed auditions help students feel less nervous because they are only performing for a small group of people. They may reduce stress for students who are worried about making a mistake or looking silly in front of their peers. However, there are some other methods of casting to consider. For example, cold reading (or “sight reading”) is where actors read aloud from a script, scene, or text with little to no preparation. You can read about the pros and cons of cold reading here, and help your students practice cold reading using this exercise. Cold reading is a great way for students to show what they’re capable of without the pressure of having to select and prepare a monologue. An interesting exercise you may also want to try with your class is “dream casting.” Either individually or in small groups, students take a copy of the dramatis personae (character list) and cast their classmates into the role(s) they think their peers would be best suited for, using their knowledge of their classmates’ skills and abilities. They write the name of the student next to the role. It’s important for your students to consider their choices critically and not simply cast their friends into the “best” roles. Prior to “dream casting,” you may want to have your students include a pitch to the class of what role(s) they think they would be best suited to, or what role(s) they’d most like to play, and why. You can then take the sheets, compile the information, and cast the show using the choices that the students made. Alternatively, you may want to ask the full class to come to a consensus about casting the roles. This is easiest with a smaller class, but no matter what size class you have, it can be an interesting challenge. Some topics to discuss with your class on the topic of dream casting include: • What criteria do you consider when suggesting certain students for certain roles? • How can students make suggestions for casting in a thoughtful and tactful manner? • Is it possible to cast a show in an unbiased way? • If there is a disagreement regarding casting, how do you overcome the disagreement? (I have colleagues who have experienced this – the director wants to cast a certain student while the musical director and/or choreographer want to cast someone else.) • What other challenges may arise when trying to cast a show? For example, what if you have too many actors or not enough actors?

One of the most common activities that occurs during a first drama class or rehearsal is some form of a “Get to Know You” game. Starting with games is not just a nice break for students who may have been sitting still and silent in other classes, but it’s a great way for them to learn each other’s’ names through “play” (yes, the double meaning was totally intended!). While many games may seem simple or silly, they are a good way to gauge your students’ abilities and willingness to participate. Are they eager to jump up and get involved, or do they hang back? Why? Do they participate in some games but not others? Again, why? These observations can help teachers adjust and personalize lessons to fit students’ personalities and skills, or else challenge students and push them out of their comfort zones. Here are three simple “get to know you” games to try at your next class or rehearsal. You can also use these as warmup games. At the end of the post, check out the link to a student reflection , about games and using them in the classroom. Game 1: “ABC Name Game”This is a simple game—introduce yourself in your “loud actor’s voice,” then add something you like that starts with the same letter of your first name. For example: “My name is Kerry, and I like koalas!” Then the person next to you introduces themselves and what they like, and then re-introduces you. “My name is Sarah, and I like soccer… and this is Kerry, and she likes koalas.” You can either continue on, introducing one person at a time, or (for a big challenge) have the students keep repeating every single name and like until the poor person at the end has to repeat everyone’s name! A fun alternative to this game that will get your students moving is the “Action Name Game.” Play the name game and add a gesture, pose, or action. Each person must repeat the names and actions, which will create a crazy dance by the end of the line! Game 2: “Move Yer Butt”This is a fun, active game to get the students up and running around! It’s kind of like non-musical Musical Chairs. Everyone sits on a chair arranged in a circle, except for one person in the middle. Their goal is to get a seat! The student in the middle of the circle will call out “Move Yer Butt if…” and add a situation or characteristic that they have. For example: “Move Yer Butt if you have brown eyes!” Then anyone in the circle who has brown eyes must get up and switch seats with another person in the circle, while the person in the centre tries to steal a chair. Whoever is left without a seat comes up with the next “Move Yer Butt” topic. Examples of situations and characteristics could include eye/hair colour, items of clothing worn, places you’ve travelled to, age/grade level, or things you like or dislike (foods, music, movies, etc.). Game 3: “Mixer”This is a super-easy game that gets students moving and laughing. Students move around the room in various ways, depending on what the teacher calls out. For example: walking, hopping, jumping, sneaking, creeping, skipping, sliding, etc. The possibilities go on and on. At various times, the teacher will call out a random number and body part, like “four elbows,” “six toes,” or “three pinkies.” The students must quickly get in groups of whatever number was called and attach the named body part together! If there are people left over, they are “out.” For a more competitive game, those players who are “out” are eliminated. For a more cooperative game, have those who are “out” help the teacher pick the next way of moving or the number of body parts. Variation This variation encourages conversation. When students get into their “four elbows” groups, they must share the number of facts about themselves as the number of people in the group (i.e. three group members, three facts), or find that many things in common with each other (i.e. four group members, four similar traits among students). Hope these games help with your next class!

Teachers: Not getting the part you want can be devastating! If you have a student who is unhappy with their casting result, here is a frank and honest list that you can share with your students. It is aimed at helping them deal with their feelings and the situation. Check out the casting reflection link at the bottom of the post. Students, imagine this: Your teacher announces that the upcoming school production is your absolute favourite show in the world. You are psyched! You sign up for an audition slot with your heart set on playing “that” role–your dream role. You’ve picked the perfect monologue and practiced it forwards, backwards, and sideways. You’ve read the entire script, memorized the vocal score, and watched the film version. You go into the audition and absolutely blow the audition panel away with your effort and enthusiasm. Then, the cast list is posted. You scan the list–and there is your name! You’ve been offered the part of…the paperboy. Or the maid. Or Pirate #6. Either way, it’s not the role you had your heart set on. What do you do now? It can be really hard to not get the part you want. Being an actor truly takes having a thick skin. What can you do to deal with this situation? Try not to take the casting choice personally. There are a myriad of reasons why a certain student is cast into a certain role, and you weren’t. Another student may have more experience than you, or perhaps they had a stronger audition. Perhaps they are older and have taken more drama classes, or their vocal range fits the character better. No matter what the reason though, I can guarantee the reason is not because your teacher thinks you’re a bad actor or a bad person! Your teacher clearly saw something in you that they liked, because you got a role. But sometimes we can get a bit of tunnel vision–we may think that we are the best choice for a certain role, but that doesn’t necessarily fit with the director’s vision. Decide if you want to take the role or not. Here is an idea that some students don’t think about–if the show is an extracurricular event and not part of a mandatory classroom assignment, you don’t have to take the role. You aren’t being forced to participate. Sometimes framing it in a different light can help you make a tough decision. Say no to the role. If it’s truly your dream show though, then really it shouldn’t matter what role you’re playing–you get to be in the show! If you’re genuinely unhappy that you did not get the role you wanted and have the choice to not participate, then be professional. Quickly make the decision to not accept the role. Let your teacher know right away, so the role can be re-cast. Ask the director what you could improve on for next time. It’s not always easy to hear, but getting feedback from your teacher can be useful. Perhaps they were looking for someone with a higher vocal range, or wanted to cast a senior actor in the role. Perhaps you weren’t speaking loudly enough in your audition, or the monologue you chose wasn’t actually the best selection for this show. This information can help you improve your performance for your next audition, and give you insight into what you can work on during the rehearsal process for this show. Bonus Tip: Make sure YOU ask for feedback from your teacher, rather than getting your parents to ask you. Your teacher will appreciate that you took on the responsibility of learning and improving your own performance. Consider your mindset. The way I see it, if you decide to stick with the show, you have two mental paths you can take. If you’re bitter and resentful because you didn’t get the role you wanted, then you’re just wasting your and everyone else’s time in the show. It won’t be a positive experience for anyone. You might even earn a bad reputation with the teacher and rest of the cast for making the rehearsal process unpleasant. But…if you accept the role you’ve been cast in and make the best of it, there are so many positives you’ll receive. You still get to be in your dream show. You can take this experience as a learning opportunity and remember why you love to do theatre. You’ll learn new skills and acting techniques that will make you a better performer and help you throughout your theatrical life. You’ll grow your theatre resume. You’ll make new friends and great memories throughout the rehearsal process. What choice would you make? Try, try again. If you truly love theatre and performing, stick with the show. Keep auditioning and participating in future productions. No matter what role you’re cast in, every show is a new chance to learn and have fun. Remember that the director cast you into the show because they genuinely wanted to work with you and they thought that you would be a great part of the team. So, take that with you as a positive, and keep trying. Kerry Hishon is a director, actor, writer, and stage combatant from London, Ontario, Canada. Explore her blog at www.kerryhishon.com.

In theatrical terms, double-casting is when two actors are both cast in the same role, and take turns playing the role during alternating performances. It is different than casting an understudy. An understudy only performs when the actor in the role is away or ill. In a double-cast role, both actors are equally suited to playing the role. They share the responsibility that the role entails, while bringing their own subtle nuances to the performance. Double-casting a role can mean more work for the director, but it also has many benefits. Let’s look at some pros and cons of double-casting, which might help you when you’re casting your next production. PROSDouble-casting gives more opportunities to more students. This is the biggest advantage of double-casting: it’s a great way to give more students opportunities in a show. It essentially gives you two actors for the price of one! Rather than competing for a single leading role, having two students share the role gives them both the chance to be a lead while taking off the pressure of having to carry the show themselves. It also gives audiences a reason to come back and see the show again, so they can see both students play the role. Double-casting gives directors the opportunity to approach the show and role(s) in different ways. Every actor approaches a character differently, and double-casting gives students the opportunity to explore that. You could even go further with your students and block or choreograph scenes or numbers differently, depending on which student is playing the role! This way might be more challenging for all your actors, but it’s also a lot of fun. If an actor is sick or injured, you have a built-in understudy. I’ve actually seen this happen. In a double-cast production of The Drowsy Chaperone, one of the students cast as Kitty broke her ankle a couple of weeks before the show. It was unfortunate for that student, but as the role was double-cast, the alternate Kitty covered her performances. No muss, no fuss. Double-casting can also be a preventative measure for roles that are physically or vocally demanding. Sharing the number of performances between two student actors reduces the risk of vocal strain or injury, simply because they are not working their bodies and voices so hard for a continuous amount of time. (Aside from legal reasons regarding the amount of time child actors are allowed to perform, this is a common reason why (in professional theatre) many child roles are shared between two or more young actors. A recent example of this is the Broadway and West End productions of Matilda, which featured three to four actresses sharing the title role.) CONSEverything takes twice as long. You can teach and direct both students at the same time, but each scene will then have to be rehearsed and reviewed at least twice (so both actors have adequate time to practice). When it gets closer to showtime, you will have to schedule runs for both students. It might be advantageous to have one student play the role at tech and the other student to play the role at dress. On a similar note, unless your students are exactly the same size, you will need two of every costume. You must have an even number of performances. In a double-cast show, both students should have the same number of performances, to keep things fair. It is also important to ensure that they have an equal number of matinee and evening performances, so friends and family members have different chances to see their performance. It is also nice to be able to give one student the opening performance and the other student the closing performance, as those two performances are extra-special. If you absolutely must have an odd number of performances, I tend to err on the older student having the extra performance. If they are both in the same grade, you will probably have to draw straws or draw names out of a hat. There is a risk of comparison and/or competition. They say “comparison is the thief of joy” and that’s especially true when it comes to students. It is imperative that students who are double-cast not be compared to each other, or the one held up higher than the other. Instead, foster a sense of teamwork. Both students should work together to make character discoveries, while celebrating the nuances that make each student actor unique. Your students will not approach the same character exactly the same way. One student actor may very well be stronger or more experienced than the other. But be sure to give equal time and energy to both students, to help them grow and learn. If you have multiple double-cast roles in a production, you should come up with creative cast names that also denote equal billing. Avoid calling groups “Cast 1 and Cast 2” or “Cast A and Cast B,” as that implies one cast is better/more important than the other. When I directed The Little Mermaid with double-cast actors, our casts were called the “Sea Cast” and the “Land Cast.” A production of The Secret Garden had the “Door Cast” and “Key Cast.” This is a great opportunity to be creative with your naming systems!

Are small parts a major letdown, or are they “actor crack”? Here are 3 tips that show you and your students how to make the most of a small part. 1. Play that small part as if the character is the lead Give your character everything you’d give them if you were playing the lead: • A history, dream, focus, want. • A family tree, an ethnicity. • What’s the sickest they’ve ever been? • Give them a secret. • Are they secretly in love with someone? Another character in the show? • Are they secretly plotting to kill someone? • Are they secretly someone else besides who they say they are? • Write the monologue they would deliver if they found themselves alone onstage. • Write an outline of the play as if your character was the lead. How would the play be different? How would it be the same? • For every entrance and exit: Where are they coming from when they enter? Where are they going when they leave? • Do they want to be in the scene? Now that you have all this background work—show it. You can’t upstage the action, but you can be a part it. Even if you have one line, use that one line to bring the character to life. Even if you have no lines, use your blocking and movement to bring the character to life. 2. Give your character a specific physical presence An audience is not going to remember a character based on the content or number of lines that you say. They’re going to remember you based on the character you present. The most important thing to take away from that concept is that theatre is a visual medium. The audience is first and foremost taking in the play by what they see. They’re looking, more than listening. To that end, how much time are you putting into the physicalization of your character? What visuals are you giving the audience? You can’t upstage the action but you can make sure an audience never forgets your moment. Lindsay has never forgotten her experience of being 19 years old, with four words in a play, (Yes, Yes, Hello, Sorry) and getting applause every night. How did she do it? A big part was physicalizing the character. 3. Take inspiration from the big screen If you’re feeling down about getting that small part, take some inspiration from the big screen. Look for roles in movies where an actor ran with just a single moment. Here’s an example where Alan Cumming takes a small role with bland dialogue and acts Tom Cruise (the world’s biggest movie star) right off the screen. The bottom line is this: If you have a small part, you actually get to act. You don’t have to follow a path that’s already laid in stone in the script. There aren’t any rules, other than you can’t completely hijack the play. Don’t think of a small part as a lesser part. Think of a small part as the greatest acting challenge known to man. Are you up for it?

Our next casting challenge is the exact opposite of our last post. What happens when you have fewer actors than named parts in the script? This can be a great acting challenge for students, as it will entail some of them taking on multiple roles in the same show. But it can get quite busy and complicated trying to keep their various character tracks and costume changes straight! Here are some suggestions for casting a show with fewer actors than named roles: • Search for creative doubling opportunities. See what characters could logically be played by one person. • Look for characters who only appear in Act One vs. Act Two. • Look for characters that only appear in one scene and then don’t come back. • Combine a group of similar roles into one role. For example, if your show has a big group of servants, all the servant roles become one single “Servant.” • Reassign lines to other characters , if it can be done and still make sense. For example, I directed a show where we had three “bad guys” and one of the three actors dropped out of the show two weeks before the show opened. We weren’t able to get a replacement, so we took that actor’s lines and dispersed them between the two remaining “bad guys.” (Don’t forget–you must always get permission from the playwright before making changes to the script!) • Creative quick-changes. Can students change costumes to become another character? Oftentimes a hat or jacket can make a big difference. But even without a costume change, this is a great chance for students to focus on really changing physicalities, voices, and mannerisms between characters! Two examples of this are the musical The Toxic Avenger and the play The 39 Steps, where casts of five and four actors (respectively) play a huge multitude of parts, often in the same scene! In The Toxic Avenger, there is even a song where one actress who plays two different roles sings a duet between those two characters–at the same time! • Consider cross-gender casting. Nine times out of ten you will have more girls than boys auditioning for shows. If you have an overabundance of girls, can a female actor play any of the roles? (Be sure to decide whether or not the girl will be playing a boy role as a boy, or if the character will be changed into a female– i.e. Simon becomes Simone, etc.) ExerciseThe following exercise challenges students to cast a show using their classmates, and then forces students to figure out how to recast the show when their classmates are taken away! Have each student complete this exercise individually. 1. Select a play or musical that the class will use for the basis of this exercise. (If you are already studying a particular production in class, so much the better.) If possible, select a play or musical with approximately the same number of named roles as there are students in the class. 2. Individually, students will cast the play using the dramatis personae (character list) in the script. They will also use their knowledge of the play itself and their classmates’ skills and dramatic ability. Students should include themselves on their cast list. 3. Once students have completed their lists, the teacher will put each student’s name on a slip of paper, and put the slips into a hat. The teacher will then draw out 25% of the slips of paper. For example, for a class of 20 students, five names will be drawn. These students now cannot be cast in the show. 4. Students must go back to their lists and create a second list, recasting their show without those five students in the mix. How will they reassign roles? 5. Students will note the reasons for their recasting choices below their second list. For example: “Jamie will now play the roles of both Ms. Carling and Miss Jones, because Ms. Carling only appears in Act 1 and Miss Jones only appears in Act 2.” 6. Then, after students have recast their show with one quarter fewer actors, the teacher will draw out 25% more names (going back to our first example, in the class of 20, now only ten names will be remaining). Now these students also cannot be cast in the show. 7. Students will go back to their second list and create a third list, recasting the show with only half the number of actors they originally had. Again, they must note the reasons for the recasting below their third list. 8. Students can get as creative as they wish for doubling and ensuring all the roles are covered. Depending on which students’ names get pulled out of the hat, you may end up with too many students of one gender–perhaps “Lord Smythe” becomes “Lady Smythe,” or perhaps a girl just ends up playing a male role. Maybe one student has a scene where he performs all the characters by himself, or perhaps another student plays every single “one-off” role themselves, with a multitude of quick-changes! The students’ intended casting will end up very different than what they originally intended. But as they say, “the show must go on!” 9. Once students have completed all three lists (including creative solutions for casting challenges), they will complete a reflection and submit all four pieces for evaluation.

Having a large number of students auditioning for your school show can be a good problem to have: • You have more actors to choose from. • A bigger group means more potential learning opportunities and friendships. • And lots of actors means lots of family members and friends who’ll want to see the show–a much better chance for sold-out performances! But what happens when your school or administration states that you MUST accept every student who wants to participate in the production? Yikes! You can end up with a massive cast, and massive casts come with challenges. Huge casts can be noisy and difficult to manage. There will be more actors than named roles to go around. Some students might not feel important or useful. Other students might even feel forgotten, especially if they don’t have a named character or any lines, or if they are “just in the ensemble.” And huge cast just demands more in general–more costumes, rehearsal time, space. More everything! If you have a large number of students who want to perform in your production, here are some ideas to consider for casting and staging your show: • Choose a musical. Musicals tend to be expandable and more flexible than plays, which don’t usually have 20+ speaking roles. • Remove suggested doubling. Many shows suggest doubling of certain roles (where one actor plays more than one role). Separate them! • Add an ensemble. Townspeople, schoolchildren, event-goers, servants, backup dancers, etc. Where can you add extra people? • Within the ensemble, be sure to work with students to come up with creative characters and backstories for them. If the ensemble is a group of office workers, decide which students are secretaries, accountants, janitors, executives, and so on. If the ensemble is a group of townspeople, split groups up into families and/or by trade (seamstresses, bakers, blacksmiths, farmers, etc.). This way, students feel like they’re not just part of a giant crowd. • Make sure every ensemble member has a character name. • One interesting concept I’ve seen recently for adding extra actors to a scene was “living props/scenery.” In productions of The Drowsy Chaperone and The Addams Family, students appeared onstage as garden statues. In a production of The Little Mermaid, students held pieces of treasure in Ariel’s grotto. • Split up roles. Get creative and split up the lines. If a character has a best friend, could the lines be shared between two best friends? If there is a police officer, can you add a couple of deputies? What about an evil stepmother–can she have some stepdaughters? If the show is a musical, could some verses or choruses be sung by different people for more solos/features? (Remember–you must always get permission from the playwright before making changes to the script!) • Consider double-casting some roles or assigning understudies. Double-casting involves casting two actors in the same role and having them perform on alternate nights (look for an upcoming post about this topic). Be sure to be clear as to when each student will perform the role, and whether or not understudies are guaranteed to go on as that role. Also be sure to figure out what the alternate actor will do when they don’t go on as the role. Will they perform another character track or not appear at all during those performances? ExerciseIn an ideal world, directors have exactly the same number of actors as they have roles in the show. However, that doesn’t often happen in the real world. The following group exercise gives students the opportunity to explore this common casting challenge, then come up with ideas and creative solutions for working with a large cast. 1. Select a play or musical that the class will use for the basis of this exercise. (If you are already studying a particular production in class, so much the better.) Have students form groups of four. In their small groups, have them brainstorm answers to the following topics: • List 5 advantages of having a large cast for your show. • List 5 disadvantages of having a large cast for your show. • For this particular play, list three creative solutions for including more actors than just the named roles in the play. Note the act(s) and scene(s) and describe in detail how you’d use your actors. (See the examples above, as a starting point.) 2. Once the small groups have come up with their answers, each group will have the opportunity to present their ideas to the class. Appoint one student to be note-taker and amass a list of suggestions and creative solutions. Be sure to note when groups suggest the same idea–it might be one worth pursuing as a future class challenge project. 3. Encourage students to write down ideas that they think are particularly interesting or creative (this will help them with their reflections). 4. After the class discussion, each student will complete an individual reflection.

As part of the Playworks Program at the International Thespian festival, students have the opportunity to audition and rehearse one of the plays being workshopped. The audition day was very intense. We sat through auditions from 9:00 am straight through to 12:45 and then we have half an hour to cast the roles between five plays. Students were put in groups and performed in scenes from the individual plays with monologues, duets or trios. Over the course of the morning, we say 185 students and that doesn’t count the students we saw twice who were called back. By 11 am we were starting to feel the time crunch. Call backs were discouraged, repeat reads had to be culled down, we had to see the groups and move on if we were ever going to make sure every students got their moment. To that end, there were some students who got maybe 30 seconds to showcase themselves and their abilities. That’s it. 30 seconds. And you may say, that’s not fair. That’s not long enough. How can we make decisions based on 30 seconds of work. Well, the truth of the matter is directors really only need 10 seconds. 10 seconds is all it takes to see if: • An actor speaks with clear diction. • An actor makes a bold physical choice. • An actor knows how to stand out. • An actor has read the script or is bumbling through. • An actor can make a connection with their scene partner. And in a workshop situation, that’s what a director needs to know. Can you speak clearly? Do you make a decision with the piece or are you just reading? Are you trying to connect? And the bit about standing out? That’s how you make yourself memorable. When a director has to sit through hours and hours of auditions, it’s hard for them to keep all the faces straight. But if you do something memorable, you make the director’s job easier. And that is why 30 seconds is more than enough time to get picked out of the crowd. So the next time you audition for a play, think about how you are spending that first 30 seconds. What choices do you make? How do you stand out? Be clear, be bold, be memorable. And if a director cuts you off, never beg to say more. If you’re being cut off, more often than not it’s a time thing. Not a personal attack on your acting. The director has seen what they need to see, and rarely will seeing more change their mind. What can you do with 30 seconds?

In our travels to various conferences we’ve heard of a lot of different ways to cast school plays. Here are a few of the casting techniques we have encountered: “Traditional” auditionsSet up similarly to a professional audition. Students come in one by one with prepared material (monologue and/or song) and the director casts based on the merits of their preparation and abilities. This is how auditions worked in my high school and I never really considered that there would be any other way. Pros : You learn how committed students are by how much effort they put into their audition piece. Everyone is given an equal opportunity to shine. Cons : Some great actors are terrible at monologue auditions, and vice versa. You have to hold a round of callbacks in order to see how the students interact with each other. Newbies can be very intimidated by having to do a monologue. Group readings from the scriptEveryone interested in the play gets together and reads from the script. The director mixes and matches actors in order to find the optimal casting. Pros : Everybody gets an equal shot. Less intimidating for newbies. The whole play can be cast in one session. Cons : Can be time-intensive if a lot of people are interested. Students who have worked together before will probably read better together putting newbies at a disadvantage. Self CastingI can’t believe this one actually works, but yes, I’ve talked to directors who give the script to the students and let them cast the play on their own! Pros : Works best if the cast size equals the number of people interested in the play. Students will have a stronger ownership of the show if they’re this involved in putting it together. Cons : It would be tough for a newcomer to break in. Casting could be based on popularity instead of merit. Don’t have auditions at allSome directors don’t have auditions. They choose the cast based on students they know from their classes. Pros : Much easier and less time-intensive for the director. Cons : Students are removed from the casting process, making the whole scenario opaque. Auditioning is part of the total experience of putting on a play.