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Blog - In JC's Opinion - It’s OK to say NO over YES!!
It’s OK to say No over YES!!
It’s generally a good rule of thumb that if you want a part in a show you should say yes to anything you are asked. However what happens when you become the ‘yes person’? You say yes to so many things but fail to deliver when it comes time to the crunch. So here are some things you should never say yes to along with a few other small hints for actually securing your dream role from a producers point of view. I stand by everything I write here and am actually producing a piece full of cast members who followed these rules, and as such they are for me producing a wonderful piece of art. Producing art should be the goal of every aspiring artist.
A small CV is better than a page full of lies. You will be asked to do accents on the spot or play something on the piano. Why? I want to see if you can entertain me without preparation as theatre is risky and things always go wrong.
If you say you’re comfortable with intimacy such as stage kisses then at a call back pucker-up. So for the boys if you go for a gay role, you will kiss a stranger in the call back. I saw quite a few guys take a last minute turn for a hug. What does this mean to me as a producer/casting director? I don’t trust your Yes’ and you will be difficult to work with. Do I want you to kiss in the show? Who knows? But I want the option if that’s where the work leads things. You can’t have barriers up.
Never claim to be a singer unless you can out sing the panel. Why? Because if I can out sing you and I consider myself more an actor over singer than there’s a problem. Your only saving grace to bad vocals will be if you bring your acting to life in the song, if you do that than I don’t care what you sound like. Have a listen to the original cast recording of A Little Night Music, there’s some great acting there and you forget the vocal quality, and that’s just the recording imagine it live.
Following that, do some research on the show and audition panel and DO NOT DO Shakespeare if someone on the panel has studied it, unless you know what you are doing. Because I will stand up mid audition and recite to you my favourite Shakespearian speech, to both cure my boredom of a full days auditions and demonstrate to you that this is the way you deliver his work. This is not to be mean, but to point out that you need to know what you can an cannot actually do. I’d rather see 5 lines of dialogue performed with purpose than 15 lines without focus.
If you say you are fully available and then change your mind after I’ve turned other people away I will black list you. Why? Unless you plan to donate money, you are being given an opportunity and you should be grateful. The only exception is leaving for a genuine reason, leaving for another show is not a genuine reason unless it is a fully paid professional show. Sorry but profit share and not for profit are in the same boat to me until the profit line is hit then they become separate. I can say that as I run a profit share company and know that each show is on the line, the upside is that each show has the potential to be a professional gig for me if I work hard enough. Also just because a show is not for profit does not mean they don’t deserve your respect. Respect is key to success.
Don’t cross audition when you know you have a season right in the middle of my rehearsal. Everybody talks, and most don’t know how to shut up in this wonderful industry myself included as a loud mouth. This means I’m going to phone directly, not e-mail but phone and have a nice catch up chat with Joe John who I haven’t spoken to in ages and you are my conversation starter. As a result you will be kicked out of their show and I won’t cast you either. Sorry but the arts has so little time and funding as it is, we have no time for time wasters.
Don’t for the love of yourself wear anything that you can’t move in. Girls hair back off your wonderful faces and please what is with the mini shirts? I had no idea how to tell the girls I knew what colour underwear they were wearing, and for some I didn‘t even have to think how to say that as it was missing - AWKWARD MUCH?. Was it on purpose to get the part? Was their acting that bad that you can’t help but try find a distraction? You see how you add problems to casting just by wearing a short little nothing, wear pants, seriously girls pants is fine we’re all actors. As for boys, less is more. I’m all for the metro look, but at an audition they aren’t auditioning my outfit. Yes I’m talking jeans, t shirt, another shirt over this shirt, jacket, sunnies, wristbands, rings and armbands. Pants, top plus shoes that’s all you need guys. Think - I’m a canvas with a skill set that they can use to help bring their art to life. I don’t want to see a finished picture, there’s no where to go then.
There are so many more things I could write, but what I have to finish with is you need to be honest. Don’t say yes to everything. No is not a bad word. I will respect you more if I know your No’s from the start, I then know what my options are. Also know yourself and trust your own honesty, so don’t say yes to auditioning for a show because you like the company or show but hate the role or part they have offered. You would be more beneficial as an audience member or stage hand. No is not a bad word I say yet again, so many bad performances come from knowing there is no heart in the performance it’s just another credit on their CV, or they just wanted to be part of any show.
Take this and use what you need in your journey. That is all.
Please note that the comments above do not reflect the views or opinions of Theatre People.
Why?
Why? Why has this person been allowed a free reign to preach yet again his self-absorbed and miguided "advice"? If I were to read this column as a person new to the theatre/musical theatre scene - I'd be horrified. Why has this column become about what not to do in an audition for him personally? And I can guarantee it's about him. "If you say you are fully available and then change your mind after I’ve turned other people away I will black list you. Why? Unless you plan to donate money, you are being given an opportunity and you should be grateful." Wow. Unless you plan to donate money. You should be grateful? I'm sorry? Auditionees should NOT be beholdant and "grateful" to the director or anyone in the production team. A profit-share has that all important word in it - SHARE. It's a combination of skills, passion and drive. Not one person being a yes man to Mr Director. It's one thing to outline the requirements of a role prior to auditioning, and emphasising that there may be aspects that one could find uncomfortable, but are required for the role. However, it's another thing to imply that they should be forever thankful to you for the opportunity or be blacklisted. "Don’t cross audition when you know you have a season right in the middle of my rehearsal. Everybody talks, and most don’t know how to shut up in this wonderful industry myself included as a loud mouth. This means I’m going to phone directly, not e-mail but phone and have a nice catch up chat with Joe John who I haven’t spoken to in ages and you are my conversation starter. As a result you will be kicked out of their show and I won’t cast you either. " This is spiteful, this is demeaning, and this is against the very fibre of the industry. Don't cross audition or you'll never work in this industry again? It's one thing to advise at your audition that you require a 100% rehearsal attendance, but it's another thing to deliberately sabotage a performer. This is petty and disturbing. "Following that, do some research on the show and audition panel and DO NOT DO Shakespeare if someone on the panel has studied it, unless you know what you are doing. Because I will stand up mid audition and recite to you my favourite Shakespearian speech, to both cure my boredom of a full days auditions and demonstrate to you that this is the way you deliver his work" Firstly, how is an auditionee supposed to know that you, or any other panel member, has studied Shakespeare (or any other playwrite)? I don't think if anyone googled a prod team their university or highschool units come up. In addition, one would expect to be directed in an audition. Should the monologue one presents need more "focus" (as you put it, though I don't see how a soliloque from As You LIke It would improve with more focus. It would more require interpretation, tone, rhythm and place). I would be horrified to hear that an audition panel had attempted to "out sing" or "out act" an auditionee. This reaks of self-importance, and does nothing but show the pedestal you place yourself on, and complete lack of respect for a performer. The best auditions are a collaborative effort. Should a monologue be required, the genre should be indicated, and direction should be given. Sure, the actor's interpretation or presentation may be skewed - but how do they take direction? How do they respond to a different reading of the text? It's honestly distressing to know that you are sitting behind a table somewhere, making a mockery of the process, the industry, and primarily, yourself.
Why? Because we live in a
Why? Because we live in a society that allows free speech. Who are you to tell anyone that they do not have the right to express their opinion? There is no such thing as a 'wrong' opinion, so his viewpoint, no matter how badly you wish to condemn it, it is valid.
At least he has the courage to put his name to his opinion...Which is more than can be said for you. Come on all you anonymous posters... If you really mean what you say, then get behind your comments and register with us and stop hiding behind the veil of anonymity.
seriously!? Is this the
seriously!? Is this the quality of content on TheatrePeople now? bad form...
Don't shoot the messenger.
A blog is not the content of "Theatre People" it belongs to the writer. We are trialing several bloggers as we speak and will soon have a section devoted to them. We do not edit blogs and anyone is free to write one. We simply provide a vehicle for people to share their opinions. Please don't blame us if you don't like what some people have to say. When it comes to Blogs, we are simply a vehicle, like Twitter or Facebook...
If you don't like his opinon, then perhaps skip the next one :-)
Cheers,
Hughesy
It would be great as you say
It would be great as you say if "Bloggs" had their own section on the Theatre People website so the division between Feature Articles (well researched and edited) and "Bloggs" (the ramblings and single view of one person) is clear.
Blog Page
Yup... our web guru is working on it as we speak. He has had his hands full this week with the launch of the new site, so please bare with us:
Response to JC
Sometimes I think that people write a feature just to stimulate controversy, sheesh... I read JC’s feature article, and whilst I agree with the premise that your CV should be truthful, I do have a couple of queries and comments regarding sections of the article. I have also worked as part of a production team and panel and personally feel that I would never audition for JC, if this is the way he intimidates his auditionees. Not because I am not talented, and scared of judgement... but rather because his of how his ego may insist that no matter what I do HE may do it better. I have seen less than fantastic auditions, and NOT ONCE would I make them feel that I was better than them. I thank them politely and let them know that maybe they need to develop further in an area and are not quite ready for this production, not humiliate them and point out that I would do it better!
Quotes such as ‘Never claim to be a singer unless you can out sing the panel’. Now how will I know if I can outsing the panel? I don’t always audition for people I know, and I don’t feel that as an auditionee I should be worried about the prod team’s portrayal of the same song... That’s just ridiculous! Everyone can sing something better than someone else.. Judge me on how I sang the song, not how much better YOU would have sung it better! I class myself actor first, singer second, yet I don’t know what the panel’s strengths are, so I choose a song that shows off what I can do, rather than highlighting my flaws. Comments in the vein of ‘DO NOT DO Shakespeare if someone on the panel has studied it’. Again – do you expect your auditionees to know your CV? They MAY have studied it, or have a love of it, or want to give something a try that is new for them. Again according to the gospel of JC– lets point out how much better he could do it....
JC – whilst I do agree that you should never put something in a CV that you weren’t prepared to do, lets not belittle people for giving something a go. Give them polite honest feedback as you never know when you may be on the other side of their panel one day... Unless you aren’t prepared to put your money where your mouth is and are afraid of the feedback YOU may get.... Personally – as a teacher, I am so glad that you aren’t in the education system... I can only imagine the humbling your students would get, since you obviously would know way more than your students.
Kind Regards Lisa Ellen Pilkington, Teacher, Director, Actor, Regular Auditionee.
How is this helpful
Dear JC,
Your Blogg is very self absorbed, It isn't helpful to anyone unless they are specifically auditioning for you, and even then it's ridiculous.
Some people are comfortable with intimacy on stage but deserve some respect and some rehearsal time- if they don't want to pash a stranger the first time they meet it does not mean that on opening night a kiss (even between two men) wont be believable or intimate.
Just because you have studied Shakespeare doesn't mean you are the ONLY person who can perform it.
I'm glad that you have so much power and authority that you can get people kicked out of other shows and it's nice to know you have a blacklist and JC you are on my blacklist.
The fact that you walked out on a call back in late 2008 because you (and only you) thought you had stuffed it, was rude. It was a case of you had to say no before the audition panel did when in fact at that stage you weren't a no.
I am a yes person, i enjoy being involved in multiple shows a year, because shows are fun and meeting different casts and crews are fun. That is what show's are supposed to be about NOT putting yourself on such a pedestal you cant work for anybody but yourself.
- Leah
Some issues with this blog
Never write a blog that outlines your superiority if you can't spell properly.
Notice I didn't put an apostrophe in my sentence because the English language doesn't require it in this situation. However in this sentence:
"Your only saving grace to bad vocals will be if you bring..."
it does.
Topic Closed
Ok everyone... You win. The mob has spoken. JC has decided not to continue with his Blog. I think everything that needs to be said on the topic has been said, so before someone ends up with more than a bruised ego, we are going to end this topic. It sounds like everyone wants to move on and hear an opinion from someone other than JC, so let's open the floor for some debate on another topic.