Literature: 26 reasons why you didn't get the part

Possibly the funniest article I have read since beginning my research, which really (bluntly) addresses the general feedback I have been receiving in regards to the importance of the factors we cannot control, in the current industry. 

Amy Jo Berman was the Vice President of Casting at HBO for 14 years and below is the list she gives of reasons actors don't get the role.

1. You’re too tall.

2. You’re too short.

3. You’re too pretty.

4. You’re not pretty enough.

5. You’re too fat.

6. You’re too thin.

7. You’re too blonde.

8. You’re not blonde enough.

9. You’re too old.

10. You’re too young.

11. You’re too serious.

12. You’re too funny.

13. You look too much like the lead.

14. You don’t look enough like the lead.

15. You’re taller than the lead.

16. You’re shorter than the lead.

17. You remind the producer of his sister, and he hates his sister.

18. You are too ethnic.

19. You are not ethnic enough.

20. You were the first one to read that day.

21. You were the last one to read that day.

22. You’re more like the best friend than the lead.

23. You’re more of a lead than the best friend.

24. You’re too character-y.

25. You’re not character-y enough.

26. You look like the director’s wife and he had a fight with his wife right before he left the house this morning.

This list, from a leading industry casting professional, sums up to me how trivial casting can be. This confirms my point that there are so many elements to auditioning that are completely out of our control. 

amy jo berman. (2017). 26 reasons why you didnt get the part. Available: https://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/26-reasons-why-you-didnt-get-part/.

Literature on rejection

One of the issues that has come to light though my focus group meeting has been dealing with the success and failure of your friends as well as yourself. 

My focus group felt strongly that colleges don't prepare you for the fact you are going to be up against your friends. 

In my own experience college prepared me for the multitude of fresh talent that was going to be churned out of every drama school in the country on graduation and were going to start auditioning at the same time as me. But I never looked at my class mates (including some people I consider to be my closest friends) and considered I would be competing with them. 

One member of my focus group suggested that when you're at college its like your part of a gang. He mentioned 'move it' and said that the rivalry between colleges can be quite fierce, but its only when you graduate that you realise you are on your own and that even your closest friends are your competition when it comes to auditions. 

I already have reviewed one piece of literature that really addresses this....

'WHENEVER a friend succeeds, something inside me dies." Thus wrote Gore Vidal, capturing perfectly the feeling of envy you experience when news that someone you know has had some success with a play, film or book they've written. This is usually followed by an email or letter informing you of yet another rejection of your script. Oh the agony!' (Eddie Naughton 2013)

...but felt I needed to find some more relevant literature. 

I struggled to find any relating literature to auditions, so stripped in back and searched for articles relating to being envious of your friends success (in any context) instead and landed on the article 'When your friends happy news fills you with envy instead of joy' by Sumintha Bhandarka. This article is designed to make you understand these emotions and find the root of your feelings. 

'Nail down the source of your envy to let the person who made you envious off the hook.'

This relates completely to the world of Musical Theatre as performers tend to be extremely passionate about what we do. We aren't really envious of our friends, we are just desperate to work, to land the role, to be in that show etc. 

As always would love some of your thoughts on this topic!

sumintha bhandarka (2014). when your friends happy news fills you with envy instead of joy . Available: http://tinybuddha.com/blog/when-your-friends-happy-news-fills-you-with-envy-instead-of-joy/.

Eddie naughton, E.D. 2013. Rejection is just a hill an artist has to climb: Critics can be harsh but we should never let them dull our passion to create and perform. 13TH JAN . Sunday Independant . [Online]. [11 December 2016]. Available from: http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.mdx.ac.uk/docview/1268866615/abstract/E8B292332F7945BDPQ/1?accountid=12441

Literature: Technology

TECHNOLOGY
the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry.
"advances in computer technology"
machinery and devices developed from scientific knowledge.
"it will reduce the industry's ability to spend money on new technology"

the branch of knowledge dealing with engineering or applied sciences.

In this article Adam Hetrick interviews Bernard Telsey who has worked in the theatre for over 30 years. He is head of Telsey Company casting, a premier theatre and film casting company in New York. Broadway casting credits include Wicked, Rent, Newsies, Kinky Boots,Motown, Rock of Ages, The Normal Heart, All The Way, A Streetcar Named Desire,Hairspray, Legally Blonde, In the Heights, Porgy and Bess, Equus, Memphis, Bring It On, South Pacific, Next to Normal, 9 to 5, Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark, Catch Me If You Can, and The Addams Family.

When I was looking for a new agent, I initially sent my CV and headshot (via email) to ten agencies, out of the seven that got back to me, all seven asked for a voicereel and a showreel before they would consider bringing me in for an interview. I also frequently apply for jobs on websites such as casting call pro, and a large percentage of these applications result in self taped auditions from a section of script the director emails over to you.

When asking inquiry participants if there is anything they feel should be on a modern curriculum in drama schools to prepare actors for the industry that isn't currently being taught, TECHNOLOGY is brought up every single time. Out of all the actors I have spoken to all have said that voice reels, showreels and self tapes are now a fundamental part of the industry due to modern technology continually expanding. All of the recent graduates I have spoken with have said that agents don't just require a headshot and cv but they want to hear a voicereel and see a showreel before they will even bring you in for a meeting. 

All participants have also stated that their college did not prepare them for this. The participants that have been in the industry for over ten years stated that this wasn't the done thing when they first graduated meaning they have had to 'learn as they go' and adapt to developing technology and the impact this has on the industry. My more recent graduates have said that even though voicereels and showreels are now considered as important as a cv and headshot, their colleges gave no mention of this whilst they were training. 

What are some challenges that actors face now that are new to the industry as it evolves?

'It's such a world of the Internet and technology that you've got to, as an actor, be able to self-tape for auditions. The Internet is the great thing. Even with different SAG and Equity rules, we're all self-taping and we're all using taped auditions as a means of getting hired. What's not acceptable is when an actor says they can't come in because they're in L.A. or out of town, and they can't self-tape. You can self-tape on your iPhone. You need to be technologically savvy and we are expecting you to understand how to audition for tape. It's all happening so fast. Casting is so much faster now because of the Internet. Clients expect things tomorrow because you don't have to wait a day to get an actor the material by messenger or FedEx. I can email this material and you can audition in an hour. Can you read the script? Can you find out more about the character before you go in to the audition in that amount of time? I think it’s a good thing because you have access to the Internet and information, but there's less time to prepare and you've got a lot more homework as an actor.'

This question, put to Bernard Telsey, is a fundamental part of my inquiry, and his response really highlights the importance to be, as he puts it 'technologically savvy', which through my data has shown itself to be a key point. 

College is the perfect opportunity to record yourself and get some footage of you performing. even if it on a mobile, in my opinion colleges should at least be encouraging students to start collecting footage. However my inquiry is leading me to going one step further and I feel very strongly that with voicereels and showreels being as important in the  modern industry as they are, drama schools should have the technology available to help students film/record themselves. Tying in with this quote, colleges should also be teaching students the best ways to self film. The first audition tape I did took me literally all day. The lighting was terrible, there was noise in the background etc and having the oppertunity to rehearse this in a college environment would mean graduating as a more prepared performer. 

Adam Hetrick (2017) Booking it! Available: http://www.playbill.com/article/booking-it-casting-director-bernard-telsey-on-audition-essentials-com-213656.

Skype session

Today I attended the midday skype session with Paula - Megan Louch was also in attendance. We briefly discussed where we were in our inquiry and we both agreed that we seemed to be working on stages 2, 3 and 4 all at once. 

I was asked what my most recent findings were and I (attempted) to explain that my interviews, as well as discussions with my sig, have uncovered certain points in my inquiry that seem to not be discussed publicly and therefore I am struggling to find relating literature.

This led me to define the term; 

Implicit - suggested though not directly expressed. 

For example Megan mentioned how certain schools are pigeon holed for certain jobs or by certain companies/casting directors. This is where my problem lies, as performers we are aware that this goes on, but i'm not going to find any literature source where a casting director openly admits that they only see people from a particular school. You only have to flick through a programme to see that some west end shows are cast entirely from one school. But I was concerned that a lack of literature in regards to some of my discoveries meant my discoveries were worthless towards my inquiry. 

It was good to be reminded that we are not looking for one definitive answer, we may come up with solutions or may even further the debate. 

I mentioned that I had concerns in regards to how I present/analyse my data and I referenced one of Megan's most recent blogs as she had already spoken to Paula about structuring analysis. I have attached a link to the blog below as well as the step by step point Megan noted down which i found particularly helpful. 

http://meganlouch.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/tutorial-with-paula-tuesday-14th-march.html

What people said → My interpretation → Compare it to literature → Evaluate the information with SIG'S → Extend the meanings → Relate to my professional practice

Literature: Musical Theatre training

Is Musical Theatre Your Calling? - by Trish Causey (2017) 

Trish Causey is a musical theatre writer, workshop presenter, and host of two online radio shows.

While conducting research, one of the most highlighted areas that has been brought to my attention, are the factors of the auditioning process that are out of our control. This article discusses a few of the factors that have been brought to my attention, the main points being, where you trained and your look/image.

 As a recent graduate, where I trained has proven to be quite important. When given a relatively blank CV from a new face, I can understand why agents or casting directors would look at your training to give them an idea of the 'quality' of the performer being presented to them, although this doesn't often follow and seems (as everything else is in this industry) a little unfair! 

'She emphasizes the need to be “truly versatile and extremely talented and well-trained in many areas in order to qualify for available roles. Once you are out in the real world, the degree you’ve gotten and where you’ve gotten it from won’t matter as much as how versatile your skills are.'

I agree and disagree with this statement. Yes being a versatile and extremely talented performer is vital but I don't agree that this matters more than where you got your qualifications from - not for a graduate anyway. From my interviews so far as well as discussions with my sig, my original opinion has been backed up. The new graduates have all faced the question 'where did you train?' from prospective agencies, and without an agent you can't really get to the stage of auditioning for anything! However my participants who have been in the industry five or more years have all said that as soon as they had a few jobs on their cv they were no longer asked where they trained, thus where you trained being irrelevant. 

'every performer is a ‘type,'” she continues. “You need to ‘get’ that you are a product at any audition and that you need to be the product that they are looking for.” By understanding your type, she adds, you will save yourself from preparing for auditions that won’t pan out as well as from unnecessary rejection. Causey is blunt about the fact that, “What you look like will also determine the roles you can get.'

This quote endorses opinions of my participants and sig, as well as myself. from the research I have done so far, understanding your look or type is not something that colleges focus on and is something that my fellow graduates feel we should be guided on when in training. Causey states that understanding you type will allow you to save yourself from unnecessary rejection. This is key to my inquiry, as I am researching whether the components of a successful audition taught at college differ to what industry professionals consider vital, your look being the vital component. 

'Choose a school where teachers not only have experience in musical theatre but also keep a hand and a toe in it,” she urges.'

This is another interesting point which has been brought up in my sig discussions on a few occasions, as the members also all felt that this was very important. In order for training to be relevant to the industry, teachers should still be involved in the industry in some way - retiring from Musical theatre and then working purely as a teacher means you are no longer up to date with what is required in the current field. My sig suggested the importance of guest teachers.


Trish Causey (2017). Is Musical theatre your Calling?. Available: http://majoringinmusic.com/is-musical-theatre-your-calling.

Drama School Auditions

Part of my inquiry is to explore whether or not training is relevant to the current industry. Although I only graduated a few years ago and my training still feels quite fresh, It has been six years since I auditioned for my first school and therefore I felt it would be beneficial to take a look at the application forms (or the ones readily available online) for the top schools, to see if audition requirements to gain a place at the top schools have changed in any way. All information has been taken from the schools websites, and my definition of the 'top schools' in regards to professional musical theatre courses was sourced from 'The stage' website.

MOUNTVIEW

UNDERGRADATE AUDITION REQUIREMENTS

Undergraduate musical theatre auditions at Mountview take place over a full day with acting, singing and dance sessions. There are opportunities to meet current students to find out about life at Mountview and learn about student funding.

Candidates are required to prepare:

Two contrasting songs from the musical theatre repertoire

• One Shakespeare monologue
• One monologue from a modern play (written after 1979)

Please note that the monologues must:

• Last no longer than two minutes each
• Be from published plays and should not be extracts from poems, novels, films or television scripts
• Involve a character chosen from your own gender and close to your own age
• Be performed in your native accent

Please note that songs must:

• Last no longer than two minutes each
• Be performed in the key in which the music is written (the accompanist will not transpose into a different key)
• Give you the opportunity to act through them
• Not be from the classical repertoire (this includes opera)

Candidates will also take part in a dance class which will include a warm up, stretches and corner exercises. Following this they will be taught a short routine to be performed to the audition panel.

ARTS ED

undergraduate audition requirements 

Stage 1: consists of a group jazz dance audition and a short individual singing audition. Dance audition Candidates are required to participate in a jazz class led by a senior member of dance staff and overseen by the Head of Dance or Director of Musical Theatre. All applicants are required to dress appropriately in fitted dance/ sports attire with either soft jazz shoes, foot thong or bare feet. All jewellery must be removed for safety reasons. Candidates should prepare two musical theatre songs in full. One should be a 'legit' ballad written no later than 1965 (e.g. ‘If I Loved You’ from Carousel), and the other should provide a contrast and be something you enjoy singing. 

Stage 2: Candidates will be selected to stay for this stage. Some may be required to dance again. All candidates will: • take part in a group acting workshop • sing again using their songs as previously prepared for the first stage of the audition Page 5 of 6 • perform their monologue and duologue to the panel. The panel will give the candidate various scenarios to see they respond to direction and how well they work with others. • take part in an interview with a senior tutor • in some cases candidates may be required to have an orthopædic examination by a qualified physiotherapist for which top and shorts should be worn. 

LAINE THEATRE ARTS

under graduate audition requirements

Candidates will prepare for the first of their three classes which may be Ballet, Jazz or Acting Workshop. 

Following the three classes above, candidates will be seen individually to perform their Modern/Jazz solo and to sing their chosen song. 

REQUIREMENTS FOR SOLOS 

Song: This should not exceed 2 minutes. Sheet music for piano must be provided, clearly marked with any chosen excerpt and cellotaped in order that pages sit side by side. Backing tracks are NOT accepted. 

Modern/Jazz Solo This should not exceed 1 ½ minutes. Music needs to be recorded on CDR or an iPhone or iPod, not CDRW. Candidates should make sure any CDR produced has been finalised and plays in commercial CD players.

ITALIA CONTI

At 9.30am auditionees begin a half-hour warm-up, which will lead into an improvisation workshop led by one of our tutors. Then auditonees will have their individual auditions with a panel made up of the Course Director, Course Co-ordinator and other tutors and they will be asked to present one or both of their prepared audition pieces (neither must be longer than one and a half minutes).  At the end of the morning, when all auditionees have been seen, the Panel decides which individuals they wish to recall for the afternoon session. Those not asked to remain are then free to go.

The afternoon session begins with a movement workshop, followed by a singing workshop and then there is a voice workshop. The final selection is made and those chosen will have an interview with Course Director, Course Co-ordinator and other members of the teaching staff, at which auditionees may be asked to sight-read, and to present either one or both pieces, these may be redirected. 

GSA

Applicants will be expected to prepare and take part in:

• Dance workshop: You will need dance wear (jazz and ballet), please do not bring loose, poor fitting dance wear to these calls.
• Singing audition: please prepare two contrasting songs, of not more than two minutes each. One song should be from the musical theatre repertoire written prior to 1965.
• Some candidates may then be invited to stay for the acting audition and interview. In anticipation of this please prepare one contemporary speech from a play written since 1950 of not more than two minutes.

BIRD

The audition is a carefully conceived assessment and is conducted by senior teachers at the College. It will assess your current and potential skills in dance, singing and drama, as well as your suitability for a career in the theatre profession.

Through an individual interview, personal qualities such as motivation, communication and flexibility are assessed and career aspirations are discussed. Our aim is to ensure that we advise you on the most appropriate programme for your development. 

BODYWORK

applicants should be prepared to take part in the following:

• jazz class
• singing audition: Please prepare 16 bars from two contrasting songs
• monologue

In short, all of the colleges I have researched so far require some form of singing, dance and acting in their audition procedure. This alters here and there with one school focusing purely on dance and singing (no proof of acting ability required) and others differ between whether ballet or jazz is the chosen style of dance to be seen on the day. 
Nothing is notably different to when I auditioned six years ago, and I will be using this research while interviewing fellow auditionee's to see if this differs from their experience. 





References

https://www.thestage.co.uk/advice/2013/musical-theatre-training-listings/

http://www.bodyworkcompany.co.uk/
http://www.italiaconti-acting.com/how-to-apply/
http://www.mountview.org.uk/applying.html
https://artsed.co.uk/musical-theatre/musical-theatre-3-year-diploma-applications
http://www.laine-theatre-arts.co.uk/how-to-apply
http://gsauk.org/applications-auditions
http://bird-college.com/he-fe/applications/applications/

Literature: The Future of Musical Theatre

My inquiry stems from my interest to discover whether the components of a successful audition have changed since professional training, and if so what they are. What is expected of us at auditions is dependant on the style of show we are auditioning for. This article discusses some of the latest developments in musical theatre which could suggest what may be expected of us in the audition room in the future, and maybe what colleges might consider vital for future curriculums.  

Whats Next: The Future of Musical Theatre - (Nick Morrison, July 2015)

Nick Morrison is a theatre blogger and west end production assistant. 

In this article, Nick Morrison suggests that there are three main avenues in which musical theatre is evolving. Content, Style and Form.

CONTENT

'Cut to where we are today: the Tony Award for Best Musical this year went to Fun Home, the coming out story of a lesbian cartoonist and her father’s subsequent suicide; The Scottsboro Boys musicalises the racist trial of a group of black teenagers falsely convicted of raping two white women; Next to Normal is a two-act rock musical about grief, mental illness and the pharmaceutical industry. Writers and (more importantly) audiences are coming to realise that there is no limit to what can be successfully musicalised in the right hands. The genre is becoming unpredictable, and we must wait with bated breath to see whatever ‘they’ come up with next.'

Although this extract doesn't give me any answers in regards to auditions, it does tell me that content is becoming more gritty and the need for musical theatre artists who are also extremely strong actors may be developing. If this is the case, Musical Theatre courses (which often focus on singing and dancing) may need to dedicate more lesson time to acting. 

STYLE

'An obvious example of this change in the current musical theatre scene is Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose In the Heights and Broadway-bound Hamilton use rap and hip hop influences in ways not previously seen onstage. By adapting modern, culturally relevant styles to the musical theatre mold, Miranda is pushing Broadway forward, keeping its reach wide and doubtless drawing more varied audiences than another Gershwin jukebox show. As popular music progresses, no doubt new writers will match it beat for beat, and musicals in 40 years will sound as fresh and à la mode as Hamilton does to us today.'

Morrisons points on style reflect my own views that I have previously blogged about and the general opinion of my sig. As 'modern, culturally relevant' styles are used to influence current musical theatre, a need for the talents that accompany these styles will begin to surface in the audition room, and therefore may need to be taught at college. If rap and hip hop is the future of Musical Theatre then there may be need for colleges to add these styles to singing lessons.  

FORM

'What will perhaps be the most significant change we are still to see in musical theatre will come as a breaking down of the barriers between genres. As we have it now, there is a clear and marked distinction to an audience between a play, a musical and a dance show. There are of course examples of works that blur that line (‘plays with music,’ dance-heavy musicals like Contact or An American in Paris), but generally speaking, the separation has always been noticeable. When the average audience member buys a ticket, he wants to know what he is going to get: song and dance or monologues? There is ground to be broken where the genres overlap, and stories to be told using the tools available in each branch of the art – musical theatre is already incredibly collaborative and fuses techniques and devices every step of the way. However, the rigidity of certain conventions combined with audience expectations is arguably an impediment to real progress and change coming about. Why not have a soliloquy with a dance break? A sung sonnet? When the walls break down between what we traditionally think of as distinct modes of storytelling, then truly revolutionary work can begin.'

If Morrison's predictions in regards to form are correct, this would mean that everyone in the industry would have to be a true triple threat. By breaking down the barriers that distinguish a play from a musical, you are essentially over lapping the talent pools as well. this would mean that when training, colleges should no longer define themselves by being 'dance' or 'straight acting' schools. 

Nick Morrison. (2015). Whats Next: The Future of Musical Theatre . Available: http://newmusicaltheatre.com/greenroom/2015/07/whats-next-the-future-of-musical-theatre/.