Auditioning: An Unfair Standard?

Auditioning is obviously the only way to cast a show besides precasting people, but are the stakes of it too high?  The  job of the people behind the table is not to hold your hand obviously, but shouldn't they greet you professionally and treat it like a job interview  as much as possible under the circumstances?  Obviously, it's not asking questions like in a J.I, but treating the person professionally as possible and trying to lower the stakes so  the person doesn't feel so powerlessly on the spot. For example, don't let the person just stand there while you finish talking, no texting/eating during the audition, try to keep talking amongst themselves to whispering   when the person is auditioning, try not to spring things on them at the last minute(with the exception of multiple songs). Often times, dance auditions are better with this stuff, but what do you guys think? For me, actors/performers work as hard on our craft as anybody in the business even more so. Why should our opportunities to get work be hampered by people being unprofessional and putting unneeded pressure on the situation? 

Updated On: 2/20/20 at 03:31 AM

How  is that feasible?  Those things might happen in a performance and "might toughen them up", but we all know those aren't openly deliberate reasons for why those people act the way they do, besides springing things on people at the last minute, which doesn't happen in the same way on a set or in a show.  Things happen in those settings that are unexpected in either good or bad ways just like in life- You deal with it with instincts, but instincts that are informed by already having a job, having some degree of preparation in regards to what you're doing that gives you more confidence then you have at an audition and in an audition setting. I feel like people behind the table create a system that's unfortunately a hugely unequal  power dynamic between them and the person in front of them and don't respect their position enough to try to not have that be the situation. 

It seems like you're assuming them doing those things is interfering with their ability to make an assessment of you. It probably is not. As for it being distracting to you, you know it could happen so you've got to learn to just tune it out and do your thing. I'm not saying it wouldn't be easier if the conditions were perfect but sometimes they're just not. As long as they're not just singling you out by doing this only to you and this is the way they are handling everyone, it's not creating an unfair disadvantage and frankly even if they treated you perfectly the power dynamic of you wanting the job and them having the power to decide whether you will get it, will always be there.

The producers also want to attach the best talent possible and to do that they have to treat in demand actors well otherwise they will go elsewhere.

I think it's like a shark tank pitch. A company comes in who all the sharks want to invest in so they do their best to woo the contestant with a more favourable deal.

An audition process to some extent needs to be  a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Someone like Hugh Jackman could probably stroll in an hour late  still wearing pyjamas and still get cast. 
 

Updated On: 8/20/17 at 07:06 AM

I don't think Hugh Jackman has to audition anymore...

Not sure I can agree that this is unique to the casting/acting world.  I'm an executive recruiter, so I have high-level professionals interviewing for jobs routinely and the stories I hear aren't much different.  Rude interviewers on power trips, taking personal or any calls, eating, being wholly unprepared for the interview, etc. And these are people who have graduate/professional degrees. Imagine how interviews go for lower-level employees. I think rude is rude, some people in every field are power hungry, and phones have created an additional layer of distraction and impersonalization.  Not saying this doesn't happen to actors - I'm sure what you are saying is very accurate - just not sure it's unique, unfortunately.  

Soaring29 said: " Besides springing things on people at the last minute, which doesn't happen in the same way on a set or in a show.  Things happen in those settings that are unexpected in either good or bad ways just like in life- You deal with it with instincts, but instincts that are informed by already having a job, having some degree of preparation in regards to what you're doing that gives you more confidence then you have at an audition and in an audition setting. I feel like people behind the table create a system that's unfortunately a hugely unequal  power dynamic between them and the person in front of them and don't respect their position enough to try to not have that be the situation."

disagree.

unexpected questions happen very often in non-acting interviews.

unexpected directions frequently are and should be given during rehearsals.

the unexpected happens and should happen in performance  

Also, often auditioners are discovering and trying and hypothesizing when they see something that just might unexpectedly take THEM in a different direction based on what the auditioning performer brings to the audition. So the "springing request" rather than being something merely devised to take the performer by surprise can be and often is a pivotal part of the creative process.

 

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Updated On: 8/20/17 at 10:59 AM

@soaring, you are creating a false equivalency. People do not audition for regular jobs.  

That's my whole point- The processes are not equal and obviously their not going to be the same no matter how you slice it, but to me, the auditioning process could be tipped a little bit more so the person doesn't feel so pressured. But what are you going to do? It's not going to change, lol.  I just thought it would be interesting to see what other people thought. 

Soaring29 said: "Also, I personally have not run into a lot of these things when I'm auditioning for things and know how to do as well as I can in one"

So if you haven't seen it much and it's not a real issue for you when you do, I'm not sure what problem we're trying to solve. As far as pressure is concerned, a casting director can't control how much pressure someone auditioning feels. The person creates pressure on him or herself based on how confident and prepared they feel, how their career is going, how badly they need the job cause the rent is due etc. No one else can control that.

Soaring29 said: "That's my whole point- The processes are not equal and obviously their [sic] not going to be the same no matter how you slice it, but to me, the auditioning process could be tipped a little bit more so the person doesn't feel so pressured. "

Yes let's coddle actors in auditions to reduce the pressure so that we get to learn they can't handle pressure half way through rehearsals. Brilliant. 

Do you realize how ridiculous that is?

 

Sondheimite said: "The theatre world is not for you, Soaring29.  At least not as a job.  

 

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This. 

At least not in the acting realm. 

 As an actor, you have absolutely no power. That’s just a given you either accept or you don’t. 

Casting agents, directors, choreographers, etc, have absolute power.

Again, either you accept that or you don’t.