The performing industry (especially a field such as this. Instrumental performance is a different story) is an extremely judging industry. You can go against it all you want, but your involvement in theatre is all on how you look. If they're looking to cast an unattractive person, they will. A good example is the character of Fanny Brice. She must be an AMAZING singer, however, she can't be too beautiful. Hard to find.
There are some weight-specific roles. Those are impossible to avoid. However, those that don't have a specific weight attached to the character description are the ones that raise eyebrows.
Let's take Elphaba and Glinda, for example. Glinda falls under the category of the "popular-yet-sort-of-sheltered-
blonde-girl".
Glinda also must have some sort of Caucasian look to her. This might be because of the image that the original Wizard of Oz movie had set. But that all comes down to the point where the casting directors decided, "This is her! This woman represents Glinda perfectly."
This is why an Asian-American or African-American or any sort of woman who looks really...exotic, will probably never have the chance of playing Glinda, though it may be their dream role.
Elphaba, however, is more flexible. Either way, her skin color will be green. This allows more flexibility into colorblind casting.
Now, skin issues have been discussed. What about weight?
Weight is such a touchy subject and society puts an enormous pressure that shouldn't be there in the first place. There are weight specific roles, as mentioned before. For those that aren't, most likely, they will cast the "skinny" person. This is because that people who are skinny are considered more attractive to the eye [to this generation] than those that are heavier (thus, the pressure to be stick-thin).
If you're attractive to the eye, obviously, people want to see you. People wanting to see you will rake in money, which is what it all boils down to, really.
CCM is a college that is revealing that truth to you early. Theatre is a very appearance-based field, and if you don't fit the description of a character, your involvement in the field will be very limited. It's really the way the you look at it. In your perspective, it seems as if they were cruel and demanding of a model's body. In other's, it might just be a way of preparing you for what's really out there. Either way, CCM is a school with a boasted reputation, nonetheless, and since the way that they educate their students adds more reputation to their name, they will continue in doing so. I'm sure they've had many complaints in their "standards of skinny-ness", but if they feel that it will hinder their success rate, they will not change.
In regards to your sister, everything happens for a reason. I had the most horrible audition today, but I think SOME good might come of it. Sort of. Maybe it wasn't your sister's weight (as you're implying) that wasn't the problem. I don't know. Neither will you. It's bad to assume things. I've found you only make an ass of yourself and the other person tends to look like a genius.
This is my signature.
Updated On: 6/20/05 at 10:06 PM
