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    DirectingActors Casting

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    eeetete24
    The document discusses considerations for casting actors in roles. It emphasizes that casting should not be based solely on physical characteristics or a single trait, but rather on thoroughly investigating an actor's full range of skills and suitability for the specific role. The director should get to know many actors, see them perform often, understand their different approaches, and flexibly direct audition scenes focusing on objectives. The goal is to seriously cast the roles and relationships to enhance the creative process and final work.

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    DirectingActors Casting

    Uploaded by

    eeetete24
    18 views10 pages
    The document discusses considerations for casting actors in roles. It emphasizes that casting should not be based solely on physical characteristics or a single trait, but rather on thoroughly investigating an actor's full range of skills and suitability for the specific role. The director should get to know many actors, see them perform often, understand their different approaches, and flexibly direct audition scenes focusing on objectives. The goal is to seriously cast the roles and relationships to enhance the creative process and final work.

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    DirectingActors_Casting

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    DirectingActors_Casting

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    The document discusses considerations for casting actors in roles. It emphasizes that casting should not be based solely on physical characteristics or a single trait, but rather on thoroughly investigating an actor's full range of skills and suitability for the specific role. The director should get to know many actors, see them perform often, understand their different approaches, and flexibly direct audition scenes focusing on objectives. The goal is to seriously cast the roles and relationships to enhance the creative process and final work.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    18 views10 pages

    DirectingActors Casting

    Uploaded by

    eeetete24
    The document discusses considerations for casting actors in roles. It emphasizes that casting should not be based solely on physical characteristics or a single trait, but rather on thoroughly investigating an actor's full range of skills and suitability for the specific role. The director should get to know many actors, see them perform often, understand their different approaches, and flexibly direct audition scenes focusing on objectives. The goal is to seriously cast the roles and relationships to enhance the creative process and final work.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as pdf or txt
    of 10

    CASTING

    ‘When in doubt cast an actor.’ (Wal Cherry)

    ‘The biggest mistake in casting is that parts


    are allotted wrongly and thoughtlessly. As if all
    cooks were fat and all statesmen stately. As if all
    who love and are loved were beautiful. As if all
    good speakers had a fine voice… It’s pure folly
    to allot parts according to physical
    characteristics.’
    CASTING
    ‘Can one go by temperament? One can’t. That
    again would be taking the easy way out. The
    actor must cultivate all varieties of temperament
    for characters only come to life by means of
    their own contradictions. It is most dangerous to
    cast a major part on the strength of a single
    characteristic.’
    Bertold Brecht
    CASTING
    You must know as many actors as possible and their
    range of abilities and appropriateness for various roles.
    You must see them often on screen and stage.
    You must know the details of how actors approach the
    role in order enhance your ability to communicate and
    diagnose. You do not have to be able to act yourself, but
    you must have expert knowledge about the creation and
    development of the role. You must acknowledge that
    different actors have different approaches. They do and
    you need to be flexible.
    CASTING
    But there is a common approach which works
    excellently: directing through objectives and actions
    which all actors can easily grasp.

    At the audition stage, several scenes should be


    chosen and given to the actor well in advance of the
    test. The scenes you choose should cover a range of
    character responses, should give you the opportunity to
    explore enough about the actors ability in a particular
    role.
    CASTING
    Direct the audition and make changes to check the
    actors flexibility and imagination.

    Always have an actor to read with the one being


    auditioned. Try to avoid using a non-actor to read for the
    auditionee – usually the auditionee will not be able to do
    their best.

    Make allowances for the fact that the auditionee will


    probably be nervous. Settle them down and make
    contact.
    CASTING
    Let them do it their way before you start directing.

    Remember that you will live with the consequences of


    your casting for the rest of your life, so do it seriously
    and thoroughly.
    CASTING
    Investigate the actors:

    •  Intuitive Equipment: Actors ability to listen, to work


    moment by moment, to be honest and give himself
    freedom and privacy in public.

    •  Acting Skills: ability to play a simple intention, to play


    against an obvious reading of a line and to be specific
    and insightful in their choices.
    CASTING
    Investigate the actors:

    •  Physical Ability: range, flexibility, expressivity and skills


    in voice and movement.

    •  Artistic sensibility: taste, instincts and sense of humor.


    CASTING
    Investigate the actors:

    •  Whether he or she is right for the part.


    •  Do they have what it takes to play the role; can they
    connect with the characters spine; comprehend and
    connect to the characters experience.
    •  Whether you can work well together.
    •  Casting the relationships as well as the roles.
    CASTING
    •  Do they have ideas?
    •  Are they willing to take risks?
    •  Did they bring something to the part in their
    interpretation.
    •  Do they really seem to talking about something or just
    saying a line.

    •  The best way to encourage an actor is to be frank and


    open – put energy out.
    •  Think about the possibilities of casting against type.

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