Theatre Auditions Auditions may be for individual productions or for an entire season. They can also be for one theatre company or for several as in the case of regional combined auditions that happen around the country, particularly from January through March. Auditions for individual shows usually involve reading from the script. The actors may read with other actors throughout the audition, or the actors can read lines with a staff person. Generally, there are two basic types of auditions: open casting auditions, also well known as “cattle calls,” and casting auditions, or casting interviews.
Open Casting Calls - TV/Film
Open casting calls are usually open to anyone who finds out about them. It is not unusual to find a varying array of types or plain individuals with not much acting experience trying out for these roles. Obvious advantages of open casting calls are that anyone can try out, even if the person doesn't have an agent. And so for the actor not yet with an agent it might be an opportunity to land one by impressing a casting director well enough so that a referral is made.
There are disadvantages to open casting calls as well. For one, with so many tryouts audition time is severely limited. A good impression has to be made very quickly (an advantage for a trained, experienced actor). Another disadvantage is that casting directors often use open casting calls to fill what are mostly minor acting roles. Sometimes, casting directors use open casting calls to meet new talent and re-evaluate veteran actors to see how much they may have improved. Another theory is that the casting director is not sure what he or she is looking for in terms of the type of person to fill a particular role, thus resulting in this kind of audition that insures an array of types. For most actors in these auditions, the tryout won't lead to a role, but by impressing the casting director enough, you could be kept in mind for future projects.
Closed Casting Auditions - TV/Film
Most established actors, especially those with agent, set their sights on attending casting auditions. A casting audition occurs when a casting director releases the news that a certain role is being cast for, that requires an approximate age range and appearance, such as a certain ethnicity, height, build or look. This information is normally filtered to agents through particular channels such as Breakdown Services, Ltd., The Link, Theatrical Index, and other information sources, and your agent (if you have one) sets up the casting auditions.
When agents receive word of a casting audition, they immediately send out all the actors they represent who fit the type, and whom they think hve a good shot at winning the role. Normally showing up for auditions like these means having to see many actors with your likeness or resemblance, somewhat of the opposite of the open casting calls.
