It's a waste of time. There's no use trying

It’s that time of year where time management skills are a requirement. I’m trying to do everything all at once: auditions both going to and scheduling them, day job, lessons, classes, hangout with friends and still have time for me. If I do too much of any one thing not everything gets done. Needless to say it’s a balancing act of gigantic proportions. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

There was an audition for a show I think I’m right for. It calls for quirky actors who can sing and have fun. A friend of mine had gotten an appointment for the show. Unfortunately through a timing mishap I missed the submission deadline. When we were comparing what auditions we had for the week (it’s less daunting and stressful if you go with friends) she mentioned her appointment for the quirky show.

I had forgotten all about the show. I’ve only auditioned for it once previously. Unfortunately I sang right after a guy who had done the show before who was also singing from the show. I was over looked when it came to casting that production. So it wasn’t a big deal to have missed this new audition for that same show. My ego was a bit bruised so I let it slide.

Besides it was an open call and open calls can be nightmares.

Anyway my friend told me that the company would take walk-ins between appointments. She suggested that I should go and essentially be an alternate. That means sitting around and waiting until the people behind the table have a lull in auditionees and can see other random people who don’t have appointments. Unfortunately time was not my friend that day. I had to go all the way to the other side of lower Manhattan to be at my day job at 4pm. The audition didn’t even start until noon.

So when the day came I got up, warmed up, and sang through some stuff. I packed two bags: one for the audition and one for my day job. Combined there was just too much stuff to carry. I would have to run home after the audition to switch bags before heading out to work.

I went to the audition around two o’clock and signed up on the alternate list. I waited around for about an hour or so. I was called to go in. Perfect. Until the people behind the table needed to take a break right before my group went in. I actually got in to sing at about 3:15. I said hello to my friend who had come in for her audition time, ran home switched bags and went to work.

I was late to my day job. I saw a guy I know, Tanner. He asked if I had gone to an audition.

Me: I did. I’m surprised I didn’t see you there.

Tanner: I didn’t know there was an audition for that show. I must have missed it on the Equity website.

(*Click the dark colored text to be taken to that site)

Actors Equity Casting Call

Me: It wasn’t on that website. It was on another.

Turns out Tanner didn’t know some of the other sites that listed auditions. We chatted about finding auditions and submitting for projects. Some of the sites are free while others you have to pay for. It depends on the sites:

Backstage

the online home for the trade paper that lists auditions both union and non-union, teachers, classes and informative articles.

Playbill.com

lists not only auditions but also non-performing job opportunities. Its main function though is to chronicle the Performing arts news for major cities around the country, including links to buying tickets to Broadway shows.

Broadway World

another audition source which is also filled with entertainment news and videos

And 

Actors Access

a website dedicated to allowing performers to submit themselves to projects looking for people. The projects can range from Broadway shows to motion pictures to student films, staged readings, voice overs and commercials.

When this site in particular came up, Tanner commented that there is never anything right for his type so he doesn't submit..

Tanner: I’m blonde they’re always looking for dark haired people to play the villain.

Me: Okay...

Tanner: I’m too thin.

Me: Okay...

Tanner: And I’m way too gay.

Me: Well that one you can use your craft to do something about. It’s called acting.

Tanner: Anyways I don’t subscribe to that site so I have to pay for each submission. It’s just not worth it for me.

I’m not sure what else he said after that. The fact that he said he couldn’t get work because he was blonde had finally sunk in. And thin. And gay. He’s the archetype for musical theatre. And guess what? He does musical theatre. That’s his forte.

WTH?

I couldn’t believe he actually said those things out loud. I let it go and went on my way.

A couple days later Tanner and I were talking about the Business again. And this time I couldn’t let it go. I told him he was doing something wrong if he couldn’t get cast. He’s young looking, blonde and thin, with a tenor voice. He is what gets cast. All the time. One only has to open their eyes to see it.

February is the Oscar's month. There is a whole ruckus swirling about the awards because of casting policies and overlooking certain types of people in favor of Tanner's type (not necessarily skinny and gay, but white).

Lack of diversity in Hollywood

It’s why America has things like Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month and Black History Month which we’re in right now. There is not only a lack of diversity but a lack of knowledge and a lack of inclusion.

But I digress...

I told Tanner he needs to find out what casting directors like and don’t like at auditions. I gave him a quick rundown of some of the things I know about some individual casting directors. Things like there is one person behind the table that if you don’t dress nice for the audition they will not call you back. Another won’t hire you if you sigh while singing. There are music directors who will throw your headshot away if when asked to sing 16 bars, you sing more than 16 bars. And so forth.

Tanner: Well how do you find those things out?

Me: You take classes from them.

Tanner: Well I took a class from a casting director.

Me: I know and she told you that you were right for an upcoming Broadway show, even told you what part. Did you learn that character’s stuff?

Tanner: I mean I worked on it a few times, but the show got cancelled.

Me: It could come around again. But you still don’t know the stuff do you?

Tanner: When they announce the audition I’ll work on the stuff for like a month before hand.

Me: Then it’s too late. You yourself said you’re not the kind of performer who gets comfortable singing new stuff quickly.

Tanner: I feel it’s not really right to sing from the show if you’re auditioning for that show anyway. I need to find other stuff like it.

Me: I gave you several song suggestions that fit the bill.

After a bit more the conversation then looped back...

Tanner: Well I don’t see the point in taking classes. I never see the casting directors at auditions so they’ll never get to know me.

Me: You have to get in front of them on a regular basis.

Tanner: They always send the associates and assistants.

Me: If they’re associates now they may be the ones casting that show that you’re right for, the one that got cancelled, in the next few years.

Tanner: If you know everything then why aren’t you getting cast?

Me: I don’t know everything. But I’ve been around longer than you, so I know more than you.

Sometimes I don't know why I talk to him. Tanner is full of excuses. He doesn’t have the time, or the money to do anything. He waits until something is going to happen and then he starts to prepare instead of being prepared in case it should happen. He had a callback for Book of Mormon on Broadway. I think he took one tap class before hand.

But honestly don’t we all have excuses?

I know what I should be doing but I let other things take my attention and divert me from them. Sometimes it just comes down to scheduling my life differently and adjusting my priorities. This is something I realize and I’m working on it. I’ve been so much better in getting to dance classes and auditioning and preparing new audition material well in advance of the need for that material.

My situation is different than Tanner’s though. I’m not blonde or young or thin. I’m the opposite of all that. I’m a mature-ish, stocky, ethnic guy. Every other audition I go to is a struggle to convince the people behind the table to hire me for a role that isn't usually cast with some like me. I have to work twice as hard to get people to notice what I bring to the table other than a non-white face. And sometimes when opportunities are there they are taken away:

(*Click on the picture to enlarge)

A role created on Broadway by a person of color is no longer needed to be a person of color. Try doing that in reverse and see what happens. For example cast the character “Radames” from the musical Aida with an ethnic actor. He was originally played on Broadway by Adam Pascal, a blonde non-ethnic guy. The character is the captain of the Egyptian Army. Last time I looked Egypt was in Africa. Just saying.

No roles for blondes...

(*Warning: adult language)

How is this still a thing? 

My friend Rhett and I went to see a show on Broadway. It was a really good show. So good in fact that all juke box musicals should be done like this. During the intermission I made an observation about the casting:

Me: There isn’t one blonde in the entire cast.

Rhett: I know right.

Me: It’s kind of weird ‘because there is usually a blonde. And if there isn’t one naturally they will wig someone to be blonde, like the lead woman in Honeymoon in Vegas.

Rhett: And it did not look good at all. She didn’t have the right coloring to be a blonde.

Stop making excuses. This industry is stacked against you unless you are what is considered the epitome of beauty. But there is only one Chris Evans, one Angelina Jolie. Everyone else has something going against their success in the performing arts. You’re too tall, too short, too thin, too fat, too white, too black, too...too...too...

Viola Davis interview

“A closed mouth doesn’t get fed”

What does that mean?

My friend who told me about the quirky play audition left theatre because she wasn’t getting jobs. She was too [fill in the blank] to get hired. She got tired of not being heard and taken seriously. So she became an independent recording artist. She now tours around the U. S. and Europe performing and selling her Cd's. She’s built a career for herself.

She’s now circled right back around to theatre. She’s hitting the pavement and auditioning again. And guess what? She’s getting hired. People want to work with her. She shifted her focus, gained confidence and now has a new outlook on the situation. She’s in control.

Rhett is always busy doing something. He’s auditioning or acting or singing or directing or teaching. And when he’s not doing all of that he has a one man show that’s available for bookings. I’ve seen him play the character. He’s brilliant.

So stop wasting time and energy complaining. Every excuse is real and valid. And every excuse will stop you.

Tanner truly believes he can’t get hired because he’s blonde and thin and too gay acting. There are things he can do to get him hired, like enrolling in an acting class. He can join a gym for $20 a month.  If he truly doesn’t have the disposable income, then a simpler less costly solution is in order: dyeing his hair.

If the industry isn’t providing the outlet for you and your talent because you’re too [fill in the blank] then change the [blank] or better yet, make one. Make an outlet for yourself. Write a play. Compose music. And if those tools aren’t in your tool box, commission someone to write a role or play or song specifically for you. Start doing improv. Start doing stand-up comedy. Find a slightly new direction for your passion like Rhett or my recording artist friend. Take control of your life and your art. It's not easy but it can be done

The Broadway show Rhett and I went to see was about the life and struggles of an artist who wasn't given a fair chance to explore the full range of her creativity. She was pigeon holed because of who she was born as and deemed only to appeal to people who were born the same. She worked tirelessly to make the industry look at who she is as an artist instead of who she is genetically. She was and is wildly successful. I mean come on, there's a Broadway show about her freaking life!

So if the opportunities aren't there and success is not happening for you...

"...Get on your feet. Get up and make it happen".