Missing In-person Auditions? I’m Not.

In my last newsletter, I asked people to tell me about whether or not they miss in-person auditions. I had been prepping for an in-person callback for a musical—my first in-person callback in well over a year. 

At the time, I said that I do and I don’t miss the in-person experience. 

But after that callback? Different story. 

I had submitted my self-taped audition for this big musical at an established regional theater in Chicago. New work and a fairly good-sized role—the love interest of the star of the show. I busted my ass on the self-tapes and felt GREAT about them—two scenes and a cut of a song. And I got a callback. On paper, I was perfect for the role. Right age and type. I even picked the perfect outfit. (The role called for a man “dressed in casual blandness.”)

I REALLY prepped for this callback. I had about a month to prepare. I knew I would be nervous, as it had been a long time since I had an in-person callback, so I wanted to be ready. I paid for a voice lesson (worth every penny—Roberta Duchak is the BEST). I worked with a friend on the scenes. I was off-book and ready to go. My friend practiced “directing” me as well, so if anything was thrown at me in the room, I’d be ready for it. I also had another friend that was called back for a different role the day before, so I called him and I gathered as much intel as I could. I was PREPARED. 

So … was it worth it? Well, the results are in: The in-person experience was not what I hoped it would be. 

As I was finding my way to the audition room, I saw the actor friend I had called while I was preparing, the one who had a callback for a different role the day before. Now, he said, they were calling him for a new role. The same role that I was going in for. 

We could not be more different. He is an incredibly talented actor and singer who played Washington on the national tour of Hamilton. It made me realize that they had no idea what they were looking for with this role. And even though I was perfect on paper for the role, if they called in this guy, then who knew what kind of a chance I had. 

Still, I decided to see all this as a positive. I was going to go in there and be the perfect solution to their casting quandary.

When I’m waiting to audition, I tend to stay away from the other people waiting with me. I want to stay focused, and I don't want to take on anyone else's energy. That said, I did see one familiar face; an actor friend I've done shows with. We hugged and she told me I looked perfect. Another moment that filled me with confidence. 

Finally, the casting director came out and asked if I was ready. As we walked towards the door, she stopped and said to me, “Just so you know, this director, although very nice, has not offered any direction to anyone who has come through in the past two days. So if he doesn't say anything to you, don't take it personally.” 

“OK!” I said. To myself, I thought: Oh great. This should be fun. 

When you go to an in-person callback, you’re hoping for a few things. The first thing is direction. Simple engagement. If they’ve taken the time to call you back, you hope that they’ve at least seen your self-tape, they remember you, and they’ll have some notes to give you to see if you can be directed. 

Not this time.

In the room, I did the exact same thing I did on my self-tape. And the casting director was correct—the director was very nice. When I was done, he said, “That was great Stef. Thank you so much.” And I was out of there.

Another thing you hope for at an in-person callback is a sense of the director’s vision. What does the world of the play look like to them? What are their thoughts on the scene or character? Sure, I'm coming in there prepared with my version of this character, and I've made some choices. But I want to collaborate with the director. Director Kimberly Senior always created a great room at a callback. Once, when I was prepared to be off-book, she told me, “Please hold onto your script. We’re working on something together here. This isn’t a performance.”

Again: Not this time. There was no sense that I even belonged in the audition room, let alone the world of this musical—a world I had absolutely no idea of, because the director didn’t say a word. 

No engagement, no direction, no context. I might as well have just come in with a TV monitor and replayed my self-tape. 

So … do I miss the in-person audition experience? Has the industry lost something by not putting people in a room together anymore? 

Honestly, if it’s going to be like this? I won’t miss it at all. Give me a self-tape any day of the week. 

… Now, can I just get some feedback on my self-tapes? That would be great.