The Importance Of Casting Directors

All actors should be aware of how pivotal casting directors are to getting work in the theatre, film, and television business. Casting directors are your first friend when an actor is looking for work, the casting directors are scouting for fresh new talent that they could possibly cast in their upcoming projects that they are casting at the time. Usually casting directors are hired by television studios, networks, production companies, and producers of Broadway shows to provide actors for considering parts. Daniel Pruksarnukul the artistic associate and casting director for Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. for nine seasons shared with me his journey of working in the business and how he worked his way up to different positions, such as the artistic director at Arena Stage which had him responsible for casting all of the 8 mainstage shows along with dozens of play reading and workshops and also as the artistic associate Dan was in charge of season planning and scouting both locally in D.C. and nationally around the country for shows to

produce in their mainstage season.
Casting directors rank among the most influential operators in show business.

As the people who find the right actors for plays, TV series, adverts and films, they stand between every young actor and that big break. As an actor friend told Dan: "Casting directors are the gatekeepers. If they don't know who you are, it can feel impossible to get a decent part. Dan tells me that casting for a musical takes about six weeks. "We send a breakdown of the characters we need to a number of agents – usually between 200 and 300. Within a day or so, hundreds of envelopes arrive back. We divide them into characters and go through every resume, deciding who to call." For a major show, Dan might receive 1,000 resumes; from these, he'll choose around 500 performers for the first round of auditions, then whittle those down to a shortlist of "recalls". These last auditions are usually attended by a show's director, who will make the final

choices.
Actors without an agent will try to get in touch with casting directors on their own bat. This isn't frowned upon, or at least not exactly: most casting directors' email addresses are listed in the Actors' Yearbook. But they don't go out of their way to publicize their details. "If people really wanted to get hold of us, they would know how to," Dan tells. “But we're not going to put our street address on everything, because we are inundated – we get around 10 emails from actors a day, plus hard-copy CVs. "Some actors even send presents. Dan grimaces. "The worst," he says, "is when you get a card with a teabag in it, and the card is filled with glitter – so that when you open it, it goes all over you. They say, 'We just wanted to get your attention.' Its like, 'Yes you did. Now we've got to clean this shit up.'"
Dan has occasionally called in an actor on the strength of an unsolicited resume, but the usual process is, again, to go through trusted agents, or to invite performers he's seen on stage. Dan trained as a stage manager, and worked in Texas theatres before becoming a casting director at arena stage in Washington, D.C. Dan goes to see plays, especially new ones, three or four nights a week, always talent-spotting: not long ago, "Theatre is where you see people at their best," Dan says. "You often see actors playing very much against type: that way, you get a great idea of their range."
What comes through most strongly, in talking to Dan, is how much he love actors: how far from secretive and intimidating they strive to be. "You have to like actors and value what they do," he says. "And want them to feel comfortable and nurtured. When they come for auditions, we meet them at the lift, give them water, tell them what to expect. Nerves do funny things to people. We've had a few people cry." They want the actor to succeed they rooting for you to do your best and want to cast you.
How does a casting director go from looking at a CV, a headshot, or even an actor on stage, to deciding that they're the embodiment of a character? I'm struck by how much of this seems to hinge on instinct. Dan points out, however, that it's the director's instinct that ultimately counts. "It's not about my vision," she says. "I could read a play and think, 'Oh, the perfect person for this part is whoever.' And then the director says, 'I see it like this.'"
I asked Dan an Asian Latino casting director his challenges of being a minority in a business that usually cast white actors. Dan states “many of the non-white actors I've interviewed over the years have felt excluded from lead roles, or confined to stereotypical parts. They all say they think about this a lot – and that things are changing for the better.” "Most people working on our side of the industry," says Dan, "have a completely open mind – it's just about finding the right person at the right time. And it's a much better time now for actors from ethnic minorities. There was a time when only white, middle-class kids thought they could be actors. Now, we have more black actors coming through."
Dan has one final reflection on her role. "It's a curious job. You're in a position of influence but not power: we don't ultimately decide who gets the job, but we can influence who's in the frame. It's not just about having an opinion – it's about having an informed opinion based on seeing work over a number of years." He laughs. "That's quite a hard slog."