At the Actor's Audition

Who is the Most Important Person in the Audition Room?

Feb 14, 2009

This is a Show Business Logic Puzzle... that may clarify a very important aspect of auditioning.

Get your thinking caps on, because here’s the riddle. You walk into the room at an audition to do your monologue/scene. In the room are four people; you the actor, the director, the producer/client, and the casting director. Of the four, who is the most important person in the room as it pertains to you and your career?

The Usual Suspects

"Important in what respect?" you might say. Well, strictly speaking, an audition is your time to show the auditors how well you have prepared your monologue or scene. They've given you an opportunity to perform and impress them with your talent. So, in that sense, one could say that you, the actor, are the most important person in the room... but that's not the correct answer.

“It's the director, then!" Nope. Yes, the director will be picking the cast for this project and you've wanted to work with this person for quite some time and you've worked really hard on this audition in order to land this role, and while she is very important she is not the most important person in the room.

Some might think that the producer/client is the most important person in the room. After all, he or she is the one putting up all the money for the project. Well, if you're thinking in terms of politics, money and power, then yes, he or she could be the most important person in the room. But as it pertains to you and your career, he or she falls short and that answer is incorrect as well.

So who are we left with? That's right - the casting directoris the most important person in the room. Some of you may be thinking, "But she just arranged the audition for the director and producer/client. She doesn’t get to hire anyone. What gives?"

After the Audition

And there is the answer to the riddle. While the director and producer may call you in to audition for their next project, it might be months or even years away. As for yourself, you must keep striving to do your best at every audition and grow as a performer. Otherwise, you’re going to turn in lousy work and eventually the phone will stop ringing.

So in the long run, your relationship with the casting director(s), and their opinion of you, your type and your talent, will have the greatest impact on your career. If you can impress them and show them what you're capable of doing as a performer then they will think of you again and again when putting together their audition list for the next project they are casting. But how do you remind them that you're still out there auditioning, networking, taking class and working? Well... that's a riddle for another day.

The copyright of the article At the Actor's Audition in Acting & Directing is owned by Sean Pratt. Permission to republish At the Actor's Audition in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.