The Basics--Casting II

So what to do when you're not Tom Cruise...

Everyday, roles are cast in plays, movies, musicals, television shows, video games, commercials, etc; Here's how it works:

The casting director first posts a "breakdown" of the production's details including rehearsal/shooting dates, audition information, and character descriptions that provide an idea of what the creative team/producers are looking for. Here's an example of a breakdown:

TARZAN, A New Musical - NY/LA/ALL US
Theatre
BROADWAY PRODUCTION
AEA PRODUCTION CONTRACT

Producer: Disney Theatrical Productions
Director: Bob Crowley
Choreographer: Meryl Tankard
Music and Lyrics: Phil Collins
Book: David Henry Hwang
Music Producer: Paul Bogaev
Adapted from the screenplay by Tab Murphy and Bob Tzudiker and Noni White
Based on the novel “TARZAN OF THE APES” by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Associate Director: Jeff Lee
Casting: Casting Agent
Auditions: Begin late May
Broadway Production: 2005-06 Season

PLEASE SEND ALL SUBMISSIONS (IN A SEPARATE ENVELOPE FROM OTHER PROJECTS) ASAP TO:CASTING AGENT ADDRESS NY, NY ATTN: TARZAN

NOTE: PERFORMERS OF ALL CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS ARE ENCOURAGED FOR SUBMISSION.

SEEKING ACTORS TO PLAY THE FOLLOWING ROLES:

[TARZAN AS ADULT] To play male in his 20s. Caught between the world of gorillas and the world of humans, he is a human raised by a family of apes in the African jungle. We must identify with him and care about him and his emotional journey. Charming, sexy, vulnerable, lots of humanity, animal-like. Physically lean but toned, a swimmer’s body--NOT a muscle man. Strong upper body strength, physical, agile, fearless, must be very comfortable with movement. His body must be at one with the environment. Will fly. Needs a terrific pop/rock singing voice. LEAD

[JANE] To play English female in her 20s. Attractive, vulnerable, gutsy, lots of vitality, adventurous, fearless, funny, and beguiling. The new woman of her time. Very witty with great comic timing and a wonderful energy, but also has a Victorian sweetness and refinement. Her falling in love for the first time—with Tarzan—is overwhelming to her. Must be game and be willing to be physical as Jane transforms into someone very courageous. Will fly. Needs a terrific pop/rock singing voice. LEAD

Who gets to see the breakdowns? Well, not actors--at least not legally. Yup, believe it or not, it is illegal for us to see the daily Breakdowns. Why? Well, imagine 100,000 actors in the US with access to everything being cast submitting themselves (headshot and resume) to casting directors in cities all over the country. 'Twould make for a pretty chaotic casting process.

Casting Directors release their breakdowns through a service called Breakdown Services Ltd.--this service then posts the casting directors' breakdowns online for only "licensed" patrons to view. (Before the days of the internet they were faxed or delivered.) Of course licensed talent agencies and managers must pay a fee (up to $300/month) to view the daily breakdowns. It's a racket but that's showbiz.

It wasn't always this way. A dear friend of mine, a true Broadway gypsy who's been in the business since the 1940s, once told me how it used to be...'it used to be that if you were good, you'd get work in a Jerome Robbins or Bob Fosse show, let's say through an open call...and then if he liked you, Bob Fosse would just pick up the phone and call you to offer you a role in his next show. What the hell's a breakdown?' ...Ah the good old days.

I guess at some point producers and directors got tired of dealing directly with actors, and the talent agent was born. Of course producers and directors eventually got tired of dealing directly with agents as well, and the casting director was born. Or maybe the casting directors came before the agents? The point is, there are now 2 tiers of people between an actor and an audition.

Naturally, in an attempt to reclaim control over their own careers, actors have come up with many ways to 'illegally' access the breakdowns. And Breakdown Services has come up with just as many ways to catch these evil-doers in the act (i.e. posting a breakdown with false contact information attached to catch actors submitting themselves to the wrong person for a job).

Beware! I know an actor who was actually sued by Breakdown Services for accessing the breakdowns illegally.

MORE TO COME...