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Thursday, November 07, 2019
ACT hosted public tryouts to cast 'Rocky Horror.' This is who showed up
Datebook: Some came in hot pants, fishnets, towering high heels, thick eyeliner, lacy corsets. Others went more idiosyncratic: wearing a giant turtle shell straight out of a “Super Mario” game, Spider-Man spandex, goat horns, a peacock feather vest, a shark suit.
7 comments:
Sierra Young
said...
I think this is such an interesting and cool way of finding new and diverse talent. A lot of the time in shows at theatre like this, they cast people who are the cookie cutter version of a character. What's so exciting about the Rocky Horror Show is that there is no cookie cutter version of the characters. It's a celebration of people who are unapologetically themselves. This is what I think is so intriguing about the idea of having an open call for people to just come as they are and sing a song because they want to. My favorite part of the article was when the author mentioned the casting call didn't say "32 bars" or anything, it just said sing a song you want to sing. That's such an interesting way to get people who might ignore a poster like that to come out of their shell and audition.
How exciting! Public auditions are such a whirlwind. You truly never know who you are going to get to show up! I think it is important to have more of these so you can get the most diverse pool of people in your space. I also like that they tried to make it feel as low stakes as possible. Asking them to show up in costumes? Wow, what a fun idea! It takes a lot of the stress and worry that comes from auditions. You can just be silly and have fun, which is what Rocky Horror Picture Show needs! Also asking them to sing whatever they want is also a good way to ease the tension. Like Sierra said, it gives people the chance to be unapologetic about WHO they are. To those who are cast are going to remember that audition and it will bring a strong and fun energy to the rehearsal room.
This is such an amazing way to find new talent for shows. Also, I just love the idea of encouraging the people who are auditioning to come in a Halloween costume. I know people who have gone to auditions dressed as the character you're auditioning for, and I've always been told that that's really not something you want to do. However, when I saw this, it made my day because the opportunity to go to an audition just in A costume rarely presents itself. Especially an opportunity where costumes are encouraged. I love the image of the person dressed as Spiderman waiting to audition because if you were to show someone that picture they wouldn't think much of it. It looks like just another picture from Halloween. But then you hit them with "All of these people are waiting to audition for Rocky Horror, it instantly becomes such an iconic photo. I'd love to find out who got what roles and what costume they wore to their audition!
I think open auditions are super cool! Especially for such a cult show! They knew a lot of talented and passionate people showed up. People who like Rocky Horror really love it, so there was no way incredibly passionate and unapologetic people wouldn't show up and show out! I love the idea of an open call of this nature because it's a great way to cast unknowns rather than already established actors who always get jobs anyways. There's so much talent out there that has yet to be discovered because very few shows have casting calls like this. Though I've never seen Sam Pinkleton's direction, I really enjoyed his choreography in Great Comet and think he's incredibly talented! So, it's really cool to see him do some interesting and experimental things! I think it's super fun that so many people chose to wore costumes! I know people usually wear neutral things to auditions so they can fit the "mold," but this seemed to be the opposite of what Pinkleton and the production team wanted. They seemed to want the actors to show their personality in their clothing choices, which I think is really cool. And it was Halloween, so it's fun! All in all, I think that more shows should cast like this! I think it really allows for unknown performers to shine!
This is such a cool idea for casting - especially at an institution that typically puts on more “professional” productions. I think that it’s very in the spirit of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, too; I mean, that’s what “Rocky Horror” is - especially when it has a shadow cast - is people dressing up and just having fun. Why not cast it in that same spirit? I really like that the phrasing on the audition posters was specifically designed to not be intimidating to actors who maybe do not act professionally by not using phrases like “32 bars” or not asking for a headshot or a résumé. People who are into “Rocky Horror” are typically, like, really into “Rocky Horror” so I’m sure that there was no limit of passion in that audition space. In that space, too, the show is sure to cast people who are there for more reason than a paycheque.
I love this way of casting for media. Too often do shows focus on the name of the stars and how much money they can make them rather than actual talent and who they feel fits the role best. With this method, the director is able to see the individual in their rawest form displaying their talent. It is even better that they got to do it in costume. It captures the spirit of the show they are auditioning for, but it also gives the director an insight into their personality. It makes the audition fun for those trying out, and by the looks of the photos, that seems to be exactly what happened. Hopefully more directors can take inspiration after this. The entertainment industry is in need of new faces and talent. This encouragement to the public give confidence and connection to those involved and that is something worth promoting.
I love the Rocky Horror Show. I do not like it when people try to make it something that it is not. There is a certain artistry there that needs to be defined. While I think that open auditions can be a really good thing in some cases, I'm a little skeptical about them for a theatre piece that requires singing and dancing (in high heels no less). I am a devoted RHPS fan. I production staged managed the show as a senior project for my undergrad. I have been to more midnight showings than I care to admit. I am sure that the director can do some magic here on this one but I think for me, the open audition process doesn’t cut it, at least not for this piece. There is a cult following to this show and a devoted fan base that can quickly turn against a production if they feel that production is trying to be too over the top. While the Rocky Horror Show is over the top, there does come a point when you can go way more over the top and actually ruin the piece. I’ve seen more than one production that has done that. So Kudos for being open and wanting to pull from a diverse group of people, but I’m still on the fence about how this will turn out in the end.
7 comments:
I think this is such an interesting and cool way of finding new and diverse talent. A lot of the time in shows at theatre like this, they cast people who are the cookie cutter version of a character. What's so exciting about the Rocky Horror Show is that there is no cookie cutter version of the characters. It's a celebration of people who are unapologetically themselves. This is what I think is so intriguing about the idea of having an open call for people to just come as they are and sing a song because they want to. My favorite part of the article was when the author mentioned the casting call didn't say "32 bars" or anything, it just said sing a song you want to sing. That's such an interesting way to get people who might ignore a poster like that to come out of their shell and audition.
How exciting! Public auditions are such a whirlwind. You truly never know who you are going to get to show up! I think it is important to have more of these so you can get the most diverse pool of people in your space. I also like that they tried to make it feel as low stakes as possible. Asking them to show up in costumes? Wow, what a fun idea! It takes a lot of the stress and worry that comes from auditions. You can just be silly and have fun, which is what Rocky Horror Picture Show needs! Also asking them to sing whatever they want is also a good way to ease the tension. Like Sierra said, it gives people the chance to be unapologetic about WHO they are. To those who are cast are going to remember that audition and it will bring a strong and fun energy to the rehearsal room.
This is such an amazing way to find new talent for shows. Also, I just love the idea of encouraging the people who are auditioning to come in a Halloween costume. I know people who have gone to auditions dressed as the character you're auditioning for, and I've always been told that that's really not something you want to do. However, when I saw this, it made my day because the opportunity to go to an audition just in A costume rarely presents itself. Especially an opportunity where costumes are encouraged. I love the image of the person dressed as Spiderman waiting to audition because if you were to show someone that picture they wouldn't think much of it. It looks like just another picture from Halloween. But then you hit them with "All of these people are waiting to audition for Rocky Horror, it instantly becomes such an iconic photo. I'd love to find out who got what roles and what costume they wore to their audition!
I think open auditions are super cool! Especially for such a cult show! They knew a lot of talented and passionate people showed up. People who like Rocky Horror really love it, so there was no way incredibly passionate and unapologetic people wouldn't show up and show out! I love the idea of an open call of this nature because it's a great way to cast unknowns rather than already established actors who always get jobs anyways. There's so much talent out there that has yet to be discovered because very few shows have casting calls like this. Though I've never seen Sam Pinkleton's direction, I really enjoyed his choreography in Great Comet and think he's incredibly talented! So, it's really cool to see him do some interesting and experimental things! I think it's super fun that so many people chose to wore costumes! I know people usually wear neutral things to auditions so they can fit the "mold," but this seemed to be the opposite of what Pinkleton and the production team wanted. They seemed to want the actors to show their personality in their clothing choices, which I think is really cool. And it was Halloween, so it's fun! All in all, I think that more shows should cast like this! I think it really allows for unknown performers to shine!
This is such a cool idea for casting - especially at an institution that typically puts on more “professional” productions. I think that it’s very in the spirit of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, too; I mean, that’s what “Rocky Horror” is - especially when it has a shadow cast - is people dressing up and just having fun. Why not cast it in that same spirit? I really like that the phrasing on the audition posters was specifically designed to not be intimidating to actors who maybe do not act professionally by not using phrases like “32 bars” or not asking for a headshot or a résumé. People who are into “Rocky Horror” are typically, like, really into “Rocky Horror” so I’m sure that there was no limit of passion in that audition space. In that space, too, the show is sure to cast people who are there for more reason than a paycheque.
I love this way of casting for media. Too often do shows focus on the name of the stars and how much money they can make them rather than actual talent and who they feel fits the role best. With this method, the director is able to see the individual in their rawest form displaying their talent. It is even better that they got to do it in costume. It captures the spirit of the show they are auditioning for, but it also gives the director an insight into their personality. It makes the audition fun for those trying out, and by the looks of the photos, that seems to be exactly what happened. Hopefully more directors can take inspiration after this. The entertainment industry is in need of new faces and talent. This encouragement to the public give confidence and connection to those involved and that is something worth promoting.
I love the Rocky Horror Show. I do not like it when people try to make it something that it is not. There is a certain artistry there that needs to be defined. While I think that open auditions can be a really good thing in some cases, I'm a little skeptical about them for a theatre piece that requires singing and dancing (in high heels no less). I am a devoted RHPS fan. I production staged managed the show as a senior project for my undergrad. I have been to more midnight showings than I care to admit. I am sure that the director can do some magic here on this one but I think for me, the open audition process doesn’t cut it, at least not for this piece. There is a cult following to this show and a devoted fan base that can quickly turn against a production if they feel that production is trying to be too over the top. While the Rocky Horror Show is over the top, there does come a point when you can go way more over the top and actually ruin the piece. I’ve seen more than one production that has done that. So Kudos for being open and wanting to pull from a diverse group of people, but I’m still on the fence about how this will turn out in the end.
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