Think back to the last time you put together a tricky puzzle. Did you pick up a single puzzle piece and say “wow, what a perfect, beautiful piece. I think I will build my entire puzzle around it.” Well, probably not. Since we all know that beginning a puzzle we must look for at least a few pieces that fit together. Once we have 3 or 4 matching pieces then we’re on a roll. We can start to see the picture of the puzzle take shape.
This is exactly the same process in casting a show. The director may love a single piece, err, actor who is amazing, astonishing, spectacular! But unless that person matches up with the others, well, you just can’t try to fit the square peg in a round hole.
People often don’t understand when they are told they just didn’t “fit” the role. That can mean so many things! There can be 102 reasons why you didn’t fit. Here are a few that frequently occur:
- Look and Feel. Were you taller, shorter, bigger or smaller by far that the others auditioning? Do you have a very meek presence for a role that is aggressive? Sometimes we just can’t act away our look and who we are. (Haven’t we all seen some awkward youth productions where Sandy is 2 heads taller than Danny?) Even if Sandy was great, it’s still not a wise casting choice.
- Sound. Are you an alto trying your hardest to show your inner soprano? Or a bass reaching for tenor notes you (might) have? Sometimes we as performers think we can mold ourselves into any vocal part. But more often it’s not a measure of range; it’s an issue of timbre (or tone quality) that you just can’t fake.
- Chemistry. An awkward pair of performers can ruin the whole feel of the show. I’m not speaking of only romantic situations. A mother-daughter, friend-friend, or brother-sister pair that doesn’t work can really throw a kink in how well the audience buys what you’re selling.
- One Threat short of a triple. A role that requires you to act, sing and dance well usually can’t be faked. Are you an actor-singer who has two left feet? Or a dancer who can usually act and sing enough to get by? Sometimes it’s the one skill you’re uneasy about that will award the role to someone else.
Many times there are 12 candidates for the same role who by talent alone would all qualify. As mentioned, there are many more reasons why you could possibly NOT get your desired role. What’s important to remember is: if you are the right piece of the puzzle, you will... and with some persistence and dedication, someday you’ll be the perfect missing piece of the puzzle.
