When Auditions are Bad, They’re Very Very Bad
Initially I didn’t intend to write anything negative about any of the schools’ auditions. But I started thinking that it would be unfair to leave you with the idea that all schools’ audition/application processes are sunshine and roses. They are not. I’m not going to mention names here. My hope is that they’re cleaning up their act and next year will be better. We can hope. If you twist my arm I may tell you who it is.
To start, you get a real sense of a school by the manner in which they manage their applications process and auditions. This particular school sent their notification of academic acceptance through a very ineffective portal. It actually took several days for them to figure out how to let my kid know whether or not she was academically accepted. They are definitely not tech geniuses. After going back a forth they finally got the link straightened out and she got her answer.
Once we passed the academic acceptance hurdle we then had to get her registered for her audition. This was the only school we encountered out of eighteen that required all letters of recommendation, audition forms and check for payment of the audition fee of $50 be sent via snail mail. Not only were they so antiquated, but they also required that it was sent via USPS certified, with a return receipt. All other schools managed everything online with blissful precision. In addition to requiring it to be sent via USPS, they supplied an address that the postman said was not able to be confirmed. So they wouldn’t guarantee the delivery. This, after spending $8+ to send it certified with a return receipt. At that point I just couldn’t care any more. If it didn’t make it, so be it.
This school fell very short in the efficiency department. The USPS didn’t help either. The return receipt never came back. The only way I knew (or hoped) they received the package was that the check was cashed. After a month of waiting for an audition confirmation, we finally did get one the day before we were flying out to the audition. SHEESH!
My kid auditioned for this particular school on the second day of NY Unifieds. Up until that point everyone had been a delight. The whole audition process was exceeding my expectations by far. Even the schools who accept fourteen kids out of thousands were very nice. So when my daughter experienced this unnamed school’s scent of bullshit, it struck her as funny. Now let me say that out of eighteen auditions, sixteen were very kind, interactive and a complete joy. One school showed little interaction but was pleasant, and this one was downright rude.
When my daughter walked into the room they ignored her. After a minute of silence one of them looked up and said, “ok.” Assuming she was supposed to slate and go, she just ran through her material. Mind you, all the other schools asked what monologue are you doing or what songs are you doing, and actually spoke to the kids. Not this shit show. I paid these people $50 to have one of them look up and interact briefly and the other two to barely look up at all. I’m glad I raised a strong and self-assured kid. Because she walked out laughing at them and their level of rude disconnect. You know you’re a sad little adult when a seventeen year old recognizes you’re the one who’s the social moron.
As she said, “I didn’t even really want to go there. They’re not that great of a school. I mean, they were a back up.” *teenager laughter* Tell me, I wonder as an adult, how do they feel acting like this is ok? This business is chock full of egos and assholery. I wish them luck. Because people talk. And MT moms are the talkiest moms ever.
But wait. There’s more. After her audition the only one to have looked up and interacted during her monologue and songs came out after a minute and took my daughter aside. She told her she had a great audition and she’s certain she’ll find a place at a great school, but they were “casting” their class and this was not going to be the school for my daughter. Uh ya, no kidding, lady.
This is show business. I get it. I get casting. I get a general acceptance of perceived discrimination in the name of casting. This is the world these kids are buying into. And I was 100% A-ok with this lady telling my kid that their school isn’t for her. Because we had already determined this on our own. What some of these schools seem to have yet to figure out is that these kids are auditioning them as much as they’re auditioning the kids.
I’ll leave you to stew on this one. The kids were asked to fill out a form on which one of the questions read, “Do you have a weight problem?” And then there was another form the auditioners filled out that the kids were allowed to see that had check boxes: under weight, over weight, ideal weight. People, it’s one thing to practice “casting,” aka industry-accepted discrimination. But completely another to stick it in the faces of impressionable teens. If this school offered my kid a full ride, it would be turned down flat.
Another girl in this school’s dance call had an auditioner take the form from her and scratch out where she’d circled “ideal weight” and circled the “over weight” box. She was right there and saw this happen and was devastated. She was barely able to finish the dance call and was in tears. This is not ok. These are teens who are prone to negative body self image and worse, eating disorders. How dare these people think that this is ok. It is NOT.
We can spark a dialogue about casting in this industry. And some will justify this behavior. But the bottom line is that it happens because we let it happen. The industry is seeing changes and people of different size and color are being hired for their talent. We as patrons need to support this, and steer clear of those who still feel that size or color trump talent. It doesn’t. Keala Settle can create a captivating character just as well as Sutton Foster. I think theater patrons are more ready for a change than directors. Can we shake this up, please?
So here’s where I’m starting to exercise my voice and a mom and a patron. (Cuz guess who’s paying the tens of thousands of dollars for the education you’re trying to sell?) What this school is doing is unacceptable. It’s vile. A couple of weeks ago their admissions department sent my daughter a pair of socks as a marketing effort. I’ve decided these socks are going back with a letter.
“I’ve surveyed my sock drawer. And after careful evaluation, the size and quality of these socks is incongruent with the needs of my current inventory. Thank you for applying. However we will be rejecting you at this time. P.S. your particular method of fat shaming in the name of “casting” is despicable. Congratulations on lowering the bar to a new level.”
I knew going into this that there would be some OMG moments. To be honest I thought there would be more. But this school surprised me with what they were actually capable of. It’s been an eye-opening ride. Fortunately we’ve only tripped over one bad apple. I have a feeling this one will clean up their act next year. Let’s hope no one will try to take their place in the hall of shame.
