Actors Deserve a Timely Yes or No After Community Theatre Auditions

by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder

Recently, I was catching up with an old friend who is active in their local theatre scene. She had been called back for an upcoming production of “Oklahoma” and was up for the role of Laurie. This was a dream role for her. The callback session was held on a Tuesday. She thought she did well and was proud of her efforts during the callback. She was told by the director “we’ll let you know as soon as possible”.

The days went by and she didn’t hear anything from the theatre. By Friday, she didn’t know if she should reach out to the theatre and follow up. She decided to give it the weekend. By the following week, still no word.

Finally, on the following Friday, 10 days after callbacks, she saw the cast list had been posted on the theatre’s Facebook page and her name wasn’t on it. The theatre never reached out to let her know.

To add insult to injury, because she was waiting to hear if she had gotten her dream role, she had no auditioned for other shows in other local theatres and missed out on some great opportunities.

Unfortunately, this is a story I’ve head many times before. Some community theatres, whether due to a lack of resources, organization, or communication, tend to leave actors in a holding pattern for days, even weeks. This uncertainty can be disheartening for performers who put their heart and soul into their auditions, sometimes leaving them questioning their talent or the value of their time and effort.

Community theatre actors deserve a timely yes or no after auditions, not just as a professional courtesy but as a fundamental show of respect for their time, energy, and passion.

Community theatre actors often juggle a variety of commitments, from full-time jobs to family responsibilities and other personal obligations. Many of these performers dedicate their evenings and weekends to the craft they love, making considerable sacrifices to attend auditions and rehearsals. The least that theatres can do in return is to respect the time that actors have invested by providing timely feedback.

When casting decisions are delayed, actors may find themselves in a state of limbo, unsure whether to commit to other projects, auditions, or personal plans. This uncertainty can be both stressful and frustrating, especially if they have auditioned for multiple productions. By promptly communicating casting decisions, theatres demonstrate an understanding of the actor’s time constraints, allowing them to make informed decisions about their schedules.

In the professional world, casting decisions are usually communicated quickly because directors and producers understand that actors need to plan their lives around potential gigs. Community theatres, though often operating on a smaller scale, should strive to adopt similar standards.

In the end, it’s about fostering a respectful and professional environment that supports the creative process for everyone involved. A simple act of timely communication can strengthen the bonds within the theatre community, improve the audition experience, and ultimately enhance the quality of productions. Community theatre is about creating a space where everyone feels valued, and that starts with something as basic as letting an actor know where they stand.