"Do not compare your time to anyone else's" - Kate Lumpkin on Casting and Advice for Artists in 2020
Kevin Ray Johnson
It is my pleasure and honor to introduce you to Kate Lumpkin! Ms. Lumpkin is the founder and lead casting director of Kate Lumpkin Casting CSA.
As a casting director, Kate has worked on over 40 TV/Film productions(Orville, The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again) and 80 theatrical productions(Bandstand, We Are The Tigers) in New York City and across the USA including shows at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Actors Theatre of Louisville, and The A.R.T among many others. Kate also teaches workshops in New York and at numerous colleges and universities. She is a private coach to clients all around the world and is the Head of Education for The Broadway Collective. She is also one of the most approachable, kind-hearted people in the industry.
She is one of the positive beacons of this industry that will always leave you with a smile on your face and will remind you that anything is possible!
How old were you when you knew you wanted to have a career in the arts?
I was very young! I was about seven years old when I verbalized for the first time that I wanted to work in the arts! I don't think I truly understood what a "career" was, but I did know that there was nothing I enjoyed more. There was nowhere else I wanted to spend my time more than in a theatre.
Where did you study? Are there any people and or mentors who helped you on your journey?
I have a degree in Anthropology and Folklore from Indiana University and studied theatre at Ithaca College and The William Esper Studios in New York. I also spent summers at the NHSI Cherubs Program at Northwestern University and Interlochen Arts Camp.
There are so many amazing people who have helped mentor me and have shaped my career over the years. It would be impossible to list them all. However, the people who have truly shaped my artistic journey have been the educators in my life who pushed me to be more honest, more thorough in my research, more vulnerable, and more willing to do the work. I will forever be grateful for Allison Arkell Stockman, Jeff Parker, David Newer, Nancy Mayans, and Anne Pyburn -- all of whom challenged me to remember that I don't have all the answers, and I never will. What a glorious reminder, eh?
We are all living in a very unprecedented time. How have these times been for you and what is your daily routine like now?
To be perfectly frank, I have very little casting work at this time. I am working on some small readings, but all of the projects that I was working on were either canceled or postponed. So I decided to shift and spend my time helping to cultivate community and create free educational resources for creatives.
I started The NoMarking Society, which provides free health, wellness, and business classes for working professionals in the theatre community. I am dedicating my time to running and curating the programming as well as teaching on the platform. So far, we have over 100 hours of free classes that are available for the creative community to take on their own time.
I cannot express the respect I have for casting directors, and I personally think a lot of people take for granted how tough your job can be. Are there any moments or stories when it comes to casting a show that sticks out to you that will always be near and dear to your heart?
I think the best part of my job is that I get to see so many versions of what the show could ultimately be, and often, I am the only person who has that opportunity to see all of those options for each individual project. There are always so many ways that the show could end up being cast, and to be able to see so many brilliant performers tackle the material is such a dream. It is a magical gift. I also get to make phone calls that change people's lives. which I LOVE! I get to help people meet their new best friends or partners.
Every moment of my job is near and dear to me because you never know exactly which moment is going to be the moment when you know someone's life has changed forever. It keeps you on the edge of your seat for sure!
What advice would you give any aspiring artist during these crazy times?
Do whatever YOU need to do to be well. There is no "right" way to handle this. There is no pressure to create or be seen or show up or take classes. If that is serving you and making you feel whole, then go for it! If not, take this time to create days that fulfill you however best you can, but do not compare your time to anyone else's.
This is uncharted territory, so grant yourself grace and forgiveness as often as you need to.
To learn more about Kate and her journey make sure you visit her website at - http://www.kate-lumpkin.com