Auditions are hard! Here at WHBPAC, we admire our students so much for being willing to put themselves out there and demonstrating courage way beyond their years. We also know that our casting decisions have the potential to disappoint some of our students. While there is much to be gained from dancing in the ensemble or singing in the chorus – the PAC Arts Academy distinguishes itself from other performing arts institutions by making sure that every child shines on stage.
Please remember that all casting decisions are made by professional teaching artists who are educated, qualified, and have an exorbitant amount of teaching and arts education experience, working in their respective fields. While they are committed to putting on the best production possible, their priority is to cast each child in a role best suited for them. Please respect our directors’ decisions.
Here’s what we take into consideration when we cast:
- Preparation for the audition
- The child’s age AND experience
- Growth potential
- Capacity for specific roles
- If we have worked with the child before – behavior and attitude in previous programs
This is an Arts Academy – NOT a professional producing company. What’s most important to us is that students are placed in roles that are suitable to their current capacity while allowing them to explore and grow. Level of role is not guaranteed year to year. But casting is balanced based on individual capabilities as well as collective synergy.
With all of this in mind – following are some casting guidelines.
WHAT WE WILL DO:
- Provide feedback to student inquiries about the audition. The response will include kind and constructive critique and specific advice about where to most effectively direct efforts for improvement.
- Help describe what goes into casting a show. Casting is a challenging and complicated process, involving multiple variables.
- Give parents advice for managing disappointment.
- Encourage ongoing training with us, which comes through continued participation in our programs.
- Encourage participants to watch and learn from older, more experienced students.
- Cap our enrollment numbers appropriately so that all students will shine.
WHAT WE WON’T DO
- Reconsider a casting decision. Once a casting decision has been made, it is final. The casting team will not offer explanations for, entertain complaints about, or discuss in any way the decisions that have been made, with anyone.
- Discuss other students’ roles with parents or guardians.
- Stand for negative discussion about casting with students and other parents. Chances are, if you model positivity in regard to casting, your child will be positive about their role as well.
Teaching life skills through the performing arts is a task we take seriously. Basking in the peaks and learning from the valleys in the process of life and art help create empathetic and understanding human beings. We look forward to the growth in humanity in all of our students, youth and adult through the experiences and opportunities we offer.
Justin Harris Director, Arts Academy