Assignment 2 - 2 Job Roles from a production house theatre

2 Job Roles

From the hierarchical structure of a production house I then had to chose 2 job roles which one of which should involve casting. Fully investigate how the people employed in these roles function and the qualifications and experience required to do the job successfully.

The job roles that I have chosen are;  Casting Director and Stage Manager.

Casting Director

The main way realistically to become a casting director is to have experience in work  as a casting assistant/casting associate. There are no particular educational requirements however experience is essential and key. People seeking work as a Casting Director can increase their opportunities by completing bachelor degrees or taking classes in theatre or film production, acting, or business. 
Casting directors typically work on a freelance basis, charging a set fee for each production in which they are involved in. They must possess strong interpersonal and communication abilities, because they work closely with producers, directors, writers, casting agents, and talent agencies. Being a casting director also requires a flexible schedule, because the job requires long hours and often frequent travel to find talent or meet with producers, directors, and other key production staff. 
Casting Directors read scripts and collaborate with producers, directors, and writers to create breakdown notices, which are brief descriptions of the physical attributes, skills, and experience needed in actors to portray and play particular characters. With the help of casting assistants, casting directors submit these breakdown notices to agents and talent agencies. Casting directors then receive actors headshots and Cv's, which they must select the most qualified actors and schedule them for auditions, often with the help of casting assistants.

Depending on the size of a production, a casting director may hold an initial round of auditions and personally decide which actors to call back for the producer and director. After each round of auditions, the casting director becomes responsible for notifying and scheduling selected actors for additional rounds of auditions, until a final casting decision is made. Although the decision of which actors to cast is ultimately up to directors or producers, casting agents often directly influence the decision of which actor is cast for a particular role. 

Here is a video clip of an interview from a LA Casting Director - Gabrielle Evans and she is talking about the casting process, what makes her call an actor in for auditions, what she expects from actors during acting auditions, gives advice to new and aspiring actors on how to start an acting career 

Stage Manager

The entry requirements for becoming a stage manager is that although this area of work is open to all graduates, the following subjects may increase your chances:

• performing arts;
• drama/theatre studies;
• music

Some drama schools offer specific degrees in subjects such as theatre stage management and technical theatre which can boost the best opportunities for candidates applying for a stage manager. Entry with an HND (Higher National Diploma) is also possible and relevant subjects include performing arts and technical theatre. It is also possible to enter the profession without a degree or HND, however this will be at a junior level such as a member of the stage crew. people may then be able to work their way up to the role of an assistant stage manager and then progress further. It is extremely useful to have practical experience of theatre work and this will increase the chance of finding work once having completed qualifications. Trying to gain experience through student, community or amateur theatre groups and get involved in as many different areas of the theatre as possible is a great way of gaining theatre experience for the application of a stage manager.

A stage manager must have a range of skills. Candidates need to show evidence of the following:

• Excellent communication and organisational skills;
• A sharp eye for detail;
• A sense of humour and the ability to stay calm in a crisis;
• People skills: persuasiveness, patience, tact and the ability to deal with 'artistic temperaments';
• Computer skills and awareness of current technologies;
• The ability to work under pressure, especially in the run-up to a performance;
• Problem-solving skills and the ability to think on your feet;
• Confidence, decision-making ability and negotiation skills;
• Stamina, to cope with long hours during technical and dress rehearsals, and for touring.

Here is a video of an interview with Jason Daunter who is the stage manager for 'Wicked' in the states. He speaks about his job roles of being a Stage Manager.