The Top 5 People Who Decide What’s ‘Good’ In This Industry

What does it mean to be “Good?” More importantly, who decides what that means?

In an industry that is more often more subjective than we care to admit, we are constantly looking for a definition of “good.” Why? Because “good” actors book work and who doesn’t want to book work, right? 

One thing that I’ve noticed during my time in the industry - both as an actor and as a coach - we sometimes have this crazy idea of who has the power to decide if we are good or not. We actively seek out the opinion of people who don't always have the power or the true knowledge to make that call.

For the purposes of this article, I am going to define “good” as “someone we will want to hire for a role” OR “someone who will book work.” In our industry, that’s really what matters. If you disagree with me, prove I’m wrong. 

Now, there is a difference between being “good” and “booking work.” You can be good and not book work. That’s just the way the casting process works. But often times I do see people who are honestly sold a bill of goods by teachers and coaches who are saying that their work is good and “that’s what the industry wants” when in reality they are basing their information off of the wrong people. 

Often times, their feedback comes from other teachers and what they’ve heard other teachers say. Unless those other teachers can back up their feedback with a source that is one of the following people, I’d really question the source.

These are the Top 5 People Who I Believe Are Allowed to Make Decisions on “Good” in Our Industry: 

5) Music Directors

Music Directors have a decent amount of say when it comes to casting. They evaluate the color of someone’s voice, their musicality, and some even evaluate the technique to see if they trust the performer to sing the show for the whole run. Most of the time, they are not evaluating based off of “good technique” but rather trusting the singer to use “healthy technique” that is appropriate for the role. More importantly Music Directors are in the room watching basically every audition. They are seeing all of the performances and comparing them. They are also privy to the conversations between the next two people on the list, which gives them the opportunity to really see and hear what is being looked for. Music Directors can be great sources of information about the audition process. 

4) Producers

The keepers of the money! Producers have a lot of say in how casting ends up happening in a show. Some producers are very hands on in the casting process and want to sit in on the callbacks and find people that they feel really sell the characters and their story. Others wait until final callbacks to have veto power over the rest of the team’s final choices. Then there are those that aren’t really part of the process at all and trust their directors to make those tough casting calls. BUT because casting does impact the bottom line in terms of ticket sales, most producers are interested in the casting process and know what they want. They need to know what sells. Who you cast can be a marketing decision as much as an artistic decision and these people know how to sell a show. They might not always have the technical jargon to explain what and why it works, but they feel it and know it when it happens. They see it from an audience perspective which is truly the key good casting. 

3) Directors

In most cases, Directors are the ones that make the decisions in casting - especially in a regional theatre setting. I didn’t realize how auditioning really works until I sat on the other side of the table my first time as an assistant director. Things that I NEVER would have guessed mattered make a HUGE impact on whether or not someone is cast. Things that actors (and their teachers) often feel are SO important, barely even register. As a director, I can honestly say that you may be the best person in the room that day and I still won’t be able to cast you based entirely off of what I need that day. I can also say that if you are good, the bar is a lot higher. Casting is all about checking boxes - not about talent or technique. Directors look for options. In casting, you want as many good options as you can possibly get because the puzzle only works one way. You as the actor have to fit into the puzzle that is the rest of the cast. Just because you are the best actor or singer does not mean you will get the lead or even be cast in the show. We may absolutely LOVE you as a person and want so badly to cast you, but we can’t because you don’t fit in the puzzle with everyone else who auditioned. Directors know what they are looking for and what boxes we want to see you check. Directors don’t look for perfection, they look for potential. Potential to see the character come from within you. Potential for the audience to believe that you really ARE the character they are trying to cast. More importantly, they know what they see when they watch your audition - which is different than anyone else on the team. A director’s eye is unique. Learning from them is so important. 

2) Agents

Just like a Producer, Agents look for what sells. They know what people want to buy. They know how you come across. This industry is not about talent. It’s about selling a product. Or maybe more accurately the solution to a problem. Agents connect with casting teams all the time pitching actors as solutions to a problem - “I know you’re casting (insert role here), my client is PERFECT for this role because they…” They know what they are going to be able to sell and what the casting teams are going to want to buy. Agents help actors get in the room. So much of an agent’s job is using their relationships with the casting teams to get actors in for appointments. Those relationships are built on trust that they are sending in good and qualified talent for the projects the teams are casting. Agents don’t sign talent they don’t feel they can sell or promote. Just like any other salesperson, they know what people want to buy and how to get them to buy it. Taking workshops with agents and listening to their feedback is a very valuable way of learning what is currently happening trend wise in the industry, because no one is more up to date on what is working than the agents. 

1) Casting Directors

These are my FAVORITE people to learn from because not only do they get to make decisions, they are actor advocates. They want every actor to succeed. The number of times I have heard CD’s say their job is more fun when the actors are good is off the charts. Casting Directors can’t do their job if the actors aren’t good. They WANT actors to be successful because it gives them more options to share with the rest of the casting team. Most Casting Directors are advocates for the actors they see. They may be stone faced in the room, but they wouldn’t do what they do if they didn’t love watching actors do their work every single day. Casting Directors know what they like, but they also know what the directors and the producers like. They know what works in the room and what doesn’t. They watch THOUSANDS of auditions a year both in person and on tape. When an actor leaves the room, they know what makes them excited to see more of that actor and often what they wish the actor showed them more of. Most of them WISH they had the time to share that information with every single actor so that the next time they come in they can be blown away by what they accomplished. No CD wants an actor to fail in the room. Every one of them wants you to succeed. If they are offering information, TAKE IT! Study it. Learn from them. They will truly give you the best advice. 

If you notice, this list does not include college faculty. It does not include voice teachers or coaches. It does not include other performers. These people NEED to be reactionary to what the people above truly want to see. It is important that we take the time and learn what the “powers that be” really want so that we can make informed decisions. 

Actors: 

Take workshops with these people. Pay attention not just to the notes they give you on your work, but more importantly on the notes they give to the other performers. I always feel I learn more from the advice given to the other performers than I do the advice given to me. Write down everything. BUT before you make drastic adjustments to your rep, your look, your headshots, your resume, etc. take multiple workshops with different industry people. Compare the notes and the feedback. Everyone will have different opinions - welcome to this industry! But there will be things that people seem to agree on. THOSE are the things you change and adjust. Note who says what and record those things in a notebook or a spread sheet so that when you do audition for them, you know what things they like to see and show them that you listened to and learned from their feedback. PLAY THE GAME. 

Teachers / Coaches: 

It is very easy to live in our echo chamber of listening to other teachers and referring to them as “experts.” While they are experts, they are experts in teaching Musical Theatre or teaching Acting. They do not make the decisions on what is good or not. Inform yourself by researching people who the powers that be say are good sources of information. Read articles in Backstage, watch interviews with Casting Directors, read posts or books by Directors and Music Directors, etc. Attend workshops yourself as a participant and take notes. Don’t listen for information that confirms what you are already teaching, listen for what they say that you don’t agree with or that doesn’t fit into your current schema of how the industry works. Connect with colleagues - both teachers and coaches - who have clients who are actively working in the industry. Connect with local directors and ask about what they look for in the audition room. Read books on directing and music directing for the stage written by people who actually do it every day. Take directing classes at your local college or connect with a coach or teacher who does know the industry and who works with other teachers who you could study with. Remember, the mark of a good teacher or coach in this industry is not their resume or degrees, but the success of their clients. If their clients are achieving their career goals, they must be doing something right. 

All of that said, GOOD teachers and coaches can be an invaluable information source for you - a conduit to this information. I know I seem like I’m coming down hard on teachers / coaches when I am a coach myself. I’m saying this to hold myself and my colleagues accountable. Not everyone is an expert and not every one is deserving of our need for approval. Expert coaches know how the game is played and can help you avoid mistakes before they happen. They know the game AND they know you as a person. They take the time to get to know you so that you can filter the information in a way that allows you to be successful in making your goals happen. Every client will have different goals and measures of success. What works for one person (or what worked for the coach in their career) may not work for you and your goals. Make sure your teacher / coach understands what your goals are and make sure that your teacher / coach is accountable to their success. Don’t seek your teacher or your coach’s validation in whether you are good or not. They have no power to get you work. But YOU have the power to keep them working. Make sure they are working for you and giving you the information that is moving you forward. Seek their support and their knowledge, not their praise or approval. Make sure they truly feel like they are part of your team as an equal player. If you feel that isn’t happening, maybe look for new members for your team.

We constantly seek approval in this industry. We want to know that our work is GOOD. When you seek advice and that approval, make sure it is coming from a source that actually can back it up. The industry is constantly changing and looking for different things. Stay informed. Know who has the ability to make decisions and who doesn’t. Make business moves based off of what will get you booked - not the approval of an authority figure. If you know what you’re doing and how to play the game, they will hire you. It’s that simple. It’s not about being good, it’s about getting the job. 

If you have questions about this or what to know more ways to learn from these industry leaders, feel free to connect with me. I’d love to help you figure out this game. 

You’re Awesome. Be Awesome. See You Soon.

Best Wishes!

- Nate