Casting

Page Outline:

• Timeline for casting for 2020 programs

• Our Craft and Philosophy of Casting

• Goals for the different age groups

• Casting Process by age 12 and up, 10-11, 8-9
  

casting conversation and auditions for 2020
—All casting conversation and auditions take place in early may

Oregon 3-week camp, ages 10-14:  lead roles: students aged 12-14 (plus inspired 11-year olds)  Audition for part
                                         Supporting / medium roles: students aged 10-14 have a casting conversation
Oregon 1-week camp:  Students aged 10-11 interested in larger / solo parts have casting conversation
Oregon 3-week High School Program: Students aged 14-18 have casting conversations or auditions
Vermont 2-week program:  Students aged 10-18 have casting conversation by phone; ages 12-18 audition if desiring lead parts
 

Our Craft:  Meeting Each Age Group with the Best Theater Experience

Inspirations Youth Programs exist to give youth a theater experience that is right for their age.  We spend over 2000 hours per show crafting an original, full-length musical that we believe will meet them well, full of age-appropriate action, drama, humor, and songs. The young people take these shows on and put on an amazing performance.

Gender not an issue: Any Child can play Any Part in their Age Range

We invite any child to be considered for any role on stage if the part is within their age range (all students interested in lead or solo parts have a casting conversation or audition for placement). Some parts are designated female onstage, some male, and some unnamed, and we are fine with any child stepping up to these roles regardless of any gender identity they carry. That said, individuals preferring to be cast in only boy or only girl roles onstage (again, regardless of their own gender) will be cast as such.

Can young people really pull off these challenging roles?

Having worked in youth productions the past ~seven years, we have seen time and time again the acting ability, dedication, and memorization skills that children can bring—if given the chance. Here at Inspirations Theater we give these younger students the chance to step up to the roles that we feel they are truly capable of.

• Read about the Child Experience

Our goals and considerations for the different age groups

High-School Aged

We recognize that some high-school aged students want to take on smaller and group roles, and some would like to audition for leads. Both are fine for Inspirations programs. In addition, we often look to high-school aged students to act as mentors and examples for our younger students, with some paid / tuition remission opportunities as well.

CHILDREN 12 to 14

Children twelve and up have usually begun to explore their individualism in the world differently than they did in their earlier years. Here they have the chance to take on strong characters and larger roles in the play. We find this opportunity (and challenge) can really meet this age group as they get to know and balance their budding sense of self. At times we also cast this age grup in group parts, as sometimes that theater experience best meets the needs of that particular individual. Some students this age at our camp will have both an individualized part (or parts) and one or more group parts. Occasionally, children in this age group get involved in working with and mentoring the younger students.

10 - 11 Year olds

10-11 year olds have a certain sophistication and awakening of awareness very different than their earlier years. They are often ready for different challenges than they were even a few years before. We strive to meet this age by giving them both fun group parts and smaller individual roles—a few spoken lines in a street scene here, a short solo or small group part there.

On occasion, 11-year olds are chosen for  lead parts that typically go to the older students.  This age also has lead parts at our 1-week Oregon camp.

8 - 9 year olds

We feel the 8-9 year-olds can thrive best when cast in group roles onstage: they do not need the spotlight of individual attention at that early age--even if they can be quite expressive as individuals, which we love to see! These students get to live into our group roles as a team, with occasional small-group emphasis. Sometimes 9-year olds will work with the 10-11 year olds in our 1-week program.

These students also will get a chance for more expression as they rehearse then put on our in-camp mini-production of the play, to which parents and friends will be invited. 

              HOW CASTING WORKS

• Ages 12 and older:

Students aged 12 and up can either

• express interest in a lead role (or roles) when they apply

• ask to be considered for smaller parts and/or group parts instead.

If they are applying for a role that has solo singing, we ask the students to prepare one or two songs that highlight their range, pitch and expression to be shared either over the phone or in person in early May. If for some reason we can't arrange a time, a recorded song can be sent. If the child is selected for consideration of a lead role, we will contact your child with an offer of a particular role or a choice among several roles. Selection for leads is scheduled to be complete by late May.

STUDENTS SELECTED FOR LEAD ROLES WILL BE GIVEN THE SCRIPT AND THE SONGS BY MID-MAY, AND WILL BE EXPECTED TO LEARN THEIR SONGS AND MEMORIZE THEIR LINES BY THE START OF THE PROGRAM  For most students, estimate 20-45 minutes of work 5-6 days a week for six-seven weeks before camp begins (though some students learn lines more quickly). If a student is not up for this workload over the summer, they should not request consideration for a lead role.

Students aged 12 and up who are not interested in the larger lead roles will be given one or more smaller parts (which could be spoken, sung, or non-speaking, depending on the needs of the student and the play), and/or they will also be cast in the group parts that correspond to this age group. All students aged 12 and up will also be asked to memorize their character(s)' lines and songs by the first day of the program (Note: if a student is shy about acting and wishes to be cast minimally, we can usually make this arrangement as well).
 

• Ages 10 - 11

In our 2- and 3-week programs, our 10-11 year olds are dually cast: they play both group parts but also sometimes one (or more) smaller individual parts. These roles typically have one or more spoken lines, or sometimes some shorter song snippets, either solo or in a small group. Children this age might have more or less stage time based on their appetite and comfort.

In our 1-week camp in Oregon, depending on the child, ages 10 and 11 can step up to hold a small lead part for the performance. 

• AGES 8 - 9

Our 8-9 year olds are cast in group parts such as townsfolk, pirates, animals, and soldiers. They sing group songs and get to play in some choreography--a nice introduction to the theater. Sometimes a 9-year old will work with the next oldest group. Further, they get to help create our within-camp mini-show of the year's production, a treat for both the kids as actors, and the other camp members and friends/family who get to see it.