By conducting an interview before watching audition pieces, many
theatre companies have proved that my personality and experience on
paper are just as important to them as how suitable I am for the part.
However, on occasion it may be that a company is merely conducting an
interview in order to establish their superiority over you and to make
it clear from the beginning that no actor "still" at the stage of
applying for TIE work is going to be good enough for the project. In
an ideal world, we would all like to believe that the casting directors
are on our side... But unfortunately, this is not always the case.
I attended an audition for a company which, like so many other companies, produces touring TIE productions, paying their actors significantly less than Equity minimum wage as they work hard touring 15 + shows a week around the UK. At the audition for this company, the director made it her sole task to make every actor feel as uncomfortable as possible before actually reaching the audition. In the interview, she asked what I could bring to the company. I gave a fairly lengthy answer, finishing off with how I had developed good improvisation skills. Her response was, "Right. Be Chinese." This was then followed by a series of impossible improvisations which continued to stereotype and insult other nationalities. In retrospect, perhaps it may have been less professional but more morally correct to walk out.
Be chinese?? That's almost as random as 'be an elephant'! Even the comedians on Whose Line Is It Anyway are given more of a starting point. x