To think to audition was a waste of time?

[Travelfairy]

DD loves all things drama, attends 3 different stage schools/drama groups as well as doing ballet seperately. Went for an audition for Christmas panto last week, as we waited a mum in the queue told me how she had been involved with this panto for 28 years and that 'everyone there knows' her DD.
My DD did a brilliant audition, she didnt get the part. This other little girl did. I'm not saying she's not talented but aibu to think that this was probably decided before they even went in to audition? Just seems like a massive waste of time and that as with most other things its more about who you know! DD will be very disappointed in the morning, email just came through.

Presumably they all “gave it their all”. Someone has to miss out.

Acting/theatre is a tricky business.

When casting there are so many factors that are taken in to consideration not just singing/dancing/acting

Height, appearance and how that person will fit into the cast as a whole. If the perspective lead female is tall but the lead male is shorter then won't be effective from a visual standpoint.
The dynamic between cast, sometimes 2 people bounce off each other /work better together.

Sometimes they think this person is great but casting director wants them in a different role.

All you can do when audition is do your best audition and everything else is out of your hands. It's disappointing not getting a role you wanted but there are other roles and other auditions.

Actors get rejected from more roles than they will get so to work in this industry they need to get use to this rejection

Theatre groups cancelled also be clicky and sometimes it is who you know/does your face for etc. but mostly it's just trying to put together a cast that works best together and achieved the creative result that the director has in mind. A different director will have a different vision

Then why have a supposedly open audition in the first place? There are lots of small amdram companies out there who deal with it all in-house: this is our company and these are our actors who will perform the necessary parts.

I suppose they could maybe hold auditions for minor/extra parts, if they need more people.

When Ed Sheeran plans a tour, he doesn't announce open auditions to choose who will sing the lead part as Ed!!

My DD has a friend in a local Am Dram group. Her mum is on the committee of the group. I've been subjected to so many subpar pantos and musicals starring this girl that I've finally had to start making excuses not to go. Dd has zero interest or talent in this area but i can image if your child misses out repeatedly due to nepotism it would be irritating.

The opposite has happened with my GS. He has got a role in a professional production over and above a lot of young people who are in drama clubs etc. He was virtually "off the street" and only went at the last minute when someone suggested he should.
I do not think he is any more talented, but had the right build and colouring and was good at the required accent.

Auditions fulfil many purposes. Its exposure for kids who havent had a chance to establish themselves yet. They might not get this part, but they'll be considered for others.

Not quite. I doubt producers and casting directors would bother to pay to hire out somewhere for a casting and sit there watching (potentially 100s) of auditions if they already knew for certain who they were going to choose. There will be such things as pictures, performance credits, videos of performances displayed on a child’s agency profile more often than not. People are welcome to pick a performer or actor off the bat from a website but sometimes it’s just better to see them in person to get a feel of their personality, to see how they perform in real life and to see if they have the confidence to shine through, turn up on time. The casting process is a gruelling process for all.

Parents usually cart their child from audition to audition so they’re unlikely to pay for tickets if their child wasn’t chosen.

And although auditions are essentially ‘job interviews’, they are conducted differently to normal job interviews, they have a different process and are way more informal than ordinary job interviews.

It could be any one of a number of things. What I will say is DD's singing teacher has said before that the local, well regarded groups can be incredibly cliquey, and you do see the same children appearing again and again. Most of them are equivalent in talent to my DD but being "known", and with parents who are involved in the backstage/production side makes a difference too I think.

The issue with child parts is that all the liaison, attending rehearsals, being on time, learning lines etc is coordinated by the parent. It’s a big sacrifice on the parents time and money. You can pick the most talented kid but if their parents can’t get them to the gruelling schedule of rehearsals then it’s a ball ache. Finding a talented kid is often the easy bit and local am drams are much more likely to go with a kid who is good enough but they know the parents understand the commitment required, than a kid who might be slightly more talented but is a risk. It might seem unfair but there’s no contracts, it’s unpaid, so if the parent turns out to be flaky, they’re stuck. So it isn’t favouritism in the traditional sense, but them taking the easy option I suppose.

I'm sorry that your DD was disappointed OP but as most people whose children have gone into the performing arts will tell you, learning to deal with rejection early is a good lesson to learn, as for most performers there is a lot of it. And it's not always the kids who get all the parts and win all the competitions at a young age that go on to be successful in the long run.
You may be right that there is a degree of favouritism but one thing that struck me about your post is that you say that this is only your DD's 3rd audition but it was for the main part. Has she tried for any smaller parts in these productions? Even at local amateur dramatics level there is an element of needing to work your way up and becoming known not only for your performing ability but for how reliable you are, whether you're easy to work with, take corrections well etc. It sounds like your DD is something of an unknown quantity and if you think about it from the production team's perspective, choosing someone you don't know for your child lead is quite a big risk. Your DD may indeed be very talented but if she doesn't have experience that will almost certainly count against her, particularly for bigger roles. Panto can be really hard work, especially if there are a lot of performances and a lot of kids like the idea more than the reality so if she hasn't done it before I don't think it's unreasonable that the director doesn't want to put her straight into a main role.
If she loves performing, keep trying. Audition technique is a skill in itself that improves with practice, and if she can get some smaller parts that will increase her experience. But you do need to accept that no matter how good she is there are likely to be lots of "no thank yous". Sometimes it will be because she doesn't have the look that they're after - sometimes as simple as the fact that they've got pre existing costumes that they need a performer to fit into or have already cast someone and need someone else who "fits" with that. My DD is a dancer (well she is a teacher now) and had auditions where she was cut immediately before she had any chance to show what she could do, presumably because she had the wrong look, and I remember one a where she was particularly disappointed not to get a role when one of the panel took her aside afterwards and told her that she was actually the best but they needed 3 girls who looked similar and DD just didn't match. Often there are lots of very talented people auditioning for the same part, all of whom would be capable of doing it well but only one or two will be picked - it's just the way of the world I'm afraid.
Each audition is one (or a few) person's view of a snapshot of you. Sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn't, but either way it doesn't define you. It's a tough lesson but one that pretty much every performer, amateur or professional has to learn at some point.

Very cliquey industry ESPECIALLY at local level -

in my experience with local panto groups you have people / families that give a lot of time and effort on a voluntary basis, not only to the actual performance side but backstage, front of house, chaperones etc etc there is a whole community of friendships sometimes going back generations-
i think these relationships absolutely factor into how the audition processes,
not saying it is right, but for any young person keen to progress in the performance industry that ability to have a resilience for the knock backs - whatever the reason - is absolutely vital !

Taking a child who's set on acting to auditions is never a waste of time. You're suggesting her - and your - time was wasted because she didn't get the role.

Autioning's a much a skill as dancing, singing and acting, and practice is essential.

Acting's not about who you know - it's about who knows you. And getting known, seen and heard out and about is the way to get known.

And remembered. As reliable, good to work with, supportive parents, hard working, team player, taking direction and feedback well, as well as being good at it.

She may not have been cast this time - but as casting directors see her, she'll start to be remembered.

Building a pro reputation is about hard slog, determination, rejection, pick yourself up, dust yourself down, have another go. And that can start in childhood.

So she didn't get this one. Let it go. Help her to let it go. Next.

It's not only ability. When someone is already known to the director, that reassures them of things like punctuality, resilience, reliability etc. It's tough to get started, but ask yourself this: if you have two candidates for any position who are equally good, wouldn't you choose the one you's worked with successfully in the past rather than take the risk?

Acting's not about who you know - it's about who knows you.

This is very well expressed

Fair point. It's still unfair of them to make out that you have a chance of getting the lead part, though, when at best you might later be considered for a very minor one.

It would be a lot more honest if they just had a general casting call, making it clear that they were looking ahead of time for talent to bear in mind for various roles in various productions.

I don't think they explicitly rule anything in or out though - in the main.

Someone could walk through that door and totally disrupt what plans they have made. Unlikely, but not impossible. Amd most people in the process understand that.

There is a lot of “I” in this post. I understand that you are supporting your daughter and are her biggest fan, but acting is a brutal career and she needs to do it for herself, not to please you.

This! You explained it better than I did!!! It just seemed no matter who walked through the door the decision was already made.

Obviously its 'I' when I am saying 'I will bring her to another audition', 'I will sign her up for an agency'

She is 10. She ain't driving herself places 🤣🙄🙈

I am a stage Mum by default yes but I didn't set out this way! Ironically my older DS was cast in a kids TV show years ago but I never pursued anything further as although he enjoyed it he wasn't overly fussed..

DD however from a very young age has wanted to act/sing/dance. I know most little ones do but it only got stronger as she grew older. She asked me once what a stage mam is, someone was referring to it in a derogatory way. I said a parent that might be pushing a child into doing shows etc she replied 'oh we have the opposite problem, I'm pushing you to bring me!'
Sometimes i think she signs up for too much but she feels well able. I dont think my daughter is going to be a Hollywood star but it would be nice for her to get more significant roles as she thoroughly enjoyed Mary Poppins.

All I and other parents would like is a fair shot at the auditions. Not a charade of 'well everyone was welcome to audition' when in reality 'sophie' was always getting it. Its brilliant that her Mum helps out, I volunteer alot and I know how thankless it is. But just give the part to the child if you think shes able for it and then and leave it at that..

Sorry to hear your daughter didn't get through ,it must be highly competetive. I hope she gets any future auditions.

A few random thoughts from someone who's been there, done that, got the t-shirt and the scars

You say your dd does ballet, but does she do tap, modern or jazz classes as well? Separate classes at a dance school I mean, not just the dance stuff they do at her theatre school. Can she pick up dance routines really quickly?

Panto auditions - Some of the same kids do get in every year. Partly favouritism yes, partly because the production team know they are reliable and pick things up fast (and possibly because they know the parent has a chaperone licence).

Something to remember with panto auditions is that they will have a stock of costumes in a variety of sizes, and they are looking for bodies to fill them. It literally is that simple. So if they have four 'village girl' costumes, they will take four kids that will fit into them. The biggest problem with that, it that shorter older kids will get chosen over younger kids the same height. (speaking from experience here - my dd had her growth spurt early and at 10/11 she was losing roles to teenagers the same height as her). We didn't bother after that as she decided to concentrate on ballet rather than MT.

Every audition is a learning opportunity, and each one will give her more experience so she will know what to expect the next time. To be honest, she's probably better off going for ensemble roles rather than named parts as there is a greater chance of getting in.

All I and other parents would like is a fair shot at the auditions. Not a charade of 'well everyone was welcome to audition' when in reality 'sophie' was always getting it.

Well, unfortunately that's not really how it works, but I guess you know that now.

With many things in life, you have to play the game as it is. Not the game you'd like to be playing. If you want to get anywhere that is.

Hang on, wait - what? I've just re-read your posts and seen this:

"the casting director for this one spent a bit of time with her and asked her to read a second scene ao that made her think she liked her. She did email inviting her for auditions for smaller roles..."

And you didn't read between the lines on this? Heavens above. They LIKED her. They have basically called her back because they think she might be a good fit for another part and they want her to audition for it.

So what if it might be a smaller role - it is a potential foot in the door. For crying out loud, say yes to the audition.

I agree with this, they're clearly interested in her. I wouldn't pull her just yet.

For crying out loud OP, a part is a part. Other Stage Mums would bite your hand off just for the offer. If you turn that down, you deserve all you get. She's not applying for a day out if she fancies it, this is a chance for her to display commitment if selected. Take it, nobody's going to beg you to accept.