Skip to main content

Who Else Would Be Dumb Enough to Give Me This Role?

Just when I thought my least favorite expression in theater was solidified with--

"It'll be fine. I mean, like, it'll be fine."

A new contender has arisen.

Drumroll please--

"I only took the role because I knew I'd never play it anywhere else."

I don't even know where to BEGIN with this statement.

In the past two weeks I've heard three different actors say something to this effect regarding three different shows.

Think about all it implies:

1) It infers that you don't belong playing the role but you took it anyway KNOWING you don't belong playing it simply because you want to.

2) It infers that the theater/director that gave it to you is inferior in some way because they've miscast you in a way that no other theater/director would.

3) It infers that you don't belong doing theater or performing--ever.

Okay, maybe that last one is a stretch, but not by much.

I've written many notes about miscasting, and they all boil down to the same thing:

Why would you want a role that isn't right for you?

It irritates me when people respond to that question with--"Because I really want to play the role."

I really want to play Mame, but I wouldn't make a fool out of myself and ruin a production simply because of what I want...

...Again.

On top of all this, you're making people PAY to see you in a miscast role.

The only excuse for all of this would be total ignorance, which I thought was probably the case in most of these situations.

Yet when I heard my new least favorite expression in theater over and over again in such a short amount of time, I really lost it.

I wish there were a website called Miscast.com where you could post photos and videos of people playing roles they don't belong having. Since most people respond to my arguments with--"Well, if you're a good performer then you can make it work"--I think it would be nice to see how many people out there ARE actually making it work and how many are just indulging themselves for general admission.

Just a thought.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A List of People Who Can Go to Hell Now That I Can't Have Elizabeth Warren

So today was a rough day for everybody who isn't a @#$%-ing #$%hole. Let's just start there. If that upsets you, by all means, go straight to hell. This entire rant is going to be exactly what it sounds like. I am mad and I am going to exercise my right to BLOG ABOUT IT LIKE IT'S 1995, SO BUCKLE UP, BUTTERCUP. I really don't even know where to start, so let's just jump right in with the first person who comes to mind. Bloomberg, go to hell.  You really didn't have anything specific to do with today, but you can just go to hell for spending an ungodly amount of money on literally nothing.  I mean, you could have lit millions of dollars on fire and at least warmed the hands of the homeless, but instead, you made tv stations across the country that are already owned by Conservatives rich, so kudos to you and go to hell. Amy Klobuchar, I STUCK UP FOR YOU AMY.  I got into FIGHTS on SOCIAL MEDIA while DEFENDING your sorry, self-interested ass.  You know

Theater and the Outbreak

After last week's interview, a representative from a theater that recently experienced the results of opening too soon reached out to speak with me. I want to thank this person for coming forward in the hopes that it'll change some minds about what's safe and what isn't when it comes to the performing arts. Here's the interview: ME:  So this wasn't a full production or-- THEM:  No. It was us trying to do a little something for friends and donors. ME:  Who is 'us?' THEM:  The board of _____. ME:  And how long have you been on the board? THEM:  Three years. ME:  What was this going to be? THEM:  There's a, uh, beautiful park here in town, and we wanted to do an outdoor performance of a Shakespeare as a benefit, because, as you know, theaters are having a hard time right now paying the bills. We checked with the local government and the health department for the state to make sure we were doing everything the way we needed to in order to keep everyone s

People You Know Are More Important Than People You Don't Know

This post is in response to arguing with people--straight and gay alike--about a certain celebrity, whether or not she's an ally, if she's pandering, if pandering matters, and whether or not I'm an asshole. The last part is probably an enthusiastic "Yes" but let's reflect on this for a bit anyway without actually giving more time to an argument about a person none of us know, which is a crucial part of what I want to talk about. People you know are more important than people you don't know. I realize it's tricky in an age where we've never been closer or more engaged to our celebrities to keep in mind that we do not know them, they are not our friends, and while we may love them and stan and feel like we're attacked when they're attacked-- That is not true. That is not real. They are in no tangible way connected to us. Now, as someone who is obsessed with pop culture, I get that it's a little hypocritical for me to be making