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.
"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.
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