Common Casting Rules

PROCEDURAL RULES

1. All productions must send one representative to the Directors/Producers Meeting, send representatives to all postering runs, and provide people to table during auditions.

2. Shows are only allowed the audition slots assigned them and must be present for all of those slots.

3. Everyone must leave the Loeb and Agassiz buildings promptly at midnight.

4. Callback lists must be posted at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 14th, in the Loeb Ex. Callback lists must include contact information, as well as the time and place of the callbacks.

5. Directors must submit a binding first round cast list to the campus liaison via email (schact@fas.harvard.edu) by 9 AM on Monday, February 16th. Each show will be provided with one copy of all of these lists to help inform alternate decisions. Shows are expected to not share this information with anyone who is not involved in making casting decisions (i.e. those who sat in on auditions).

6. Cast lists must be posted by 6:00 p.m. on Monday in the Loeb Ex. Directors have the option of posting alternates to roles. If multiple alternates are listed for one role, the director must list them in the order in which they will be cast.

7. Directors may not initiate any contact with any actor during the grace period from when cast lists are posted on Monday until Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.

8. Actors listed as alternates are welcome to contact first-cast actors and other alternates during the grace period. No actor may pressure any other actor, implicitly or explicitly, to accept or decline a role.

9. Actors must sign cast lists between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 17th, no earlier, no later. Alternates may sign cast lists if they wish, but are not required to do so. Alternates may only sign cast lists after the first-cast actor has signed for the role. If an alternate sigs, the decision is binding. Accepting a role is a firm commitment that is taken very seriously by the college theater community; actors who accept a role and then refuse to play that role face consequences.

10. Directors and producers may not be in the Loeb or its immediate environs on Tuesday, February 17th, until 6:00 p.m. Directors and producers who have been cast in other shows must submit their final decisions on their own roles by proxy. To do this, they must leave a message for the Campus Liaison, Sarah Schacter, either by e-mail (schact@fas.harvard.edu) or at the HRDC office (496-3030).

11. TECH REQUIREMENT: There is a technical theater requirement for all performers working on shows in the Loeb during the semester (see details here). Lists of available tech positions will be posted starting on Tuesday, along with job descriptions, and performers MUST SIGN UP to fulfill their requirement in the week following cast list signings. Questions, email the Tech Liaison, Blase Ur (ur@fas.harvard.edu).

ETHICAL RULES

1. All particpants in Common Casting must read and understand all the rules; ignorance is not an excuse for any violation.

2. During Common Casting week, no particpant in a show may attempt to find out how much an actor is interested in any role or show. No particpant in a show may offer a role to an actor before cast lists are posted. Shows may not contact each other about their casting intentions.

3. Actors (both first-cast and alternates) may call the directors for shows in which they have been cast to request information about that production, such as performance dates, time commitment, or the specific role in which they have been cast. Actors may not ask about roles in which they have not been cast, nor may they contact shows in which they have not been cast. If an actor contacts a director, the director may not pressure the actor to accept any role.

4. If an actor is cast in a show, it is his/her responsibility to contact the director and figure out whether the time commitment for that show will cause any problems. Before an actor accepts a role, that actor must make sure that s/he has no conflicts with any performances. No actor may audition for a show in which s/he has no interest, or in which s/he will not be able to perform. When an actor is called back, that actor must attend the callback or contact the director to cancel.

5. If an actor wishes to accept roles in multiple shows, s/he must contact the director of each show, and make certain that this arrangement is acceptable to each. If consent is not given by each director, the actor may not accept roles in multiple shows.

6. If a director wishes to second-round cast an actor, the director must:

a) Contact the actor to ascertain whether that actor is cast in another show.

b) If the actor is already cast in another show, the director must speak with both the actor and other show's director, and make certain that the actor's participation is acceptable to both parties.

Only after permission has been granted by the other director may a show make a second-round casting offer to the actor. No actor who has accepted a role in which s/he was first-round cast may drop that role in favor of a role in which s/he was second-round cast.

7. During second-round casting, directors who have listed alternates for a role must offer the role to alternates in the order indicated on their cast lists. If an alternate cannot be reached, the director must leave a message for him/her, and give him/her 2 hours to respond, or until 9:00 am the next morning, if the message is left after 12:00 midnight. If the alternate does not respond within that time, the alternate status of that actor is no longer binding. Once second-round casting has ended, no alternate assignments are binding.

8. Directors should not offer specific roles to non-alternate actors except by two-way communication (i.e. simultaneous communication where the actor can respond to the offer immediately, such as a telephone conversation or in-person discussion). Directors may not, for example, leave a message on someone's machine or e-mail offering them a specific role: instead, the director should ask the actor to return his/her call to discuss being cast in his/her show, without giving any more specific information.

9. The HRDC Board will investigate all possible offenses, whether they have been reported or not. If the Board determines an offense has occurred, the Board will decide whom to penalize and how, depending on the severity of the infringement. Penalties may include suspension from participation in Loeb shows for up to two semesters, and/or suspension from participation in Common Casting for up to two semesters. In addition, Loeb shows that involve suspended individuals are eligible for budget cuts.

10. The rules of Common Casting are designed to ensure a spirit of fairness among all participants. Actors need not fear undue pressure from directors or producers, nor will their preferences jeopardize their chances in the audition process; directors and producers should neither fear that their peers have an unfair advantage in assembling a cast nor doubt the commitment of an actor who has accepted a role. The Board may rule on any circumstance, even if it is not explicity defined above, if it feels that the spirit of fairness has been compromised.



		The Rules of Common Casting