Daryl Eisenberg and the Evolving Role of the Casting Director in Stage and Screen

As noted in the previous episode, auditions are the backbone of this industry. It is the fundamental job of every actor to do as many jobs as we can and do each one to the best of our ability. But there is an important gatekeeper when it comes to submitting our self tapes or actually getting in the audition room, and that is the casting Director. You’ve heard from Actors and their experiences in front of the audition table. Well, now it’s time to hear from the other side of that proverbial table and what goes in to casting, and the vital role they play in the production for the stage or screen.

Daryl Eisenberg, along with fellow casting director Ally Beans, works to create a comfortable space for actors, so they can take risks and really show their full potential as artists. You’ll hear Daryl’s thoughts on how actors can make their mark in the audition room or on a self-tape, and then you’ll get an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at how she uses her position and expertise to make the audition process enjoyable and inclusive for artists on both sides of the table.

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Why I’ll Never Make It is an award-winning, top 25 theater podcast and is hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones. It is a production of WINMI Media, LLC. and is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance. 

Background music in the episode is by John Bartmann (Public Domain) and Blue Dot Sessions (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License).

 

 

Audition Stories of Diversity and Inclusion

Covid certainly has changed the way we now audition, with self-tapes and Zoom auditions becoming the norm. But the summer of 2020 also changed the way we think about who is coming to the auditions and what that creative team looks like. In this week’s bonus episode, Daryl shares a few of her own experiences as she advocates for more diversity on both sides of the table. You’ll also hear how she works with fellow casting director Ally Beans, who is both partner and collaborator in the casting process.

Bonus episodes like these are only available to monthly supporters of Why I’ll Never Make It. So if you’d like to help this podcast as well, then please consider a monthly subscription and get access to bonus episodes like the Audition Stories.

 

 

CASTING OFFICES IN NYC

Some of the biggest casting offices for stage and screen (like Eisenberg/Beans) reside in New York City, and at the top of the list is...

The Telsey Office

Formerly known as Telsey + Company, The Telsey Office is perhaps the best known casting office for commercials, film, television, and course, theatre. The company has bases in both New York City and Los Angeles.

Recent Broadway: Waitress, MJ the Musical, Flying Over Sunset, Mrs. Doubtfire, Diana, West Side Story, Tina, The Sound Inside, Beetlejuice, Gary, Oklahoma!, Be More Chill, To Kill a Mockingbird, Network, The Cher Show, The Prom.

Website: www.thetelseyoffice.com

Contact: [email protected] | 917-277-7520

Tara Rubin Casting

Rubin began her company in 2001 after working for 15 years as a Casting Director at Johnson-Liff Associates. She is a graduate of Boston University and serves on the board of the Casting Society of America.

Recent Broadway: Six, Ain't Too Proud, Summer, The Band's Visit, Prince of Broadway, Bandstand, Indecent, Miss Saigon, Dear Evan Hansen, A Bronx Tale, Cats, Disaster!

Website: www.tararubincasting.com

Contact: [email protected] | 212-302-3011

Binder Casting

Binder Casting was founded nearly 40 years ago by Jay Binder, who passed away in April 2022, and has been a part of RWS Entertainment Group since 2016. The office has cast 150+ Broadway, Off-Broadway, and National Touring productions, in addition to countless national and international projects spanning both stage and screen.

Recent Broadway: The Lion King, In Transit, Dames at Sea, It Shoulda Been You, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Nice Work if You Can Get It, Born Yesterday, White Christmas, Finian's Rainbow.

Website: bindercasting.com

Contact: [email protected] | 212-586-6777

Stewart/Whitley

An award-winning office in New York City that delivers excellence and innovation in casting. Respect for the creative process: the artistic teams, actors and all who collaborate in it is paramount. Connecting creativity is at the cornerstone of what they do.

Recent Broadway: Hadestown, The Lightning Thief, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, Pippin, Chicago

Website: www.stewartwhitley.com

Contact: [email protected] | 212-635-2153

Wojcik Casting Team

Wojcik/Seay Casting opened its doors in January of 2009 with the national non-union tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and has also been featured in Season 2 of the podcast. But Gayle Seay has since gone to become Artistic Director of Stages St. Louis, while Scott Wojcik continues to cast shows in and out of New York.

Recent Broadway: Jesus Christ Superstar, Motown

Website: wscasting.com

Contact: [email protected]

Jim Carnahan, CSA

Recent Broadway: Moulin Rouge!, Kiss Me, Kate, Tootsie, Burn This, The Ferryman, Head Over Heels, Travesties, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Angels in America, Farinelli and the King, Time and the Conways, 1984, Groundhog Day, The Price, The Cherry Orchard, Long Day's Journey Into Night, She Loves Me, Noises Off, Fun Home.

Stephen Kopel, CSA

Recent Broadway: Moulin Rouge!, Jagged Little Pill; Kiss Me, Kate; The Play That Goes Wrong; Beautiful; Sunday in the Park with George; Amélie; She Loves Me; Noises Off; Violet; The Glass Menagerie; Harvey; Once; Anything Goes

Caparelliotis Casting

Recent Broadway: The Minutes, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, In the Height of the Storm, Ink, Hillary and Clinton, King Lear, The Waverly Gallery, The Nap, The Boys in the Band, Saint Joan.

Daniel Swee, CSA

Recent Broadway: Pass Over, The Great Society, To Kill a Mockingbird, Six Degrees of Separation, Oslo, The Present, The Heidi Chronicles, The Audience

Cindy Tolan, CSA

Recent Broadway: Company, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Betrayal, Macbeth, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella.

Other standouts on the theatre scene:

Bass/Valle Casting
Bob Cline Casting
Franck Casting
HBD Casting
Jamibeth Margolis Casting
Klapper Casting
Laura Stanczyk Casting
Michael Cassara Casting