An Interview with Casting Director Alison Franck, Franck Casting by Tony Nation

Alison Franck (CSA) is a casting skilled with over 20 years of Broadway, Off-Broadway, Touring, Regional Theatre, TV, Movie, Industrial and Voice Over Casting expertise. I just lately had the pleasure of interviewing her.

When was the second you knew that casting was the job for you?

I feel I knew after I was in highschool – I used to document no matter I used to be watching with a view to see who was who within the credit (this was earlier than the Web) & I might save all playbills and memorize actors bios. Then I might go to the library and spend hours studying about who performed what on Broadway.

I needed to know actors and what they did… I used to be such a busy physique about all of it. I spotted in some unspecified time in the future there was a job for me…. Properly, after I determined I didn’t need to be an actress any longer.

What are a few of your favourite musicals and performs?

I like Sondheim! So Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, Sunday within the Park with George. (be aware: I’ve by no means solid a single Sondheim musical) I cherished a play known as “Our Nation’s Good”…I like the same old massive hits: A Refrain Line, Hire & Hamilton. I additionally love 1776, She Loves Me & Ragtime. I may go on and on.

I actually need to see extra new musicals. Lately I actually cherished Come from Away ( and I do know that’s not so latest)

What are you able to inform us concerning the means of casting for a few of your initiatives?

As a result of I largely solid non-union excursions. The primary factor to notice is – I’m in search of individuals who need the job & can be found for the job. I put up breakdowns on Breakdown Companies/Actors Entry all the time – then Backstage & Playbill On-line more often than not & additionally on social media (Fb & Instagram) it’s superb to me what number of totally different locations I must put up.

I generally am shocked at how random all of it is today. I’m not simply going to begin calling folks I do know… I must open up all jobs to all actors.

In the event you may solid any musical or play proper now, what wouldn’t it be?

One thing by Stephen Sondheim. Actually something.
Or a model new musical. I additionally would like to work on initiatives like Come from Away, that makes use of a small chore of actors to play many roles… it requires actors who can do something… I additionally cherished that the actors all seemed like actual folks. So it’s all about expertise… that’s my favourite.

What excites you about an actor once you see their work?

Robust appearing selections. Actors who don’t play it secure, however primarily based on their supplies (songs, sides, monologues) actually make contemporary and fascinating selections as a result of they’ve invested within the supplies… that features understanding the time interval, the age of the function & their work standing/regionalisms/physique language.

Folks through the years have misinterpreted my tackle how folks costume or what footwear they put on as part of how I solid. Truly no. I simply can generally inform primarily based on what an actor is carrying that they’ve thought concerning the character. I additionally by no means make the precise casting choices. So on the level an actor reveals as much as audition- it’s out of my arms and it’s all as much as creatives.

My pleasure is normally over how that call influenced their appearing selections and the way the room responds to them. Typically dressing “in another way” (that means not carrying pink when auditioning for Elle Woods) is precisely what would possibly make the actor stand out. It’s not all the time a matter of what’s anticipated, however moderately, what works for that actor….

It’s a part of a thought course of that may be a sequence of selections. What somebody is carrying is superficial, but it’s a part of their story they’re sharing with the creatives.

What’s your finest recommendation for actors right now?

Issues are altering so much- particularly with self taping. It’s nonetheless a brand new hybrid & I’m nonetheless making an attempt to navigate it. I really feel like some actors love self taping however are by no means accessible for in individual callbacks- and suppose we are able to solid from a Zoom callback & my creatives actually need and must see folks within the room.

And a few actors gained’t self tape… and honestly- I’ve been open to skipping the self taping and simply bringing folks in from expertise reels… however that is how I work. It’s not all the time as much as me. I simply am making an attempt to get the most effective folks within the room. I could need to counsel.. self tape to the most effective of your means, however the aim is an in-person callback. (For theatre)

Alison Franck (CSA) is a casting skilled with over 20 years of Broadway, Off-Broadway, Touring, Regional Theatre, TV, Movie, Industrial and Voice Over Casting expertise. For a decade, she was the Casting Director for the celebrated regional theatre Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey, the place she solid over 50 productions with a few of the theatre group’s best expertise.

Notable credit at Paper Mill embody the Broadway switch of I’m Not Rappaport starring Judd Hirsch and Ben Vereen, Something Goes starring Chita Rivera, The Baker’s Spouse starring Alice Ripley, The Chosen starring Theodore Bikel and John Lloyd Younger, Child starring La Chanze, Norm Lewis, Carolee Carmello, Michael Rupert and Chad Kimball, The Full Monty with Elaine Stritch, The Significance of Being Earnest with Lynn Redgrave, and was the unique Casting Director behind the Broadway switch of Godspell, which included Telly Leung and Uzo Aduba. Off-Broadway Initiatives embody It’s Simply Intercourse and the unique substitute casting for The Donkey Present (directed by Diane Paulus).

Tony Nation is a companion on the Actors Connection, and an expert actor who has labored in all areas of Present enterprise. You possibly can at present see him on HBO’s THE REHEARSAL within the pilot episode, in season 3 of THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL and in an upcoming animated function movie in 2023.