How to Assign Roles in a Play
Summary
When working on a play with young actors, assigning roles as the director can become a rather thankless task. Here are a few tips and theatre resources for teachers.
Description
- You can ask for preferences, but the adult always has the final say.
- To get to know your young actors: readings, solo auditions, and group auditions.
- Choose actors based not only on talent, but also on the workload involved.
There are several ways to assign roles. The one I prefer is called “plain common sense.” I look at the list of actors and match them with the characters. I rely on each child’s personality. If one is extroverted, I’ll give them a character that requires a lot of energy. If another is more serious, I’ll assign a role that suits their temperament. At this age, we’re not yet working with complex character acting. I also examine the difficulty of each role and the number of lines to make sure none of the young actors end up with more work than they can handle.
If you don’t know your group well enough, you can organize readings. Ask different children to read the lines of a particular character and compare their performances. This will help you make decisions. But be careful—children quickly grow attached to the characters they read. Remind them that reading a character’s lines does not guarantee they will be cast in that role.
You can also hold solo auditions, where children who are interested in a specific character can express their preferences and showcase their talents. However, keep in mind that young actors are not always the best judges of their own abilities. If you ask them which role they want, more than half will aim for the lead or the most spectacular character. This often leads to difficult dilemmas and many disappointments.
Group auditions are an interesting alternative. In a space where children can move freely, ask all those who wish to participate in the project to complete a series of drama exercises, individually and in teams. This allows you to assess each child’s abilities without creating unrealistic expectations.
Before announcing my choices to the children, I always make it clear that my decision is final and not open for negotiation. As I often say, the director is like the captain of a ship: they listen to suggestions, but ultimately decide the direction in which everyone is headed.
We hope you enjoyed these theatre resources for teachers.
By Luc Boulanger
