J. Michael Miller
The Actor’s Center Journal Vol. 1 Num. 1 September 2009
Ongoing Concerns
(This issue’s moral tale)
One of the most depressing, if widely accepted, gangrenous infections in our field was exposed in a most unexpected way on August 15, 2009. In a New York Times article, David Itzkoff reported:
“As Twitter becomes increasingly popular, this online social network has infiltrated nearly all the cracks and crevices of the arts world. But does it belong in an audition room?
That question isn’t academic for several New York actors and a casting director. A series of messages was posted on Wednesday on the Twitter feed of Daryl Eisenberg, a casting director whose company, Daryl Eisenberg Casting, has handled shows including the musical “Altar Boyz” and the television series “Gossip Girl.”
On Wednesday, while Ms. Eisenberg was conducting a casting session for “Gay Bride of Frankenstein,” which will begin performances in late September as part of the New York Musical Theater Festival, she was also tweeting about the performers who were auditioning for her.
Without mentioning actors by name, Ms. Eisenberg commented on performances with messages like, “If we wanted to hear it a different way, don’t worry, we’ll ask,” or “If you are going to sing about getting on your knees, might as well do it and crawl towards us … right?”
In later messages on Ms. Eisenberg’s feed (which now has more than 1,800 followers), she also fired a pre-emptive strike at any potential critics, writing: “There is NO rule/guideline against Twitter/Facebook/MySpace/Friendster. Freedom of speech. Ever heard of it?””
…
“In an e-mail message on Friday morning Ms. Eisenberg offered apologies to “those hurt by this” and wrote that she would be “definitely considering the appropriateness and professionalism of the timing and tone of my communication in the future.”
She added that she would be meeting with Actors’ Equity on Friday “so that we can discuss Twitter’s place in this industry and how I can help put this behind us amicably.”
In an interview Gary Zuckerbrod, the president of the Casting Society of America, said Ms. Eisenberg’s actions were wrong. Actors, he said, “are exposing themselves in the audition process.”
“They are emoting in a way that is not normal in any other kind of interview,” he continued. “What happens in an audition room “should not be publicized, especially in a derogatory manner.”
Mr. Zuckerbrod said the society would not take any formal action against Ms. Eisenberg. “We’re hoping that Actors’ Equity solves this,” he said.
Ms. Eisenberg met with representatives from Actors’ Equity on Friday afternoon, after which she and the organization each released a statement. Ms. Eisenberg’s said she was “happy to report that we have agreed to both put this behind us.”
She said there would be no more tweets “coming from the audition room regarding the actors auditioning” and she offered an apology to the actors “who put themselves on the line every time they audition.” She concluded with “I hope to see you all in the audition room soon.””
The Actors Center, believing that can of worms contained more serious issues than were being acknowledged, wrote to the Casting Society of America, NY:
“The level of disgust and outrage over Ms. Eisenberg’s “professional” behavior might seem excessive, given her fringe-level standing in the field. But she now represents a most egregious breach in the unwritten, but long depended upon system of trust that must exist between the actor and those who perform intermediary services, namely agents, casting directors, managers. The issues raised by her behavior must be fully and publically addressed.
We believe it is time for all of us to take a stand against those who would use their professional position to demean and/or exploit artists. We cannot account for aberrational personalities or personal incompetence. We can, however, establish and encourage a code of ethical behavior within an articulated framework of professional discipline. We believe this almost cartoonish incident exposes our professional fault lines and provides a special opportunity for all entities to revisit our purposes and the ethical standards that best support them. Can we raise the ethical standards high enough, to get the “dog eat dog,” “you don’t work unless I say so” out of this system? Of course not. Can we raise the bar high enough to expose those who are in it for the wrong/misguided reasons? Why not? It would be of utmost service to the field.”
CSA, NY responded with appropriate support for our concerns and is currently reviewing its bylaws to clarify the ethical expectations it holds for all casting directors within its purview. Hopefully, the parent organization, CSA America, will issue a statement at their Board meeting in January that reassures all of us that an abiding sense of civility and respect for the artist is a measure of the integrity of our field.
J. Michael Miller
The Actor’s Center Journal Vol. 1 Num. 1 September 2009
Letter From The Editor
The Actors Center will continue to push for a wider recognition of ethical standards for actors and by actors. The issue will be central to our 2010 National Congress, and our campaign for wider recognition of the “Actor as Artist” in America. Just remember, that most who work in our field care about our field. And many of those who care about our field are exceptionally gifted and compassionate people. But, as in all areas of human interaction, the moment one human being feels they have control over another human being, they also feel the need to exercise that control in order to maintain their position, or aura of superiority. We do not hear much about the proverbial casting couch these days, but the intrinsic perception of the actor in an audition as fungible chattel is still very much with us. The actor’s gift lies in his access to his own humanity. That “vulnerability” needs to be protected and supported, rather than mocked or used to inflate one’s own ego.
JMM