Sometimes, casting doesn’t go the way you want it to. In fact, maybe it’s most of the time.

Auditions are a numbers game, and the numbers are, unfortunately, rarely in your favor. Some auditions will see hundreds of people auditioning for the same role. Inevitably, the competition will be fierce, and sometimes you just won’t get the role you want.

You may be offered a different role. Maybe it’s a supporting role, or a spot in the ensemble. Regardless, it isn’t what you wanted, and it can be tempting to decline the offer. Missing out on the part you had your heart set on is upsetting, of course! But there are real reasons to resist the urge and capitalize on the opportunity to be in the show.

That said, staying in the show might not always be the best answer. There are a few situations where sticking around might be a mistake.

Let’s look at 10 reasons to stick it out… and 5 reasons not to.

10 Reasons to Accept the Part you Didn’t Want

1. It’s good practice

People often say, “good luck is about being in the right place at the right time.” In the theatre world, however, I have sometimes heard the adage, “it’s about being in the right place, at the right time, with the right training.”

Getting more performance experience is excellent practice for your next audition. Performing in front of people more frequently will help you kick audition nerves and gain confidence. You also get to practice all the hard and soft skills that casting panels are looking for in the audition room: vocal ability, pitch, sight reading, acting chops, multitasking, focus under pressure…

In short, getting all the performance experience you can may help you get more experience in the future!

2. It’s a chance to make new connections

Theatre is often about who you know as much as it is what you know. Making connections is critical in an industry where personality is so important.

To be clear, this isn’t saying you should do the show just to suck up to people! Treat the process as an opportunity to make some genuine new friends. If you approach the process earnestly and openly, your social circles may grow in both personal and professional ways. You might meet the person who will cast you in your next show… or you might just meet some really good friends. Both are worth sticking around for!

3. The role might be more fun than you think

I almost always end up having fun in a production, even– and sometimes especially– if I was initially unhappy about the casting initially.

When you pin all your hopes on playing “The Lead,” you sometimes fail to see the rest of the forest for the one tree you’re focusing on. Getting cast as a role besides the one you initially wanted can open your eyes to just how exciting the other roles can be! You may find that your character is an opportunity for some huge, ridiculous acting, or an opportunity to be in all the best songs, or an opportunity for one big dramatic moment that you never realized was so awesome before.

If you can weather the initial disappointment, you may be surprised to discover just how much you love that part you didn’t want!

4. It may be a lower commitment

Something frequently seen with young actors in particular is a desire to be the lead in every production, and a dismissal of any role they declare “not big enough.” A lot of adult actors will tell you, though: sometimes, those “smaller” roles are the place to be.

The truth is that some rules demand slightly less of a time investment than others. There, I said it. This isn’t an invitation to slack off if you’re cast as ensemble, or an admission that some cast members are less important than others. It’s just simply a fact that if you’re playing a dance lead who never leaves the stage, you will necessarily have to put in more time and energy than a cameo role who comes on stage twice. Of course that cameo role also requires energy and research and preparation… and of course that actor should still do all the work necessary to present their role with depth and creative integrity… but you cannot deny that the two roles require different efforts, if not quite different levels of effort.

Whether you’re a busy working adult or someone with lots of extra time to dedicate to a production, getting a role that demands slightly less time can be a blessing (maybe in disguise). It may be beneficial to your social life or to your homework scores if you’re not called to every single rehearsal, as the lead would be. It might be nice if you had free time to assist the production in other ways– like prop-making or scenic artistry– while the leads are busy cramming lines and blocking.

In short, try to see the other opportunities getting cast in a “small” role can provide. I have sometimes found that being completely cut from shows I auditioned for during busy times of my life ended up being a relief.

5. You might share the scene with new partners

In addition to making new connections, you might share the stage with some people you’ve previous performed with countless times, but never quite so closely. Some of my favorite theatre experiences have come from getting cast in “small” roles alongside people I previously considered friendly acquaintances, but nothing more– only for us to end up having a blast together and becoming close friends!

You may initially be sad to discover that you’re cast in a role that with never interact on stage with your existing friends. Remember, the other people you’re cast alongside can become your friends, too! You may even learn some new things by watching and working with them.

6. You could discover skills you didn’t know you had

Okay, so you wanted the Romantic Ingenue Lead… and you’ve been cast as the Funny Best Friend. NOW WHAT?!

Not getting cast in the role you had your heart set on can be more than disappointing: it can be daunting. You might not understand how you fit this role. You may feel like you’re not the right person for the part. Remember, though, that if the production staff cast you in this role, they must have seen something that makes them think you’re the right choice. Trust them!

If you lean into it and use this casting as an opportunity to explore your range and abilities, you might find that you have the capacity to perform in ways you never knew you could. Try looking at the experience as a learning opportunity. The opportunity to learn is certainly there, if you’re willing to embrace it.

7. You might discover some new favorite material

Being in shows is a great way to find new songs and monologues to include in your audition book. Hearing and seeing it rehearsed (or rehearsing it yourself) during a show process is a great way to memorize it for future auditions!

You may also discover that you just love the show itself more than you realized!

8. Quitting could send a bad message

We can debate about whether or not this is fair, but the fact remains: If you clearly had your heart set on a lead, and you quit the show when you don’t get that lead, people are likely to interpret this as entitlement or a bad attitude.

To be honest, I think this is a really reductive and unfair accusation to throw at someone– production staffs cannot read actors’ minds and certainly don’t know everything that goes into the decision to accept or decline a role. My opinion doesn’t change this reality, though. Declining a role you are offered can be taken as an insult by some production staffs.

Before you decline a role, it may be worth weighing whether or not this matters to you. Is this a director you really want to work with in the future? If this decision would negatively impact your chances of being cast in the future, are you willing to live with those consequences?

Think it over carefully. Preferably, take a little time to cool off and properly consider it. (Just don’t leave the production staff hanging too long waiting for an answer.)

9. It could be a good addition to your resume

This might be a small consolation, but remember that any credit on your resume could be a standout. There might be a niche in your resume that this production could fill. Plus, theatre is an industry where knowing people is very helpful– having a resume that shows you’ve worked with a lot of different directors and in a lot of different theaters can be beneficial.

Again, it’s up to you to decide whether or not this is worth it. Think things over carefully.

10. You’d be missing out on a lot, otherwise

The majority of my readers come from community and school theatre backgrounds, where the primary focus of most productions is simply to have fun. If you quit the show because you didn’t get the part you wanted, you will miss out on all that fun!

FOMO probably isn’t the best reason to accept a role… but it’s not a bad one. If what you’re looking for from this production is a fun way to spend your evenings, consider accepting the part. Any role can be fun if you make it fun!

… And 5 Reasons Not To

Generally, the list above is encouraging you to set aside your negative feelings and give the show a chance. But is there a time where this is counterproductive? Absolutely.

There are situations where doing the show can make the situation worse. In these cases, I would encourage someone to decline the role– remembering that declining a role can reflect poorly on you, and that most of these reasons are controllable. In other words, most of the reasons not to do the show listed below are only reasons if you let them be.

1. If you ONLY have negative feelings about it

If you feel overwhelmingly bitter and betrayed about the cast list, and you sincerely don’t think all the reasons I listed above are reasons to set that upset aside and enter the rehearsal process with an open mind: you’re allowed. Seriously, you can be upset as you want, no one can make you feel differently! But if those negative feelings are going to be too powerful to allow you to enjoy yourself, you may run the risk of making the process tense for others.

I know actors who have “powered through” after getting offered a role they didn’t want. They complained about how bitter they were the entire process and were petty and impolite towards much of the cast. Generally, they didn’t make friends, and the production staff didn’t appreciate the behavior. Had they asked me my opinion, I would have told them they were better off quitting the show and freeing up the spots in the cast to actors who were willing to invest some positive energy.

2. If you won’t be able to control your emotions

Similarly to the previous point, if you truly can’t find any positive feelings to muster up about the idea of participating in the show, and you don’t feel good about masking your misgivings: then yes, you should quit the production.

Really measure whether or not you think this is an impossibility for you. Trust me, you are likely much more emotionally resilient than you think you are. And besides, the show will likely be more enjoyable than you think it will be, too: if you quit now, you really might be missing out! But if you genuinely feel that you’ll be too unhappy to avoid lashing out, then yes, please, stay away.

3. If you’re too busy to commit properly

You may genuinely have too much on your plate and feel like committing to this show after the disappointing result is going to be too much to swing. We could argue about whether or not you should audition for shows you’re too busy to commit to… but ultimately, if you feel like you don’t have the time to spare for the production, then it is better to decline the offer and let the opportunity pass you by. Being overbooked will ultimately burn you out, and that probably won’t be fun for you or your cast mates to deal with.

4. If it’s JUST to check a box on your resume

I have known actors who participate in shows after being disappointed by the casting only because they think the show will be an important stepping-stone for them, or that it will look good on their resume. This is fine, but remember that committing to a production is, well, a commitment! If you don’t have any interest in actually being in the production, your lack of investment is likely to show.

As I acknowledged in the section above, there are times where it’s genuinely worth doing a production for the padding on your resume. But if that’s the only benefit you can see, it will probably become obvious to your cast mates pretty quickly– and that isn’t usually a good look.

5. If you truly have a bad feeling about the production

This is a very genuine reason to not partake in a rehearsal process. If you feel uncomfortable about something that happened during the casting process– if you felt some red flags or general bad vibes— these can be worth listening to. I’m not talking about “I didn’t get the part I want and that’s obviously bogus,” I mean things like a disorganized environment, rude treatment by staff, or even behavior that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

I once auditioned for a show where a member of staff tried to ask me out while casting was actively still happening. In other words, I didn’t know if turning him down meant I would be eliminated from the running. I ended up being offered a part… but suffice to say, I didn’t feel bad about turning that offer (both offers, actually!) down.

Ultimately, the only person who can decide whether or not it’s worth being in a production is you. But consider your choice carefully– there are a host of good reasons to stick it out! If one of those latter five reasons resonate with you, though, maybe declining is your best option after all.