… because someone on the audition panel said “I want this person in the cast.”

This is the stone-cold truth. Think about the implications.

This means:

• It doesn’t really matter what experience you have… you might be the most experienced person in the room, but lose out on the part to someone who has never done theatre before.
• Practicing until your audition is perfect might be helpful, and it’s definitely better than being unprepared… but it doesn’t really make the difference, does it? You could have a flawless audition and still not make the cut.
• Having natural, inborn talent is great and all, but that doesn’t matter much when the production staff could just decide they want someone else more.
• Professional connections are always invaluable… but if the production staff just can’t see you working in this project, then they won’t help much.
• You could be not wanted for any random reason: What if you remind a director of their mean ex-girlfriend? You might have made a funny face that made the choreographer think you were making fun of them. You could have included your birth date on a resume and handed it to a casting agent who noticed your zodiac sign and decided it was a poor fit for the project.

Are you lost in hopeless despair yet? Don’t be.

Yes, all those things are true. Casting is weird and random and unpredictable, and the reality is that you may be perfectly qualified, prepared, and well-suited for a part and still not get it…

But don’t give up yet, because that means it’s also true that:

• You might be the least experienced person in a room… the other people might have flashy professional credits! You could go toe-to-toe with a Broadway star in an audition… and still get cast, because the audition panel just wants you.
• You might practice and practice and practice and then forget every single word when you enter your audition. You leave and think “that was the most miserable failure I’ve ever experienced in my life…” and the production staff calls you back, because they just loved your energy.
• Imagine sitting in a lobby before an audition and your worst fear walks in: that ultra-talented freak of nature with perfect pitch who can sing whistle tones while walking on her hands and performing ventriloquism. And also she has perfect hair. There’s no way you can beat someone that talented!! … but then she’s the one who gets cut, and you get the part, because the production staff just think you’re a perfect fit.
• You don’t know a single person at the audition. Or at this organization. You’ve never even stepped foot in this venue. But the casting agent just wants to work with you, and suddenly you’re making plenty of new connections!
• You could be not wanted for any random reason… but you can also be wanted for any reason! Maybe the director liked your sweater and remembered “that cardigan girl” when it came time to make the callback list. Maybe the casting agent saw you make a mistake that they thought was charming and decided they liked your vibe. Maybe you told a silly joke and the staff laughed so much about it at the casting table that they decided they just had to include you somewhere.

So don’t despair. Yes, auditions are nightmares of entropy, and every audition you go to and don’t make the cut can feel like a colossal embarrassment and waste of time… but just remember that it could randomly go your way as much as it might randomly not.

The only way you’ll ever get cast is if you show up. If you show up, someone might just decide they want you. Or they might not… but that’s the coin flip you’ll just have to accept.