Don’t Lie About Your Conflicts. Just Don’t.

by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder

I need to preface this by saying this article mostly applies to community theatre.

There’s this moment that happens every audition cycle: someone turns in their conflict sheet — totally blank. “No conflicts!” they say cheerfully. Amazing! They must really want the role. They must be super committed. Until, a week later, they casually mention they’ll be out of town during tech. Or working every other night. Or “can’t miss” their cousin’s birthday party the night before opening.

And just like that, the trust is gone.

Look, I get it. Especially for students or early-career actors, you might feel like being honest will knock you out of the running — like if you list even one conflict, you’ll immediately be crossed off. But that’s just not how it works. Directors aren’t out to get you. They’re trying to build a rehearsal plan, and you can’t build anything on half-truths and wishful thinking.

Now, let’s be fair. Emergencies happen. Schedules change. Sometimes a professor drops a surprise midterm on you, or a job interview gets booked at the last second. That’s life. We’re human. No one expects you to have psychic powers and predict every single thing that might come up. But there’s a big difference between a last-minute emergency and knowingly leaving two weeks of rehearsal conflicts off your form.

And I’ll be real: I’ve been in this situation before. I once cast an actor in a substantial role — someone I was really excited about. They gave us a completely clean conflict sheet. But about a week into rehearsals, they quietly let it slip that they’d be gone for two full weeks of the process, including several major run-throughs.

That wasn’t just a small scheduling issue. That was a game-changer. We couldn’t move rehearsals around it, and the rest of the cast was left without a partner for key scenes. After some tough conversations, I had to let them go. Not because they had conflicts — but because they weren’t honest about them when it mattered. And the worst part? It didn’t need to go down like that. If they’d told us upfront, we might’ve cast them in a role that could’ve worked. Instead, they lost the show — and the trust of everyone involved.

When you’re honest about your conflicts, you’re showing that you respect the team’s time and trust the process. Directors and stage managers expect conflicts. They can usually work around them — especially if you’re upfront from the start. But what they can’t work around is a surprise. Or worse, a lie.

Theatre runs on schedules. It’s an enormous puzzle of people, space, time, and logistics. When someone pretends to be fully available and then drops a major conflict later on, it doesn’t just mess up one night — it throws off rehearsal plans, partner scenes, choreography, the works. And everyone around you feels it.

More than that, it changes how people see you. It stops being about whether you’re talented and starts being about whether you’re dependable. Because you can’t direct around a trust issue.

Here’s what people forget: being honest about your availability doesn’t automatically disqualify you. In fact, it often makes you more castable. It lets the team make smart choices. Maybe they double-cast. Maybe they shift some rehearsal dates. Maybe they cast you in a role that rehearses later in the process. But they can’t make those calls if you don’t give them the truth.

And yes — maybe being honest means you don’t get this particular role. That sucks. But you know what doesn’t suck? Getting a call for the next show because you were respectful, communicative, and professional this time.

So please. Be honest about your conflicts. Not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it actually helps your reputation in the long run. People will remember that you were upfront. And they’ll remember if you weren’t.

Because ultimately, talent gets you noticed — but trust keeps you working.