When Callbacks Don’t Actually Call You Back

by Chris Peterson

There’s something about getting a callback that immediately kicks your heart rate up a little. You start imagining possibilities. You rehearse the sides in the car. You show up hoping today is the day you get to actually explore something. That’s what a callback is supposed to be. A chance to play. A chance to try things. A chance for the director to see what else might be there.

But every actor knows there’s another kind of callback. The kind where you walk in and instantly feel the air go flat. No direction. No adjustments. No curiosity. You read the same scene once or twice, the director nods politely, and then you’re dismissed. And you can practically hear the truth buzzing in the fluorescent lights: the show was cast during the initial auditions. You’re just here because they didn’t want to announce it yet.

And honestly, that’s what I wish more directors understood. If you’re going to call people back, make it purposeful. Don’t do it because it feels like the “proper” process. Don’t do it because you feel guilty choosing someone early. Don’t do it because you want a bigger room so the optics look better. Call people back only if you actually need to see something from them.

Actors can tell when a callback has no point. They feel it immediately. They’re standing there fully warmed up and ready to work while the director flips through papers looking like they’re waiting for their takeout order. And for community theatre especially, where people are juggling kids and work and traffic just to be there, that kind of callback feels disrespectful. Not intentionally so, but still. Time is time.

A callback should never feel like a waiting room. If the decision is made, just don’t have one. Truly. Everyone will be happier. Actors would rather hear “we’re going straight to casting decisions” than spend two hours performing in a room where nothing they do matters. And directors, you’re not fooling anyone by running a callback with no plan. Actors know when they’re seen, and they know when they’re just being kept busy.

The best callbacks are the ones with direction. It doesn’t even have to be big. A tiny adjustment is enough to show that you’re curious. “Try it lighter.” “Try it angrier.” “Let’s switch scene partners.” Something. Anything. Show that there’s a reason you’re there. That you’re looking for a spark, or a rhythm, or a connection.

And if you’re not sure what you’re looking for? That’s actually great. Let the callback help you figure it out. That’s the whole point. You get to watch people surprise you. You get to see how different actors play off each other. You get to see someone take a note and run with it. That’s the part that should be fun.

Most actors don’t expect to book the role. They just want to feel like the process meant something. Like someone was paying attention. Like they weren’t called back just to fill a room.

So if you’re a director gearing up for auditions, here’s the simple version: be intentional. If you’re calling someone back, know why. If you’re not, don’t. Callbacks aren’t required. Honesty is kinder. And when you do hold one with purpose behind it, everyone in that room can feel it. It becomes a real working session instead of a polite formality.