an actor prepares for...

[Ben Owora]

This is bothering me. I went to a last minute casting recently - I got the call late the night before but the only info was an address and a smart-casual dress code, there was nothing to prepare, no script or guidelines, actually, neither I nor my agent quite knew what the job was. (I knooooow)
First of all, does this kind of thing happen to anyone else and how can we stop it?
...and how do you prepare for something like that? I don't know about you but I hate, I hate, I HATE not having something up my sleeve in an audition - even if it never gets used, even if it's something crammed in on the bus on the way there. I'm too disorganised not to have a lesson plan! Does anyone have any tips or tricks for turning this kind of situation around?

[Mihai Arsene]

probably you need to change your agent.... he/she is responsible for selling your image at the best....

[Ben Owora]

No I don't think my agent that was at fault on this. We both have something at stake here, and at the end of the day an agent can only pass on what information the proction company gives them. What concerns me, is that; as things get tighter in the market, its actors who have to adapt and still come up competitive in casting situations where companies appear to have set hurdles in the path. I'm not sure how constructive it is as a recruitment technique...

[Frank Anthony]

Hi Ben

Actually your first paragraph sounds really scary! A call late at night, no script, no agent info? I don't think I'd go - you could wind up in someone's freezer! Assuming such a call is for real I can't help thinking it's really bad practice on the part of the casting director, particularly in regard to younger, less experienced performers. But I presume this is what your 'I knooooow' comment is for.

As for the second paragraph, I reckon all you can do is rely on your professionalism and your actor's ability to play. My job involves constant character improvisation and I often find that the character has much more to say, and is much more relaxed, than I as myself would be in the situation. All sorts of material seems to readily come to mind as the character. You have a whole life to draw on and probably have more material in your head than any script could ever provide. Failing this, you will have experienced many fascinating people in real life - colleagues, clients, uncles, grandads etc and allowing one of these characters to 'take over' temporarily might provide some interesting material.