Dear Readers,

Welcome to our first-ever Audition Issue, which we hope addresses a number of common questions and obstacles that actors have in getting seen for roles. As is clear from the testimony of actors and casting directors in this issue, success at an audition should be measured not by whether the actor books the job but by whether the actor achieves his or her goals as a performer and whether the audition leaves a positive impression on the casting director, director, and producers.

My favorite audition story is from Jason Graae, about how he won the role of Harry Houdini in the American premiere of the Broadway-bound musical "Ragtime." "I stood on my head," he told me. That's right; he did his entire audition standing on his head. Talk about a bold choice.

Can you top Jason? We'd love to hear your audition tales—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Please send us your most memorable stories (along with your name and headshot if you wish to include them), and we'll publish them in a future edition of Back Stage and on our website. Email bsweditorial@backstage.com and put "Audition Issue" in the subject line. Thanks!

Sincerely,

Jamie Painter Young, Editor-in-Chief