An interview with Cara Chute Rosenbaum, CSA
Who are you, and what are your passions?
I am Cara Chute Rosenbaum, CSA. I am passionate about motherhood, equality and social justice, casting, actors, tacos, and dancing. Pretty much in that order...
How did you first discover casting?
My roots are as an actor. It was something I loved and did through college, but wasn’t sure was a career path I wanted to pursue. I think to be an actor, and to be a successful actor, you truly can’t want anything else. I got an internship in a casting office through grad school knowing literally nothing about it, and I’ve been doing it ever since! Everything clicked for me by being able to do this work and use my actor brain and creative brain, but be on this side of it. Also I don’t miss acting at all. Like AT ALL. Which is how I know I wasn’t meant for it.
Can you describe what a typical workday looks like for you?
What’s a typical day anymore??? But also there is no typical day in casting. Which I think is why I love it. It all depends on the status of the project we are on, whether it’s releasing breakdowns, going through submissions, having auditions, watching self-tapes, checking avails, putting together lists, communicating with our creative team, negotiating deals, doing paperwork — sometimes literally all those things at the same time!
What misconceptions do you hear far too often about casting and the industry?
Actors are afraid of Casting Directors. They feel like their fate is in our hands and that we are these scary, unconcerned, apathetic monsters. I hate this idea of the CD being on their phone, not caring, not even looking up. (I’m not saying this never happens - but the CDs I know and love and respect are not at all like this) Yes, we are gatekeepers, but we want you to succeed! We are in this position and this business because we love actors. Keep that in mind when you walk into an audition or set up for your self tape. You’re creative for someone who WANTS to view your work and WANTS to hire you!
What’s the best piece of advice someone ever gave you?
You can’t pour from an empty cup. This really had new meaning for me when I became a mother. When you are trying to make sure everyone is taken care of, that everyone’s needs are met, that all the tasks are complete, that everyone is comfortable... you often forget to take care of yourself. The more you take care of yourself and feel good about what’s happening with your own body mind and spirit, then the easier it will be to take care of all the other things. When your cup overflows, everyone benefits!
How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a “favorite failure” of yours?
I think you learn best from being thrown into the deep end. I’m not sure if I have a favorite failure, but I definitely try to learn from all of them. Buuuuuut also I am a perfectionist and I want everything to be right, so there’s a good chance I will obsess about all failures big and small at 3am for the next 87 years.
Is there a particular book you find yourself recommending?
I have a 2-year-old so here are my current favorite kiddo books: Sulwe, Penny Meets POTUS, Anti-Racist Baby, Rosie Revere Engineer, Tango Makes Three, Knuffle Bunny, and A is for Audra.
Who’s the most interesting person you know?
All people are interesting if you ask the right questions!
What’s the best purchase you've made in the last year?
Reusable silicon bags from Net Zero Co. We stopped buying disposable ziploc and plastic bags and it’s been a game changer. It requires a bit more thought, but it SHOULD! Especially in this pandemic where single use plastic is becoming such a problem. This feels like a really preachy response to this question when you probably wanted me to say something fun, but I’m really trying so hard to be more earth conscious and the only other things I’ve bought this year have pretty much been sweatpants and groceries. (If anyone has a great substitute for paper towels please let me know I’m still trying to find one!)
If you could tell your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Enjoy the journey. Don’t be in such a rush to get to the finish line.
What is an unusual habit that you have?
I literally cannot remember to turn off the oven. I’m aware this is insanely dangerous, and luckily I have a very patient partner who knows to always double check me.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or have lost your focus temporarily, what do you do?
I have to move my body. Whether it’s go for a walk or dance or stretch, when I feel overwhelmed and stuck I ALWAYS feel better if I can get my blood flowing. If I can physically move the anxiety out of my body I can come back to whatever I was doing with a much clearer headspace.
Where can people find you? Are there any recent projects you'd like to mention?
Twitter/IG: @ccrcasting
Facebook: Facebook.com/ccrcasting
Website: ccrcasting.com
Recent projects include talking endlessly about voting and registering people to vote. Please talk to the people in your life and make sure they are registered to vote as well, and help them make a PLAN for voting this November. If you are not registered to vote and have questions about it, please get in touch with me at any of the aforementioned places and I would love to talk to you without shame or guilt about why I think it’s so important and how to make you feel inspired and empowered to get involved in this important election.
Books I like: Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
I just finished reading Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon, writer and artist, and it’s a great little book that everyone should have a copy of, especially if you have an ounce of creativity in you and I believe that all human beings do. Whether you’re thinking of starting a blog or newsletter, or maybe you’re a dancer, poet, actor? It doesn’t really matter, this book will stir something up in you and get your creativity going. Without sharing every single detail of the book, here are some nuggets of wisdom:
5 Reasons Every Actor Should Try The Meisner Technique
Sanford Meisner created the Meisner technique after his time at the Group Theatre (alumni includes: Elia Kazan, Stella Adler, Lee Strasberg, Francis Farmer, John Garfield and many others). In essence, Meisner's approach could be described as "the reality of doing", though there's so much more to it that deserves a future post of its own. Beyond the commonly known repetition exercise, the Meisner technique can teach you how to be truly vulnerable and open in your acting as well as your everyday life.
Based on my experience with the technique, here are a few reasons why:
1 - You will be more vulnerable in your personal life as a result
I found myself opening up to family and friends more often, being honest with who I am as a person and my emotions. And no longer ignoring feelings I had that made me uncomfortable. We're given a spectrum of feelings for a reason, bottling certain ones up or ignoring them is bad for us on many levels.
2 - You will feel genuinely connected to your scene partner(s) and likely more connected to other people
Instead of putting a character on top of who you are, you will feel genuinely connected to the other human being working with you. That's because you will be 100% connected, and everything will feel real because it is during the exercise. You will learn to fully connect with people in the scene and only behave honestly. And it all starts with a straightforward thing, eye contact.
3 - It will take you out of your comfort zone, and this is a good thing
By virtue of how it works, you'll go to uncomfortable places that you don't allow yourself to explore in everyday life. It can take some time to get used to, but once you accept it and fully immerse yourself in the moment, you will grow in ways you didn't know were possible. Trust me.
4 - You will act on instinct and emotion
The Meisner technique teaches you to think less and react more. Sanford Meisner believed that you should 'Act before you think – your instincts are more honest than your thoughts.'
5 - You will learn to improvise
One of the beautiful things about learning the technique is that because you're fully in the moment, you only ever respond to what is happening at the time. Given some practice, you'll eventually be comfortable improvising, as in many ways the work is entirely improvised. You may be given a scenario or asked to create one yourself, and then you'll enter the room and whatever happens, happens. As my teacher used to say “You'll be a feather in the wind, you the feather and your partner the wind.”
I studied at The Actors Temple in London, and would highly recommend Jo Romero or Simon Furness. Both of them are extraordinary teachers.
Please help my friend David
Please help my friend David Ibragimov; he's a talented young filmmaker living in UAE. He was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer recently, and the insurance company claim that it's a pre-existing condition and are not willing to cover the medical costs. Please consider making a small donation.
You can do so by clicking here.
In return, I will send you the password for David's unreleased short film, The Hermit. It won various awards at The Blacksheep Film festival and is a fantastic piece of filmmaking.
Podcasts I like: Off Camera with Sam Jones
If you’re an actor and you’re unfamiliar with the Sam Jones Off Camera series I’d highly recommend you check it out. It exists as a podcast as well as on TV and can be streamed online. Sam has a natural way of getting actors to open up, often discussing their process, things they’ve learned on set and fears they all have. It’s fascinating, I always seem to pick one nugget of wisdom from each episode.
Some of my favourite episodes include: Robert Downey, Jr., Kathryn Hahn, Carey Mulligan, Elizabeth Moss, Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniel Radcliffe and Rosamund Pike.