63. What Directors Actually Want: Sheldon Epps on Casting, Comedy, and Running a Room

About this episode

Sheldon Epps discusses the intricacies of casting and directing in television and theater.

What does it actually look like from the director's chair? In this episode of Casting Confidential , Rose Rosen is joined by casting director Robin Carus and legendary director Sheldon Epps — whose credits span Frasier , Friends , Everybody Loves Raymond , Girlfriends , and two decades as Artistic Director of the Pasadena Playhouse — for a candid, insider conversation about how television and theater really function. Sheldon breaks down the difference between stepping onto a long-running hit versus shaping a show from the ground up, how much say directors actually have in casting, and what separates an actor who books from one who doesn't. The panel also tackles the pressure of hit-making in not-for-profit theater, the chemistry factor in casting, and why the best auditions feel like collaboration rather than combat. The episode closes with a live cold read and real-time feedback session with actor Jill Adler — a rare, practical look at how direction can transform a performance in real time. Whether you're an actor, a director, or someone trying to understand how decisions are made on both sides of the table, this one is full of honest insight from people who have sat in every…

People in this episode

Host: Rose Rosen

Guests: Sheldon Epps, Robin Carus

Topics covered

• casting
• directing
• theater
• television
• auditions
• collaboration

Keywords

• casting
• directing
• auditions
• theater
• television
• performance
• collaboration
• hit-making

Sponsors

RAFY APP

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pasadena Playhouse

Products: RAFY APP

Books & works: Frasier, Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, Girlfriends

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