Kate Lumpkin, Kate Lumpkin Casting
From Peter: Is Kate the master of forward-thinking? A master teacher? The master standard-setter? The master of social media? Maybe she’s the master of positivity? It’s likely all of those… and so much more.
If you follow Kate on social media, (and if you don’t, you should) you know the things she stands for. Kate is all of those things in real life: authentic, positive, inclusive, inspiring, creative, talented, and fun. If you’re lucky enough to audition for her, she brings all of those things into the room with her. It radiates the space in a way that is tangibly different. Whatever that mastery is that I can’t put my finger on… I wish everyone in our business had more of it.
So, without further ado, here’s a small sliver of the make-up and mind of the person that inspires us so much.
Would you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?:
Of course! Hi, I’m Kate Lumpkin! I am a New York based Creative, Casting Director, and Educator. I specialize in finding multi-hyphenate artists for new and challenging works. Collectively, as a casting professional, I have worked on over 40 TV/Film productions and 80 theatrical productions in New York City and across the USA including shows at The Kennedy Center, The Actors Theatre of Louisville, The A.R.T, and many others. In addition to teaching workshops in New York and at numerous Colleges and Universities, I am also a private coach to clients all around the world and am the Head of Education for The Broadway Collective. My mission is to curate artistic families for challenging new works that are being crafted by groundbreaking creatives AND to holistically educate the next generation of great young artists.
Where did you go to school? How did your time there impact your career?
I spent some time in the BFA Musical Theatre program at Ithaca College, studied the Meisner technique at The William Esper Studios in NY, and then studied Anthropology and Folklore at Indiana University. My higher educational journey has impacted every moment of my career. I think every institution helped me craft my world view and understand how I best move through life. Specifically, Ithaca taught me how to make tough decisions. Esper taught me how to listen. And Indiana taught me how societies are formed and remembered through the power of storytelling. Together, those three things led me straight towards a career in casting.
We know you started your career as an Equity actor before going back to school to study anthropology. Can you talk us through your thought process on how you knew acting wasn’t the career for you?
Here’s the thing, acting will never not be a part of my career. When I am in an audition session, I use every piece of my life as an actor to make the work I do happen. When I read plays and books, I hear the characters in my head and can see the action onstage. When I tell stories, they are rich and full of life. When I write breakdowns, I write them how I wish I had seen them written when I was an actor. My training and experiences as an actor influence everything I do in my current craft.
About ten years ago, I knew that my anxiety was causing me to suffer as an artist. It was crippling and I became overwhelmed at the idea of auditioning and telling stories in front of others. I knew I had to make a shift towards a healthier way of life and in that time realized that what I really wanted to do was to be, what I call, a "creative anthropologist." I wanted to craft the artistic families that were telling stories and through that curation, change the way others see the world. So that is what I am doing right now through casting. That might change tomorrow and I will never rule out any aspect of my creativity. I will go where my mind+heart tell me to go.
I’m seeing on your website you’ve had lots of other jobs. You’ve been a brand ambassador, a teacher in Tanzania, worked in development for National Geographic, and were the VP of Marketing and PR for a private consulting firm. Were you ever scared that if you took jobs outside of the business, you might not come back?
The reason I am where I am today is because nothing about my path was traditional. Honestly, I did a lot of those jobs out of fear. In my early 20s, I tried everything else I could outside of this industry to see if it would fulfill me. I was so scared to fail in the community I loved, that I needed to know if I could find satisfaction outside of it. So actually, I think it was the opposite. I was so scared that I would fail IN this community, that I decided it might be easier to succeed at something else and never look back on purpose.
But that is not what was meant to be for me. And at the end of the day, every job I have ever had, centered around storytelling. It might have been brand or financially based, but it was always about finding the human connection through story. All of those jobs served me and taught me how to better craft a story and community. They taught me, then brought me back home.
{PS: Failure is a societal construct. It doesn't really exist. Don't let the idea of it do to you what it did to me!}
How did you know you wanted to be a Casting Director? What were the things you did in the first year to help you make that transition?
It’s so funny – I don’t think of myself as just one thing. I see this question and it makes my stomach turn. Sure my title on a contract or in a Playbill is “Casting Director.” But in my heart, I feel like an artist and an educator and listener and a change maker...all of which currently add up to a Casting Director position. So honestly, I don’t know when the exact day was. Truly there was no lightbulb moment. I think that a lot of things in my life led me in this direction and there were beautiful moments where opportunity, need, and passion all met at the right time and I said “Yes!”
I think the first year I started in casting was tricky, as I was learning the craft and working for other people. So the number one thing that I really told myself was that I needed to listen and learn every single day. I looked for the details that weren’t being spoken. I wrote down the advice that I will need forever. I learned what I like and what I don’t like in leadership. I started to create relationships that would help me in the future. Looking back, I think the best thing I did was be a futurist right at the start.
You made the brave leap to start Kate Lumpkin Casting in 2016. How did you know opening your own office was right for you?
A huge part of why I wanted to start my own business was because I didn’t want to spend the foundational part of my career learning someone else’s habits and then not being able to break them in myself later. I wanted to form my own and begin to create audition spaces that felt safe, progressive, and warm in my own signature way. I wanted to see casts that were reflective of my taste and hopes for the future. I wanted to work with artists I respected and I wanted to have control over where I put my creative energy. I knew it was right for me because I am a firm believer that change does not come by following the leader --- it comes from those who lead by example. I was ready to fight for my place at the table and just did it.
What’s the most important thing you’ve done in your career so far?
I am a woman in my early 30s, who lives in New York City, and I pay all of my bills by making art under a company with my name on the door. I’m damn proud of that achievement and it feels pretty important. I have also stood up for myself and the people I believe in, in very public ways. I’m very proud of that as well.
What’s something you wish you had done or wish you had known earlier?
I am not someone who claims to have no regrets. I have plenty of regrets --- and I have learned to let them fuel me. I wish I had done and been a great many things. I mostly wish I had not let people-pleasing take me off course.
Something I wish I had known earlier is that your passion should serve and not punish you. You are allowed to change your mind a thousand times. You are allowed to try something new AND turn right back around. I wish someone had told me that when there is a pit in your stomach you will never forget or outgrow it --- pits are seeds and seeds grow.
Are you at the top of your mountain?
I’m scared that I will never feel like I am at the top of my mountain – the earth seems to keep shifting around me. I am working very hard to begin enjoying the view at each overlook rather than chasing the peak.
RAPID FIRE!
Favorite Broadway show of all time: Ragtime
TV show that you love: Any and all British Period Dramas. Currently obsessed with Poldark.
Favorite music on your commute: Blossom Dearie and Motown
Any other obsessions?: Iced Coffee, the Modern Love column, color coding, and travel.
Social media is ________: A very useful business tool. My digital dossier. And unfortunately, the easiest way for me to lose precious creative time.
Religious, spiritual, or nah?: Highly spiritual. Huge believer in karma and kindness.
Actor-ism that frustrates you: “Musical Theatre Voice” in normal social situations and auditions. Why must we all speak like we just walked out of a 1940’s dinner party?
Biggest beef with the business: People who have creative minds and progressive ideas, but who sacrifice them in order to cater to the least common denominator. We must collectively have more courage and faith in our audiences. They will rise to the occasion if the challenge is worth it.
Favorite part about teaching: When you see that someone has really heard you, taken the thought, put it into their body, and then pushed through to something new. When they stop --- their face changes and you can see that they know they had a breakthrough. That is the best moment you could ever ask for.
Hardest part about being a Casting Director: Three things keep me up at night:
- Not having final say and being publicly blamed for decisions that I did not actually get to make.
- The fear of not being able to find the answer to an equation that is constantly being rewritten.
- Being feared, disliked, or judged simply because of my job title.
I get inspired when _______: People show up for themselves without questioning their worth. YOU DESERVE TO BE HERE. Don’t you ever forget it.
Social media handles: kate-lumpkin.com + @katelumpkin
Anything you’d like to promote?: Kindness, voting, empathy, equality, continuing education, and self-care. I think we should all be promoting those things. It’s the real work, right? Everything else you can find with a quick google.