#13 - Victor Vazquez: The Architect of a Jellicle Ball

Welcome to a beautifully grounding episode of Entre Acts with host Linedy Genao! This week, Linedy sits down with a true visionary and industry change-maker, the brilliant Victor Vazquez—founder of X Casting. The two kick off their conversation with a lively round of dominoes, diving into Victor's deep appreciation for tacos al pastor, his daily commitment to building up a spice palate, and a hilarious look at his absolute refusal to eat mid, Midtown business-meeting salsa that tastes suspiciously like ketchup. Linedy also takes a moment to share the incredibly moving story of how Victor profoundly changed the trajectory of her career nearly a decade ago, looking past a missed role to connect her with her life-long manager and make her feel safe, seen, and valued in the audition room. Moving into the deep, reflective layers of the sándwichito format, Victor flips the script on what it means to be an industry gatekeeper. He redefines the transitional "in-between" periods as highly curatorial, intentional chapters of an artist's path that require immense self-care and nourishment. Victor shares his profound personal North Star—a vivid imagery from a college business class of designing his own kitchen to host his community rather than chasing traditional accolades like Tonys or Oscars. He opens up about the massive responsibility of world-building through casting, detailing the historic year-long open portal methodology used to prioritize the ballroom community for Broadway's Cats: The Jellicle Ball. He also shares a jaw-dropping, framed piece of history: a personal recommendation letter sent to his desk on official Supreme Court letterhead by none other than Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who deeply understood how difficult an actor’s profession truly is. To close the act, Victor treats listeners to a whisper-quiet ASMR casting secret, breaks down why a bánh mì is the absolute perfect umami sandwich, and shares a wild audition room story that involved calling security over a rogue machete. Victor Vazquez (he/him/él) is a creative architect, world-builder, and the pioneering founder of X Casting. As a prominent Latinx casting director and the proud son of Mexican immigrants, Victor is dedicated to dismantling binary pass-fail structures in theater and amplifying the voices of global majority and queer stories. His revolutionary casting methodologies are behind monumental theatrical milestones, including the history-making hit Cats: The Jellicle Ball and the critically acclaimed musical adaptation of Real Women Have Curves. Formerly the Lead In-House Casting Director at the prestigious Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., Victor holds a degree in directing and writing and continues to serve as an indispensable bridge-builder, cultural curator, and community leader across both coasts. Connect with Linedy and Victor: IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@linedygenao⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ IG & TT: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@entreacts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ IG: @victorvictorv Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices