Pam:
I realize each part is different, But is there general criteria
that a casting director looks for in a kid during a cold
read? What about for kids that can't read yet?
Mr. Agent:
Hi Pam,
A cold read means that is occurs with no preparation. Therefore part
of the use of the cold read is to see who is a "quick study" and who
isn't. This goes for adults as well as kids. If a kid can't read yet
they certainly could not do a cold read. In most of these cases the
kid simply memorizes the lines beforehand and does the best they can
during the audition.

