In acting lingo, a "cold reading" is when a performer is handed a script and is expected to give a performance with little (usually, no) prep time. This is an invaluable skill and most actors would be well advised to brush up on it and keep in constant practice. Alas, in too many cases, a "Cold Reading Workshop" is a rip-off enterprise designed to separate wanna-bes from their cash. In theory, you pay for the workshop, not for the fact that a casting director will be there to hear you and critique your reading. In actuality, what it amounts to is that aspiring thespians who have no legit means of getting seen by those who hire are, in essence, paying to audition.
A legit, respectable casting director would never participate in such exploitation. For one thing, it's illegal to charge someone to audition and, even though they might say the fee is for the class, not the access, that's not how it works out. For another thing, it's simply wrong. The casting director is paid to be familiar with the talent pool and ought to be seeing those who come highly recommended, not those who fork over money. Alas, not all casting directors are perfectly ethical so Cold Reading Workshops have wrung a lot of bucks out of the Stars of Tomorrow and/or the Daily Grill Waiters of Today.
But this stops and it stops now, thanks to a group called DoNotPay.org — a consortium of casting folks who don't like seeing their profession debased, plus actors who…well, the actors' motivation is obvious. Headed up by casting director Billy DaMota, the group petitioned the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement for the state of California and has gotten them to declare Cold Reading Workshops illegal. Here's a press release about the decision.
I think this is terrific news. Such "classes" are not the only way in which up-'n'-coming actors are shaken-down but this one's a biggie. If you are seeking a career as a performer, you should pay reasonable fees for photos and demos of your work (like tapes or CDs) and you should pay reasonable fees for actual acting classes and for books and tapes that help you hone your skills. But you should never give Dime One to anyone who says that it'll help you get seen by "the right people." In this case, "the right people" are "the wrong people."