How to Get the Most Out of Rotato for Table Reads

A good table read lets you hear your script instead of spending the night sorting out who has which pages. Here’s how to use Rotato to cast your readers, share the right script, and make inviting an outside actor feel simple.

How to cast for a table read on Rotato

1. Open your night. Go to My Nights, find the date you’re presenting, and choose Upload script & cast.
2. Add your script. Upload your PDF, or paste text if you don’t have a PDF yet. The full script is available to members of your group.
3. Add sides if you want. Sides are just the pages a reader needs. You can upload separate pages, or let readers use the full script.
4. List the characters. Add each speaking part, plus Narrator if someone will read the action and scene headings.
5. Choose a reader for each part. Pick a group member or guest actor from the list. One person can read several characters; the Readers section keeps their parts together. Avoid giving one reader both sides of a conversation when you can.
6. Ask, then check their answer. Group members receive a casting invitation. For outside actors, you can customize the invitation before sending it, or copy their private link and send it yourself.

Keep outside-actor invitations personal

You can change the email’s subject line and add a short note. Something like “Hey Marcus, thought of you for Hale — would love to hear you read it!” is enough. Rotato adds the practical details without repeating your greeting.

The email has two clear choices: Yes, I can do it and No, I have to pass. The reader opens a short confirmation page to save their answer; simply opening the email link doesn’t answer for them. They can also open their private Rotato page to see the night and their parts.

See who’s in — and what needs recasting

Answers appear on your casting page. The writers presenting that night get notified when someone responds, so you don’t have to guess whether a part is covered. If a reader says Maybe or can’t make it, follow up or choose a new person for their parts.

If there’s another presenter that night, you can see their cast and responses too. That helps you coordinate shared readers and the reading order. Someone marked OUT or swapped out is flagged on the casting screen. If a cast group member later marks themselves OUT, you’re alerted; their parts stay assigned until you recast them.

Make the pages easy to read

With a text-based master PDF uploaded and readers cast, open the Readers section and choose Make highlighted pages. Rotato can highlight each character in a different light color — especially useful when one actor reads several parts.

Review the result before using it. Check the character names and lines, then choose Looks right — use these. If it’s not accurate, try again, discard it, or choose Upload my own PDF to replace it with your own marked-up pages. After replacing the master script, remake the highlighted copies so readers don’t keep using an older version.

What do actors see on Rotato when you cast them?

Outside actors don’t need an account, password, or app. Their private page greets them with a friendly potato and shows the meeting details, their assigned parts, their reply choices, and Download your pages.

Before the first download, they choose I agree — open my pages. They can expand and read the full group code of conduct, the group’s confidentiality agreement (MNDA, if published), and Rotato Terms before agreeing. Acceptance is recorded with their email, timestamp, and the agreement versions; they’re asked again only when the applicable agreements change.

The link is limited to that night and their own parts, and expires a week after the reading. Each group’s information is kept separate using row-level security. Read our Privacy statement for more about how Rotato handles information.

On the night: one place to find the script

Group members can open the night’s page to find the meeting details, script, and cast. Cast readers use My pages; other group members use Open script. Outside actors use the private page from their invitation.

Before you begin, confirm everyone has the current script, check any doubled roles, and leave time for notes. For help planning the reading itself, see How to Run a Table Read: A Simple Guide for Writing Groups.