Over the course of her career, casting director Allison Jones has cast a staggering array of iconic comedies, from feature films like “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Bridesmaids” to television series like “Freaks and Geeks,” “The Office,” and “Parks and Recreation.” Yet Jones says that HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” for which she is currently nominated for an Emmy, is the only project whose approach to the audition process feels truly conducive to comedy.

“It’s the only comedy audition situation that is actually natural for the actors,” Jones told IndieWire. “Standing in a room with a reader and a bunch of people sitting around staring at you is so antithetical to what you should have for comedy.” On “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” every audition follows essentially the same methodology the filmmakers use when they’re shooting; there’s no script, just a situation within which the actors are expected to improvise...