from the November 2009 issue of KC Stage.
Everyone has heard the tips about the what-not-to-dos, but what tips should you do to avoid the abominable audition? There are several, and they are valuable to lock away into your coffers when preparing to audition, no matter what ‘level’ of theatre you are working in. So here are some nifty tips on how to avoid the ‘what-not-to-dos’.
Make your decisions, and stick with them. Don’t get to the audition and start second guessing yourself and then change your blocking, key, choreography, etc. Go with what you have set, because when you make last minute changes, it is noticeable.
Don’t fidget, and ground yourself. The reason acting teachers suggest that you ‘try it out’ in front of a mirror is so that you can see what kind of extraneous movements you are making. Most people fidget or shift their weight from one foot to the other when they get nervous, so become aware of this so that you can control it when standing up there on the stage.
Use your arms. Too many auditions that I’ve seen have been wonderfully full of emotion or humor, had beautiful facial expressions, and even included good movement across the stage, however, with arms glued to one’s sides, the honesty factor drops considerably for the character you are trying to portray. (Do not over-gesticulate though either!)
Have many fingertip options available. A ‘fingertip option’ is one that you can call up, completely, at a moment’s notice. Two other people have auditioned today with the song you were going to use. The guy right in front of you just did Neil Simon, and that’s the same playwright you were going to use. Having at least six monologues and six songs that are up and ready to go at all times will allow you to avoid being redundant, and thus potentially boring, to the director. I encourage my students to put all of their monologues and songs into an audition notebook, (where they also keep headshots and resumes,) so that they are all together and can be reviewed often, with ease.
Prepare! Read the script, or at least get on line and find out as much as you can about the piece and the playwright before you go to the audition. There is nothing less sincere than an actor who tells you they are dying to have this part, but has no idea that they play you are directing is an existential piece, or even who Ionesco is!
Limber up before you go. Make sure you have stretched, (especially if it is a musical audition) and do vocal warm-ups before you get inside the theater. It is just one more step in putting your best foot forward and not making people wait on you.
Follow through. If you tell a director you are going to audition, you had better show up. They will remember the next time if you do not. Put all of you conflicts down from the start. If you cannot make it to this rehearsal, then that rehearsal, then that other one, then interest in you, no matter how good you are, will dwindle in a big hurry. And return those calls—promptly, even if you are not sure you want to hear the news you are fearing they will tell you. Man-up, and follow through with what you started, and be honest.
Wear a bright color. Sounds so simple it’s almost dumb, right? Wearing white or black allows you to disappear into the background, but a good color choice plants a subconscious memory of you into the director’s mind. It’s weird, but true.
Be nice. This director has something you want- the part. Do not ever be rude to a director (no matter what you think of them) even if they are a friend and it is in jest. Be professional when in this environment with them. After you get the part is no time to start playing the diva either. Directors who work with actors who have an attitude problem will likely not make that mistake twice. (I know there are about 5 or so right here in KC that I will never work with again. Life is too short!) This goes for if you do not get the part as well. Bad-mouthing the director, the theatre company, or the other actors, gets you no-where, fast. If you can’t say something nice… (And no, as the director, I will not bad-mouth my ‘black-listed’ actors either. It is only fair.)
Go see theatre! If you are not doing a show, go see someone else who is. Do not stay at home and pout that you didn’t get the part. Go see what that director was going for, so you’ll know more for next time you audition for them. Also, be sure to see a variety of theatre. High School theatre may have more to offer than you think, and sometimes professional theatre is so polished it looses its heart. You can learn more about your craft by watching both what to do, and what-not-to-do.
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