Hi everyone! I'm back! Since I haven't done a workshop for a while, I thought it might be nice if I posted one. This workshop is going to be about
Auditions and Cold Readings.
How do I find out about Auditions?
In a smaller context, you find out about them because the teachers at your school post a notice saying people should come to audition for the school play.
If you're looking to audition outside of just school, but aren't ready to go for professionalish yet, you can look in newspapers, community theatre notice boards, or check online (though you have to be cautious with online listings) I recommend
here
If you're pro and have an agent, you don't really have to worry-- it's the agent's job to find auditions and casting calls that would fit you. So you've got it easy.
OK, so I've heard about an audition that I think sounds interesting. What now?
You need to get yourself as ready for the audition as possible. I STRONGLY recommend that you read the play. Not just the cliff notes, or the back cover, and not just part of it. I recommend that you read ALL of the play. That way, you have a sense of all the characters (not just one or two) and can be better prepared, as you'll understand the big picture and what motivations are, etc. Do not just prepare to read one character. You should be prepared for them to have you read any charater. I once prepared myself for all the female characters, and they had me read a male role. You have to expect the unexpected. You should be familiar enough with
important scenes that you can read them somewhat independently-- you don't need them MEMORIZED, but you need to be familiar enough with them that you can PRESENT them, and act them, rather than just saying them. You shouldn't have your eyes glued right down onto your script-- you need to be comfortable.
Many casting notices will say what they would like you to prepare. I recommend always having a comedic monologue and a dramatic monologue memorized, so you can use them at any audition. Unless a monologue goes directly against what the play is saying (or it goes against the casting call notice specifications) you should be able to find monologues that are general enough you can use them for all auditions. One recommendation-- don't pick monologues from common shows. They will most likely be overdone, PLUS, you might run into the possiblility of auditioning for that show. (Most castings don't like you to do a monologue that you've pre-prepared that is from the show itself .They don't want you to have preconceived notions of what the show should be like-- they want to sculpt it with you, rather than you doing it all yourself.) A casting notice may also tell you to prepare specific scenes or monologues from the show. Obviously, if it says to do it... do it! Memorize what you need to know. Also be aware of what the character's motivation is, what they are feeling, what has caused this... And also, be aware of what comes next. (For example-- if you didn't know that your character is so angry with a person that they murder the person in the next scene, you might underplay their anger. Thus, them murdering the person in the next scene wouldn't make sense. The way you play that one specific scene has to fit in with the entire show. This is where the extra reading and preparation come in handy.)
When you go into the audition, you should have a firm understanding of the story (both the plots and the subplots) all the characters, as well as the context of the play (what prompted the writer to write the show.) You should also have your monologue memorized and ready to be presented (either the comedic one or the dramatic one, depending on the show) and any scenes and/or monologues they asked you to prepare.
But what if they DON'T tell me what to prepare from the show?
Then you should prepare the whole show. Like I said, you should have an understanding of every character. You should be able to go into the audition and understand what's going on with whatever they give you. When they give you what they want you to read, be sure that you read some of the dialogue before and after what you're reading. (for the sake of immediate context.) Don't be afraid of giving yourself enough time to get it. You should read it at least twice, so that you're sure of all the words in it (nothing more embarassing than a mispronunciation!) and the rhythm. Reading over it a couple times will also allow you to gain taht independence, where you don't have to have your nose in the script the whole time.
And how do I present all this @$U@# that you're telling me about?
With confidence!
Presenting things as a finished work in an audition is easier for some people than others. I ordinarily talk with my hands, so when I present a monologue... I still talk with my hands. A lot of directors have told me that they liked my hand gestures-- that they seemed natural for the character, and made sense. Though gestures can sometimes be annoying (especially when there's too many of them, or they're forced) they can sometimes be the nice icing on the cake for your monologue or scene. If you can, try to just make the occasional natural gesture to accent what you're saying. You also need to be sure that you project-- don't shout, or be too loud or "broad" (fake) with your voice. But really be sure you use your diaphragm and can be heard. Little things like this make you appear like you know what you're doing, and that you've put effort into trying to make your audition as close to a performance as possible.
If you have any specific questions about auditions, feel free to ask.
Glad to be back guys!
M
