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Take Heed! The
judges from last year passed on a few tips that you may want to consider as
you prepare for the competition this year.
They are:
---When students are in the room watching, they need to be respectful of all of the performers, not just their friends who are performing. Making comments about others in the competition rooms is disrespectful to the performers and distracting to the judges. This did not happen often, but it did occur and we need to look out for this behavior. ---Students should block their scenes knowing that they will probably be in a small space in the front of a classroom. There were instances when the blocking was on the floor. This made it difficult, if not sometimes impossible, for the judges to see the performer(s). ---Students should keep their hair away from their face so that the judges can see their face(s). ---The students should wait to “step onto the stage” until the judges finish writing about the previous performer. When you stand at the front, you make the judges feel rushed. ---Students should make attempts to command the room. They tend to want to shrink into the space. ---Students need to work on their diction and acting choices. Many performances lacked specificity. While everyone came prepared at some level, many needed to make clearer, more committed choices. (Ah, the never ending battle.) ---Students should come dressed ready to perform. “One girl was wearing such low cut jeans that I was moved to comment but I didn’t – I felt it diminished her strength as an actress.” ---Students need to give a moment before saying “scene.” Or even better, they should omit saying “scene” and just break character after the final moment is fully over.
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Preparing for the
Competition
Source: www.theatrealliance.org, hometown.aol.com/InTheLime/vagabond.html
AUDITION TIPS
Special thanks to
Aileen McCulloch of the Vagabond Acting Troupe for sharing this compilation
of audition tips.
Auditions are tough on
everyone. The actors are tense because they are putting their talent forward
in the hope of being cast. The auditors are tense because they are giving up
days at a time to observe nervous actors, who are frequently unprepared, in
an attempt to find the perfect professional to fill every role. On the actual
day of auditions, the onus for making the audition an enjoyable experience
for both actor and auditor falls primarily on the actors, whose choices of
audition monologue and approach to monologue delivery are what make up the
audition.
The key to a
successful audition is PREPARATION. The following tip sheet has been compiled to help you -
the actor - make your best showing at the Theatre Alliance of Greater
Philadelphia Annual Auditions. PLEASE READ THROUGH and PREPARE YOUR AUDITION
with these suggestions in mind, and you will help to make the day more enjoyable
for all involved!
PART I:
SELECTING YOUR AUDITION MATERIAL
- Choose
audition materials from established plays or literature. Monologue
compilation books are good - but everyone else is probably looking
there, too. Avoid overused works or pieces that are written specifically
as monologues.
- Look for
short pieces. Your audition time slot is 3 minutes long.
If you choose two extremely contrasting one-minute monologues, or a
one-minute monologue and a one-minute song, you will have more time to
make your pieces as strong as possible - and guarantee that you come in
under time. Then auditors will have more time to look over your headshot
and write the comment: "Strong preparation - short and sweet!"
Don't show off by preparing a piece EXACTLY THREE MINUTES LONG. Nine
times out of ten something happens to send the perfectly timed piece
over the three-minute mark. Auditors are just as nervous about the timer
calling "time." Wouldn't you rather have them listening to you
than shifting in their seats waiting for the buzzer?
- Choose
material that you really UNDERSTAND. Choose characters close to your own
age range and physical abilities. Do what you do best! This is not the
time to show off with a "stretch" - save that for the
callback! Always read and study the WHOLE play to better understand the
monologue.
- Choose
CONTRASTING pieces. That means if you sing, try to make sure
your monologue provides a different mood. If you choose TWO monologues,
show your range. There are different ways to "contrast" as
well as the common: comic vs. tragic and classic vs. contemporary
options. Think about other types of contrast such as: physicality vs.
stillness, opposite moods, opposite character types.
- Choose
monologues with a CLEAR OBJECTIVE. (I want something now!) AND which
are self-explanatory (beginning, middle, end). You don’t want to take
time explaining things to the auditors, so choose a piece that tells
them everything they need to know in advance.
- Understand
your character's focus. Monologues where the character is talking
to another person are GREAT. Soliloquies, where the character is talking
to themselves are more difficult when it comes to focus. Granted,
Shakespeare wrote a lot of soliloquies - but they are pretty long... Why
not choose a nice little speech that is part of classical dialogue
rather than a long-winding introspective monologue? Then you'll have a
focal point and you'll come in under time (refer to "Look for Short
Pieces" above).
- General
tips to avoid when choosing your monologue:
- Avoid dialect. Unless you have a distinct inherent accent and want to
show auditors that you can "do American."
- Avoid imitations of other actors. If you do imitations well, note it
on your resume and wait until an auditor asks for your imitations.
- Avoid monologues that you have performed in production. Unless you are
willing to change them dramatically for the specific requirements of the
audition.
- Avoid stand-up comedy. Or pieces written for specific actors (like
Woody Allen).
- Avoid strong language and the sexually explicit. Now is not the time
for that - and your odds of offending someone are better than your odds
of impressing someone with your "daring." Use common sense and
taste when choosing difficult subject matter.
PART TWO: PREPARING YOUR AUDITION
- Do your
homework. Read the play many times to find clues about location, time,
speech patterns, habits, etc. that you will use when developing your
monologue. Score your monologue for actions, intentions, transitions and
objective. This will help you understand every word of the monologue.
- Check and
recheck your length by reading aloud. Add 30 seconds to get a more
accurate idea of how long the piece will take in performance. Aim to
come in a minute under time.
- Avoid
props. Other than things that might ordinarily be worn (glasses,
watches, hair ribbon, etc.).
- Stage your
piece simply for dramatic impact:
- Use a limited performance area (5 to 10 feet square)
- Limit furniture to a single chair
- Place the (imaginary) character you are addressing downstage of you -
preferably beyond the fourth wall and toward the auditors. Keep eye
contact with that person specific and consistent.
- When doing
two or more pieces, find the order that makes you comfortable.
Try them both ways and find out which way feels best to you. Then,
consistently rehearse them in the chosen order.
- Rehearse
your transitions from introduction to character and in and
out of characters ahead of time. Transitions are the place where most
actors fall apart. Don't say things in the middle - but plan this as a
sharp piece throughout, from "hello" to "thank you"
- you should run the whole thing through as a production, not as several
productions broken up with intermissions. There are different approaches
to transition breaks, but whatever you choose to do, make sure that
yours are rehearsed.
- Rehearse,
rehearse, rehearse. Show the piece to as many people as
possible. Even if you are working with a coach, get others to watch you.
The more comfortable you are doing the piece, the more comfortable you
will be at the audition.
PART THREE: PERFORMING THE
AUDITION
- Dress
comfortably. Avoid costumes, but don't dress completely
out of character either. Avoid big clunky shoes or jewelry that may
impede your movement.
- Arrive at
least a half-hour early so you can check in and take time to warm
up. If possible, check out the audition space in advance so that you are
completely comfortable with your surroundings.
- Remember
that your audition begins the moment you step into the theater. Some
people say it starts when you leave home that morning. Be confident,
pleasant and positive with everyone. When you get into the performing
space, find your light and arrange your space before you begin speaking.
Or, if you are well-rehearsed and extremely comfortable, you can show
off by moving the chair where you want it and finding your light while
you introduce yourself!
- Include a
short introduction. Usually this is the place to include your
name and the titles of the two monologues, as well as the playwrights'
names. Don't just launch into the monologues - but also don't describe
the play beforehand. Let the monologues speak for themselves.
- Avoid
performing to the auditors specifically. Usually,
an empty seat is your best bet - if you are looking at an empty seat,
you will not notice the auditors scratching, shifting, drinking coffee
or making notes. THIS IS GOOD!
- Remember,
you won't please everyone. Worrying about whether "they
like it" isn't going to do you much good.
- If the
timer calls "time" - stop immediately! Thank the
timer and the audience, but get moving. Remember, your lack of
preparation is keeping someone else waiting.
- ALWAYS
thank the auditors, and NEVER apologize for the audition. Unless you
let the auditors know it, they will assume that's exactly what you meant
to do. Just in case they thought it was brilliant, don't telegraph that
you think you blew it.
- Leave the
stage at a measured pace. There's no need to run away (even if
you went over time). In most cases, this is the time where auditors look
down and scribble quick notes. If the auditors want to know anything,
they will call out your name and ask you the question. If that happens,
you should stop and listen, answer clearly and then start your exit
again.
Compiled by Aileen McCulloch from various tips of local
casting directors, Villanova professors and friends.
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