audition tips Lesson 02

CONFIDENCE & PERSONALITY Confidence. It sounds simple but it takes practice. Walk in the door with your held head high. Be wary of shuffling feet. You don't get sympathy points if you're nervous, not feeling well, or having a bad day. Leave it outside the door. You are being sized up the minute you walk in, so practice good posture and body language before you arrive. And don’t forget to smile – that's the lasting impression you want to leave. Personality. Let it shine through. Don’t give one-word answers when having a conversation with the casting director. Ask questions! The industry is looking for smart, curious actors.

CONNECTION & CHARACTER 3. Connection. Make one with the reader. Memorize the material or be familiar enough with it to maintain eye contact. Knowing the dialogue is important, but making a connection with the reader is what will make the scene natural and believable.   4. Character. Know the character. Read the entire script beforehand to pick- up as many clues as possible. We know about a character by the following: - What he/she says about himself/herself - What other characters say about him/her - What the playwright or screenwriter says about him/her

OBJECTIVE & OBSTACLE 5. Objective. Go underneath the dialogue. What does he/she want from the other characters? What is the character’s purpose in the scene/story? 6. Obstacle. What's in the way of the character getting what he/she wants? Acting is what happens to you as you TRY to get your objective met, in spite of the obstacle.

OPPOSITES & LOVE 7. Opposites. Yelling isn't the only way to show hatred or anger. Sometimes being quiet as you make your point is a powerful display of emotion. Playing opposites is a much more interesting choice than the obvious. 8. Love. Find the love in the scene. Even nasty characters should be likeable on some level. Find a moment in the scene where the love can show through.

ACT & VARIETY 9. Act. Acting means TO DO, not to talk. Find your actions and play them! (A wonderful resource is the book “Actions: The Actor’s Thesaurus” by Marina Caldarone & Maggie Lloyd-Williams.) 10. Variety. Feel the levels and dynamic in the scene. Don’t play one emotion. If the character is angry or tough, when might he/she show some vulnerability?

Audition preparation Lesson 03

Find out all you can about the audition. Write it all down if you must. You can never be too prepared! Keep these key points in mind: When is it? Where is it? Get the address and postcode of the building, floor number, room number. If it's in an unfamiliar city, consider a dummy run to time the journey and find parking spaces/ bus links. What is the audition for? Research all you can about the company, production of the show. Not only will this give you a better picture of what they'll be looking for, it shows interest and keenness. What exactly will the audition entail? Will there be an audience or just a panel? One single audition or several different sections? What you're required to bring or wear. You may be asked to bring head shots, sheet music, history of theater experience or copies of your prepared monologues.

Don't be shy. Allow friends, relatives or colleagues to watch your performance prior to your audition. Like knitting or baking, performing is a skill that takes a lot of practice. The more often you perform, the less nervous you will be each time and honest, constructive criticism is gold-dust. Perform to many different types of people- experts and amateurs. The more advice, the better.

Check, check and double check what will be expected of you. Is there a time limit? Strictly time your performance leaving some breathing space. Remember that nerves will normally speed up the performance. Is there a dress code? Even if there is, you have to look your best. Do you need to submit accompaniments for the pianist in advance or on the day? Do you need to provide the panel with copies of your scores or monologues? Are you expected to bring a CV/resume, proof of identity or examination/qualification certificates?

Practice, practice, practice! If you can, get a script, and learn the lines of the character you're wanting, or just look though the script. Actors: research the material and familiarize yourself with it. If you are auditioning for a specific character, spend time thinking about their characteristics and their role in the play. Singers: Ensure you can confidently perform scales, vocal exercises and that you have a personal routine to warm up your voice. Be aware that you may need to warm up 'publicly', meaning that there will rarely be a private practice space to warm up. Don't let this intimidate you. Make sure you know your specific vocal range, voice type and fach. Be prepared to answer questions about your preferred style and part.

The night before the audition, gather any materials you may be required to bring with you. Get to bed early in order to be well-rested for the day ahead.

On the day, eat a balanced breakfast. Avoid acidic or greasy foods, fizzy drinks,chocolate and coffee as these damage your vocal chords and make it harder to be at your best. If you are a smoker, do your best to put your morning cigarette off until after your audition, especially if you will be singing.

Arrive reasonably early to your audition, as there will inevitably be a moderately large amount of people there before you. Also, if you are unfamiliar with the area where the audition will be held, allow time in your schedule to make sure you won't arrive late.

Don't chicken out. When you arrive, there may be a large crowd of people, but it's perfectly normal to be nervous. Just remember all the hard work you have put into preparing for your audition and walk in smiling with your head held high.

When you're finished... Be patient. You may not hear immediately whether or not your audition was successful. It can take days or weeks. Try not to over-analyse. You never know what exactly they were looking for- you've done your best and it's all you can do. Stay focused and determined. You won't get every part you audition for and this is normal! Remember that each audition you do is strengthening you as a performer and thickening your skin.

REMEMBER TO BREAK A LEG!!