The key to a successful audition is PREPARATION.
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. Be sure you are familiar with the entire play not just the monologue.
· 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.
· General things to avoid when choosing your monologue:
o Avoid dialect. Unless you have a distinct inherent accent and want to show auditors that you can "do American."
o Avoid imitations of other actors. If you do imitations well, note it on your resume and wait until an auditor asks for your imitations.
o Avoid stand-up comedy. Or pieces written for specific actors (like Woody Allen).
o 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 II: 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:
o Use a limited performance area (5 to 10 feet square)
o Limit furniture to a single chair
o Place the (imaginary) character you are addressing downstage of you - preferably beyond the fourth wall and toward the back of the theatre. Keep eye contact with that person specific and consistent.
· 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 III: 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.
