Audition Wisdom and Helpful hints I’ve gotten along the way

Life as an actor
Ask yourself these questions:
1) What is your passion?
2) Why do you want to be an actor?
3) What texts and what teachers have been most influential to you?
4) What precepts on acting and/or theater/art have stuck in your brain? Why?
5) How can you redefine them? (Nancy Saklad)
You’ve got to love it.
Focus on what you DO want. Don’t waste energy thinking about what you don’t want.
Figure out what it is, that is UNIQUELY YOU. Cultivate what is uniquely YOU. Let that energize you.
Be positive, don’t allow negative thought and fears to get in your way. Focus on what you want and don’t worry about HOW you’ll get there…just trust you will!
Networking is KEY. Every person you meet is a brick in your yellow brick road to success.
(Remember that today’s secretary is tomorrow’s agent)
Volunteer for theater companies you like and respect. Get to know, and work with people you admire, even if from the distance. Volunteering can sometimes be the foot in the door you need.
Learn different skills in your trade: Costumes, Stage Management, Lighting, directing, etc The more you know, the more you will work. The more you work, the more you can network. The more you network the more you learn, the more you learn, the more you grow as an actor, the more you grow as an actor, the closer you are to pie in they sky success!
Observe actors you respect. Model their excellence. Find out what it is that those actors do that you love so much. Read their bios. Search them on the Internet. Observe and seek out more of their work. Figure out what makes them uniquely them. Study their beliefs. Study their values. Observe their actions and their life story. Get inspired. Learn from them.
Go SEE live theater. Go to the movies. Watch commercials. Watch TV. Listen to Voice Over’s. Hint: If you can’t afford tickets to live theater: usher, volunteer, find a way.
The barter system is alive and well in the theater world. Use it wisely.
Act as much as you can, you need to be willing to act for free--within limits: never settle and don’t compromise yourself, if you act for free do it because you love it or you want to. Expect the best, and attract the work you want.
Yes, you will probably need a “day” job. Don’t settle. Don’t get sucked it. Don’t let that job define you. Don’t bring that job home with you. Don’t let this job distract you from what you really want to be doing. “You want to spend 80% of your time on the 20% of your activities that bring you the greatest results”(Acting Success Now http://www.actingsuccessnow.com/).
“The full secret of life is how you focus your mind, what you focus it on, and the actions you take…
1) Know where are.
2) Know where you want to be.
3) Take action.
4) Evaluate the action.
5) Refine action.
6) Repeat steps 3.4.5”

Actor exercise/keeping in shape
This is wear training comes in handy. Know your strengths and weakness. Work on your weakness. Pump up your strength. Physical exercise is always important, but so is your craft! Get a routine worked out, and stick to it. Set goals for yourself. Figure out what you have to do to accomplish those goals.
Show your monologues to people. Do tounge twisters. Stretch. Do vocal warm ups.Work on general articulation. Do singing vocal scales. Observe strangers (secretively) and make notes on their walks, gestures, and voice. Read books by the greats (Stainslovsky, Meisner, Adler, Clurman, etc), Take acting classes, Take Improve classes, Take singing lessons. Take Trapeze. Take fencing. Take stage combat. Take Dance class. Take Yoga. Take_______ (fill in the blank with a class you want to take). Read Plays.

Reading plays
You should always be reading plays, especially if this is your desired career. It is your job to know as many plays as possible. It is your job to know theater. It is your career! You choose to do this. You need to keep up to date with the hot new playwrights and their hot new plays! Doctors can’t forget to find the time to ready the latest medical journals, it is their job to know what is out there in their field! You read plays because it helps you stretch your imagination and grow as an actor, and it is a great way to discover new monologues…because monologues are your meal ticket to getting paid work!
Picking your monologues
Why are you drawn to this piece, how do you connect with it? How are you and the character alike and different?
Avoid pieces that tell to much and make it easy for you to hide behind words or a story. Find a piece that has space for you to navigate, make discoveries and to dive into.
Find a piece that has an A-HA! Moment. There should be some element of surprise in the monologue and opposition in the character.
When you pick a monologue: don’t pick one to “sell” and to prove what a strong, versatile actor you are. Instead pick one that “sells you” for who you are. Once you are cast, you can branch out and show them how versatile you really are.
Pick a piece that is age and gender appropriate. You have to overcome enough obstacles in this business why make more for yourself?

Questions for the character and for you as you get started
Who are you talking to?
How do they react to what you are saying?
What is your objective (what do you want)? Choosing an objective helps you re-wire what you would normally do, and gives the monologue a different energy from you.
What point are you trying to make?
What do you do when you get what you want?
What do you when you do not get what you want?
What makes this day different from every other day?
Where is the danger in the piece?
Why are you talking about this right now? Why do you need to? Is something happening NOW or is it something that happened a long time ago and you need to share it with someone? If so why NOW?
What is your physicality at this moment-are you tired, drunk, why? How can you mask your physical condition so the other person doesn’t know?
Where is the A-HA! Moment in the piece? How does that moment change things?


Preparing the monologue… text work
Phrasing. Punctuation. Where are the commas, periods and exclamation points. Why are they there?
What CLUES is the playwright giving you?
What is the rhythm of this character’s speech? Do they talk slow or fast? Erratic or constant?
Is there a subtle dialect or physical characteristic (like, overbite) written into the text that you can use?
Are there certain color words, like adjectives, that give you a hint of who you are and how you talk?
What are the KEY words in the piece (hint: look at the last 3 words of the sentence, do they give you a hint about what point you are making?)
Is there opposition or antithesis in what you are saying? Why is it there?
A neat trick: While rehearsing-read the monologue out loud and walk in a straight line- at every point of new punctuation: walk in a different direction. What does this tell you about the character? What is happening in that punctuation? Why is it there?

Rehearsing your monologues/coaching
Find a coach you trust and work with them. Keep in mind, everyone will have a different opinion on your piece. Work with other people, get their feedback, then throw it all out the window and see what still resonates with you. Work on those notes.
Find ways to study the piece and get inside the characters head:
1) Find a photo of a work of visual art that appears to you to be someone else’s way of reflecting something key in each of your pieces.
2) Find a song that really speaks to you about each piece.
Avoid “settling” for art/music/images that aren’t quite right. Find as many as seem really right.
(Nancy Saklad)
Type up clean copies of the text, double or triple spaced is best. Exact punctuation. This will help your coaches as they work on the piece with you
What kind of monologue is this? What are saying and why? Is it a story? Is it a journey? Is it a “this or that” piece? What are the differences between these types of monolgues?
“Think of your monologue as ABC:
A-Beginning: Set up character
B-Middle: Deliver a human moment: reveal/click/shift/change: is physical and emotional
C-End: Transition to “new” you: how do you react to getting or not getting what you wanted in the beginning? Did you make the point you wanted to?
What are the gear shift between these moments, how do you shift from A to B to C?” (Catherine Doherty)
Don’t be afraid of silence. Silence is human. It is often in silence that we make discoveries.
If you ask a question in the monologue—REALLY ASK IT. How does the person you just asked respond to the question? How do you respond to their response of the question?
Rehearse with this neat exercise: finish every sentence in the monologue with “do you know what I mean?” (and really ask it), see if that changes anything. (NTC)
Be careful with accents/voices. That voice could take the auditor in a different direction and they will have to “get past” the voice to see: you. And, you want them to see you, that is why you are there! It is great to rehearse with accents and voices, because it helps you safely fall into character—but once you have the character start taking the voice off, or masking it, bit by bit until it is gone and only you know it is there-just under the surface.
What are your points of focus? (John Basil)
It is OK to use a chair, but that doesn’t mean you have to sit in it the entire time either. You can use it like a set piece to delineate the space, time and place.
Remember pitch propels the story forward.
A strong Intro does not mean LOUD
Never Yell.
Strong shift changes are key-they reveal the human moments.
Don’t ever whine, beg, plead…it undermines your argument: Demand! (Catherine Doherty)
If doing more then one monologue, do your BEST ONE FIRST! They make up their mind in the first ten seconds sometimes, so help yourself out: put your best foot first!
When speaking; speak to the end of the line! The last word or last 3 words in every sentence are your power words. Use them to build! Set up, Set up, Punch. 1+1=2 (John Basil)
Stay on voice. They won’t cast you if they can’t hear you.
Be honest.
Don’t have expectations for yourself. Don’t “try to cry”. Try NOT to cry. Be in the moment as they happen: Be every moment, let each moment happen naturally how it wants to happen, and the emotion will come from a real place, not a made up ending!
Don’t expect your monologue to be the same every time. Let it be, what it is, and Enjoy it.
Technique and rehearsal will help you find the tools you need to discover the monologue naturally each and every time, this will help you get over a case of nerves or a bad mood, bad day etc.
Last line is your sharpest, have a button. End it. (that way you never have to say—um, yeah I am done: they will know!)

Know who and what you are auditioning for
DO YOUR RESEARCH. If they ask you, “do you have any questions for us” you can ask a serious enlightened question not…”so, what are you guys all about?” or “what’s the play about?”
What is this play? READ it! (if you can, if not do a google search on line and get a quick idea.
What is the character you are auditioning for? What monologue do you have prepared that best fits that personae? Is there another character in the play you’d like to ask to be considered for? Most people I talk to say it is OK to ask, they will tell you: Yes or No. But if you don’t feel comfortable, don’t ask.
What is this Theater Company? WHERE is this company located? What kind of Theater Company are they? What types of shows do they produce? How long have they been around? Who is their audience? What are they known for? What is their mission statement?
Who is this director? What has this director done? Have you seen any of their work before? What are they casting? What types of actors do they usually cast?
Try to match your audition piece to the type of show you audition for, audition with something that will help them imagine YOU in their play. Hint: If you are auditioning for children’s theater, don’t do a piece with curse words (try to avoid those pieces in general-you never want to offend someone you just met in this business).
If this is for graduate school. You HAVE to do your homework first. They want people, who want them. Feel free to go so far as to call the schools registrars office, before the audition, and politely ask if you can have the email/contact info to students currently enrolled in the program. Speak to at least one person from each year at the school, this is a good way to get an idea of the program first hand. (NTC)

Film/TV auditions versus Theater auditions
This is not as easy as you think. FILM and TV is a very finicky market. With film you have to strike a delicate balance between your self and your character. You can’t over act or be too “theatrical”, you can’t under act or else it “isn’t truthful”. You can’t be big and boisterous. You need to be real. That is the key. You need to be so real, that they want you in their living room talking to them. Sure, they give you the lines, and you get to bring your sides in with you to the audition--but you have to know your lines 100% and I mean: word for word. You are auditioning for writers most of the time, so if you don’t get the words right-- they don’t want you. You are also auditioning for producers who have to deal with a million other things, they don’t want someone they have to direct…they want someone who is perfect right out of the box: with no direction. Film picks every thing up, and they EYES are KEY…so that means you have to be even more prepared. You have to KNOW those lines, because every time you look down to see your lines you loose the producers interest, the writer’s interest and you loose the job. Remember they want perfection—they want to say: Yes! Like that, exactly like that…We’ll cast you! If you have never been on film, and you are only trained for theater…take a class, it takes practice.
Oh, and here is a little trick I learned: If you get called back and you are meeting producers and the whole crew, be nice, say hello, but don’t try to engage them…they want you to be EXACTLY like you were the first time (don’t change a THING. And remember this: don’t shake their hands unless they offer their hand first. Keep in mind that if they want to talk to you, they’ll start the conversation. If they start the conversation: Talk it UP!

What to wear
Dress simple, elegant, where cloths you can work in and be comfortable.
§ Avoid flashy jewelry: it distracts them from watching you.
§ Avoid high heels. First of all, because they make you look taller then you really are (remember: never lie about who you are). Secondly , high heels effect your breath and support: make it as easy for yourself as possible!
§ Don’t wear black pants and a white shirt, it makes you look like a waiter/waitress.
§ Avoid flashy cloths: bright colors, long scarfs, weird hats etc.
§ If you are well built-show it off—respectfully. If you’ve got great arms, wear a short sleeve shirt, if you have nice legs: show them—you can wear a skirt--- but not one that is too long, or one that is too short!
§ Simple hair that frames your face and doesn’t plop in your face or hide your eyes.
§ For film/TV: if you are called back, (and in general) try to wear the same outfit or at least one that is similar. That way they will remember you easier.

At the audition and what to do
ALWAYS BE ON TIME
Remember that you are “on” the minute you get there. That monitor in front of the door, has a lot more say then you think they do. They will have the inside scoop. Was she late? Was she prepared? Was he friendly to others? What did he talk to others about? Was he respectful? Was she rood or impatient?
Be READY to do your audition piece the minute you set foot in that building. WARM UP AT HOME.
Never ask to do make-up, change etc before you go in to audition, in my opinion: it is tacky. Go to the bathroom before you get there. If you need to go, ask how long the wait is, and go quick!
YOU KNOW YOUR LINES, so RELAX.
BE PREPARED. Headshot and Resumes (and extras) ready to go.
Write down and keep track of WHO you are auditioning for & who is in the room at the time you go in.
If you are nervous, it is OK to be nervous! Accept the fact that YES you are nervous. Acknowledge it. Welcome the jitters and pre-show excitement. Then release it: forget about it and have fun!

Walking into the audition room/meeting and greeting
Don’t shake their hand unless they extend their hand first. Germs are no fun, and directors see a lot of germy people--who all want to shake their hand. If they don’t shake your hand, don’t be offended…think of it as… they like you so much they don’t want you to get sick!
Never apologize. Be positive. Be Neutral. Be clear.
Walk into the audition room with attitude, a positive attitude! There is absolutely, no other place you’d rather be. You have to tell this story right away. You know something they don’t know: how good you are, and how badly they want to work with you—compel them to be involved in your story.
As you are walking in, look around and check the space for echoes and sound quality.
When you go into the room try to get a feel for where you will start and be careful here. You don’t want to end up to close to the auditor or start to far away. You want to give them enough space so that they have their own personal space, but not so far away that they can ignore you. Start Talking and getting acquainted with the room as you are setting up.
Introduce the piece or both pieces before you start. Take a breath or a beat and GO. Make sure you take a literal beat, not three-five beats, and ever “warm up”, do jumping jacks or any of that nonsence… you should have done that LONG ago!
You don’t have to wait for them to say Go. Don’t worry if they aren’t looking at you. AND NEVER act with that person. They will resent you for making them act with you. They want to silently observe you and hide in their own private audience and enjoy the show. If there is a panel you might be able to get away with talking to the group…but be prepared (remember the points of focus you rehearsed?). Look to the left or right of the auditor or navigate between them with different marks of focus.
Before you start your audition-- try to pin point exact spots in the room that you will focus. If you want to look straight ahead…go just over the auditior’s head (but not too far up, they will think you are talking to aliens hovering over their head and they will become more interested in figuring out what is up there?!)
Keep in mind: if you are doing 2 monologues, they actually are seeing 3 characters. 1) YOU 2) Your first piece 3) Second Piece. What makes these three different characters? How is your energy different from the monologues?
Always be prepared to take adjustments (notes). If you can take a note, it shows your potential, if you are not clear: ask.
Never apologize after you audition. Never ask to start over. Keep going. It is a performance. You don’t stop on stage and say “sorry audience, I know you paid money to be here, but I just plum forgot my lines”. You cover, and move on as seamless as you can! Be professional. Even if you lost your lines and made up the ending…never tell them or show them you messed up…they might just think it was a fantastic audition until you made a face and said “eeck, sorry”. Funny story: I once forgot the end to my monologue made the whole thing up, finished strong, smiled and left strong…and I still got called back!

What to do with Cold reads/sides
Get to know that script as best you can, and as fast as you can.
Look for clues the playwright has given you in the punctuation.
What are obvious choices in that script, is there any way you can do something different that still keeps with character and language?
Find the humor.
Look for the grear shift or A-HA moment, and figure out how you can punctuate that moment.
Become familiar with the lines. Try to know your Ques.
Rehearse it if you can
When you are in there stay focused on the other actor while they talk—LISTEN. When it is your turn, look down get your line and they look back up and say it to them.
You can hold your script out in front of you so that you can see the actor and your lines, avoid looking down at the script.
If you are acting with a “reader” it is Ok to ask the reader if they will be reading or if they will be interacting with you. If they are just reading, it is your choice to either act with them or to set the character out in the distance, which ever one works best for you.
If you get sides ahead of time: KNOW YOUR LINES.
Do your best. Take your time. Have FUN.

Interviews
This is where doing your research comes in handy. Have questions ready and on the top of your head, the last thing they want to do is what while you sift through your binder for your printed out generic grad school questions 101.
Don’t ask open-ended questions. Be specific.
Engage in conversation about their program. It is perfectly acceptable to say, I have done a lot of research. I have spoken to these students and I feel like your school is a perfect match for me. You might want to show examples of what draws you to their program and what makes you nervous.
Give them space to know you are prepared and knowledgeable of their program so that they can ask you the questions they want to.
Praise but don’t suck up.
Don’t waste their time. Don’t extend a conversation longer then it needs to be. They are busy people, don’t hog their time for silly reasons. Don’t push it. This is a professional exchange.
Leave promptly, politely and with a confident smile. Leave them wanting more. Remember: Don’t shake their hand, unless they extend first!

Call backs
Yippeeee! Congrats. Have fun! Relax. They like your work. Don’t over think it.
Be on time.
Wear something similar or wear the same outfit…unless it is stinky, if it is. Wash it. It is not a big deal (just try to do something to make it easier for them to remember you from last time).
Don’t waste their time.
Don’t shake their hand, unless they extend first.
Don’t engage in unnecessary conversation, but always be polite and friendly. (never say something like: I am now in character, so please don’t talk to me, just let me go ahead and do it now. Sounds silly but it has happened! You need to be able to turn it on and off on a dime.)
Be polite and courteous.
If it is film, do the SAME thing you did last time. If it is theater, do the same monologue unless they give sides. If it is sides, see above.
Don’t waste their time, when they say thank you, you say thank you and leave.
Again, as you leave….Don’t shake their hand, unless they extend first!

Following up/keeping in touch/keeping track/Mailings
Keep track of who you have auditioned for and how it went. Did you get called back, Did you get the part?
Do you want to audition for them again? You will find that there are companies out there, that you will seek out and other that you will avoid…if someone at an audition is rude to you…always be professional but be aware of who they are and who you do and do not want to work with in the future!
Soon you will be able to say: I have done this monologue 10 times and never gotten called back, and yet I have luck with other pieces! Why? Do you want to re-work it, get a new one, or maybe avoid doing that monologue at certain types of auditions!
Did they give you any feedback on your piece, keep the notes and work on what you think is worth adjusting.
If you WANT to work with this company in the future, Mail them a THANK YOU post card or put them on your mailing list, and keep in touch. They’ll call you in again, if you keep in touch!
Mass mailings are tricky, and I personally hate them.
(my numbers no facts here just my opinion)
40% of your headshots will not be opened by the right person.
30% will be thrown out.
5% will get sent back or never get to where they need to go.
10% will collect dust on someone’s desk.
5 % will keep you in mid for a later project.
5% will call you in for an audition/interview.
2% will say no thank you.
Another 2% will ask you to take a class with them or to put you on their mailing list and,
1% will cast you.
But all it takes is that 1%!
Target your mailing lists, and narrow down whom you submit to. The more you collect dust on that same persons desk, the better chance you have of getting a call in.

Networking
You are your own small business. If your business fails…well, you know.
Who you meet and how you present yourself is the difference between getting work and creating a buzz about who you are and what you do in this business and working as a waitress all your life.
Today’s secretary is tomorrows agent.
If you meet people at auditions you like or want to keep in touch with, exchange business card or email.
Have an email list of contacts to send “news flash” emails and updates/show invitations to.
If you support other actors/artists: they will support you! THAT is networking!
If you say you will do something…YOU DO IT, bailing on your word is fatal in this business.


Keep in mind all this info, is just little bits of wisdom and advice other people having given me be it in classes, workshops, or other actors. Everything and every final say is up to you…As Joseph Campbell says: “Follow your bliss” and as I would say “Fuck everybody else and enjoy yourself”.