The Podcast (Warm-ups and Behavior)

A Podcast on warm-ups, and some important bits of decorum during auditions.

The (Audition) Infographic

Stage Fright (Guest Post)

Guest Poster: Dylan Black

A common problem for actors and performers of all kinds, stage fright can be a very real concern.  In some of the worst cases, it can lead to you freezing up on the stage, forgetting lines, or even breaking down. While stage fright can be a difficult thing to deal with, there are ways of treating it in order to help practice and ensure that nothing major goes wrong during performance.

A typical way of dealing with stage fright can also begin as one of the hardest: repeated exposure. By practicing your lines, movements, and performance ahead of time you can have an easier time recalling what you're supposed to be doing. For those who still have a hard time dealing with an audience during performance, a good method of practicing would be to ask some of your friends to come watch your performance, so that you have a test audience. Since performing in front of friends is typically easier than performing for strangers, this should help you get some good practice in. It may take ten, twenty, or even thirty times practicing before you feel confident enough to go before a foreign audience, but it's often different for each person.

For those with particularly heavy social anxiety, another solution is medication. If the medication is prescribed by a doctor, anti-anxiety meds can be very effective in treating stage fright and social anxiety. Medication can help calm down the nerves, although a dependence on such drugs can also have its appropriate side effects. Of course, this option should be done only with a doctor's approval, and could be dangerous otherwise.

If neither of the above work for you, there's always a more recreational approach to calming yourself down before a performance. While some of us have had to study up until minutes before a test at some point, sometimes the best option is to simply relax before you have to perform. Before performing, take some time to rest, and relax. Some simple methods of relaxing are drinking tea, gathering your thoughts, lighting incense candles, or even taking a short nap. Giving your mind a period of rest before application can help keep you focused on the task ahead.

While many people deal with stage fright, it's understandable that different people will find what works best for them in dealing with it. Since stage fright is a very real concern, it should be treated as such, and hopefully one of the three methods listed here works for you. If you take away anything, at least keep in mind that stage fright is common from time to time, and that others are usually more than happy to help you overcome it.

**Dylan Black also maintains his own blog, discussing the topic of The Progression of Video Games Over Time. I (Dalton) have in turn shared some of my experience with the topic of video game progression on Dylan's blog. Also, I wish to further emphasize the importance of discussing the use of medication with your doctor before practicing such methods. Medication can have many positive and negative effects, and those most be weighed carefully both by yourself and by a professional.**

The Appropriate Attire

The appropriate attire for your college audition can be somewhat difficult to discern. Sometimes you’ll be able to come in with a t-shirt and jeans, other times you’ll want to wear an outfit in the “business casual” range of professionalism. Determining the correct clothes to wear can be achieved by asking the casting director, or someone who’s auditioned for them before or knows them well.

Even if you are allowed to wear “whatever you want”, though, try to avoid wearing clothes that have distracting designs or imagery on them. This can distinguish you from the rest of those auditioning, but not necessarily in a positive way. Personally, I've worn jeans and a simply-designed button-up short sleeve for many of my college auditions without being chastised, but I've also heard students who are assisting the director complain about how casual some of the auditioning actor’s outfits are. You can potentially wear an outfit that reflects the character you wish to portray, but that is a fine line to walk. The best way to avoid issues with appropriate audition-wear, other than through queries with the director and their associates, is to have something fitting in the business-casual category as a default outfit. For auditions, it’s better to come over-dressed than under-dressed.

You may also be inclined to wear shirts from previous performances, as a subtle way of showing your past experience. Honestly, if you think you can pull off wearing a t-shirt that boasts your inclusion in the college’s most recent rendition of “Bye Bye Birdie” at the audition, then it isn't necessarily a bad idea. Casting directors certainly appreciate proof of previous experience in theatrical performances, which is why you bring a resume to auditions. A shirt obtained from a performance, however, may make the casting director think you are being too insistent of your previous work, so tread carefully. In general, t-shirts are best avoided for any audition, even if the audition is labeled “casual” or “come as you normally dress”. 

The Resume and Headshot

When you audition for any show, make sure to bring a résumé with you. If it is your first performance, then at least bring a headshot to the auditions. The résumé and headshot are the two most valuable tools at your disposal to make a director remember both your name and your appearance. Since auditions require casting directors to view dozens or even hundreds of actors at a time, you want to make sure that you stick out in their mind when they review your information later. A well-organized and informative resumé, if you have one, can also show the director how skilled you are, and give them more confidence in your abilities.

A resumé is meant to show a casting director your acting history. When you make your resumé, there are a few key points you should cover on each performance you mention. Your resumé should include: the name of the play(s) you have been in, the name of your character, what role that character had in the show (chorus, supporting, main, etc.), what year the performance occurred, who directed the show, and where the show took place. You may wish to give more information on each show, but those are the most important points to mention. You can go to Google to find an appropriate format for your resumé, as well.

Headshots, unlike the resumé, require little formatting. Beyond getting your headshot taken with a good camera and in a professional setting, you only need to make sure your headshot is an appropriate size (around 8”X10”). A headshot shows the director what you look like, and while giving a picture of yourself may seem unnecessary (after all, they already saw you during auditions, right?), that image becomes invaluable after the audition. A director may forget the face of every single person who comes to an audition, but your picture will help that director recall your appearance, and connect it with your name when deciding on the cast. Also, if your audition was particularly impressive, your headshot will connect you to that audition more than your name will. 

The Dance (Musical Auditions)

When auditioning for musicals, more is involved than just learning a song; you also have to perform a choreographed dance. Usually, the dances are designed by the show's choreographer, so you do not need to come with a dance prepared. While you may not always need to learn your own dance, though, you still have to make sure you are ready to perform a rigorous physical activity. Dance is an important part of musical auditions, but since you have no knowledge of the actual dance until auditions have started, it can be difficult to prepare.

The most useful way to immediately prepare for the dance portion of an audition is to do some stretches before the actual dance. Stretching helps to loosen the muscles that will be used during the dance, so that your limbs bend and extend farther and easier. Another form of preparation, which takes much more planning, is to practice dancing beyond the audition. If you can get into a dancing class, or just find a group of people who enjoy dancing, you will be much more prepared. Dancing classes may be more involved than the average auditioning student can afford, however. Should classes be too inconvenient, and stretching insufficient, you can also examine the dances performed in previous performances of the relevant musical (Joosten, 2010). While your performance will not use the same moves (hopefully), it still helps to see what style of dance to expect. If you would like to read more about dancing for auditions, Michael Joosten covers what has just been said, and much more, in the book Dance and Choreography.

Also, just because you aren't a professional dancer doesn't mean you can’t audition for musicals. A musical calls for actors of all talents, so even if you feel that your dancing skill is sub-par, you can still be cast. An example of this comes from one of my personal experiences. I auditioned for two musicals a couple of years ago, and despite an unimpressive dancing performance, I was cast as a dancer in both shows. I also was cast as a non-dancing character in another musical, despite the show having many dance numbers. You should always be willing to audition for a musical, even when that musical requires talents that you feel you don’t have.

Citation: Joosten, M. (2010). Dance and choreography. (1st ed.). New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Gumx-mkjp4QC&oi=fnd&pg=PA4&dq=musical auditions dance&ots=XaNh_3kaAd&sig=z72vwvZ993g2pLtbN_NGJYKQad8

The Song (Musical Auditions)

While play auditions have you perform a monologue, musical auditions require you to perform a musical piece. Finding a song that suits you is very similar to finding an appropriate monologue, although there are some important differences. Firstly, singing takes a greater toll on your voice than speaking; secondly, singing requires you to not only convey a particular emotional message, but reach the proper notes while doing so.

When deciding on a piece of music, you must keep the style of your intended musical in mind. The song you choose displays your skill at singing a particular genre of music, so that genre and the musical’s style should line up very closely. You should not choose songs from the musical itself, however, unless the auditions call for it. A song that is specific to you allows the director to remember you, while a song from the musical may be used by multiple performers and become less distinguishable. Your song choice also needs to fit your vocal range. Do not choose a song if you can only hit the right notes some of the time; stick with a song you’re certain you can consistently perform well. For more help determining the right songs for different shows, read Daren Cohen’s The Complete Professional Audition and David Craig’s A Performer Prepares; both of these books provide a great amount of detail about proper song choice.

Songs require a different type of practice than monologues, because of the stress singing puts on your throat. If you practice a song too many times before an audition, you may wear out your voice. You don’t want to have a worn-out voice when performing; not only is it painful, but no one sounds better singing with a sore throat than without. When you practice, drink plenty of water, and avoid performing too many times in quick succession. Spread your rehearsal period over multiple days, and take a break if your voice starts to waver.

Citation: Cohen, D. (2005). The complete professional audition: A commonsense guide to auditioning for musicals and plays. New York, New York: Back Stage Books. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=MzVDeYiZRhoC&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&dq=Theater audition

Craig, D. (1993). A performer prepares: A guide to song preparation for actors, singers and dancers. New York, NY: Applause. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ZKuhRkx8fQUC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=Theatre audition preparation&ots=tdaDVx_E6H&sig=gFj_qH04SB6ZCJV_NTDgnrLRZdY

The Monologue(s)

Perhaps the most well-known part of an audition is performing the monologue (or monologues). Memorizing your monologue, however, is not the only challenge involved. Many other difficulties remain, such as choosing your monologue, and finding one that best reflects your acting skill and style. Obtaining an effective piece is invaluable, and as mentioned by Joanna Merlin in her book Auditioning: An Actor-Friendly Guide, casting directors expect a monologue that puts your acting ability in the best light possible.

You may have noticed that I used the plural “monologues” in the first sentence. While some auditions will only require one piece from you, many expect two: one comedic, and one dramatic. Finding two monologues of such contrasting themes, both of which fit your acting style, is a challenge. This requirement is not only important to auditioning, however; getting the right monologues is a journey of self-discovery. The search for those monologues helps you better understand just what types of plays your acting style compliments. You may also use the same monologues for different auditions. If you find a monologue that you feel truly reflects your acting ability, then keep it stored so you can access it in the future.

Memorization is still an important part in audition preparation, even if it isn't the only part. Remembering a minute or longer piece is never easy, although it does get more intuitive with time. Devote time to learning the monologue, and practice multiple times over multiple days. Speak the monologue loudly enough that you can hear yourself, and only use items or furniture that will be available during the audition (for instance, don’t practice while resting on a couch you won’t have on the stage). Read that monologue every moment you can, and once you've performed it without having to look up the next word, try to perform it twice in a row without looking. Continue practicing, and you'll have your monologue completely memorized when the audition begins, and a week afterwards.

Citation: Merlin, J. (2001). Auditioning: An actor-friendly guide. (1st ed.). New York, NY: Vintage Books. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=iOfyarxFWcwC&oi=fnd&pg=PR13&dq=Theatre audition preparation&ots=X6skxgKwUN&sig=E2eNayOnLtmePovTamk4SxXprg8