Theatre and Acting/Preparing For Auditions

To prepare for an audition, you will need a number of things. If it is musical theatre, you will, of course, be required to sing a bit. If it is not, however, usually you will need some sort of monologue, which will be discussed in the next few paragraphs.

Musical Theatre
Musical theatre is a very popular form of theatre. For auditions, it is recommended that you choose a short piece (usually around 8 to 16 measures long; more or less if specified) that best shows off your range. Do NOT choose a song from the show you are auditioning for; usually this indicates that you have no confidence or prior experience. It is, however, recommended that you choose a song from a well-known musical; http://www.stageagent.com usually has some good suggestions. Simply enter your vocal range and some other information in their search engine and they will come up with a list, of which you can find the lyrics and sometimes the sheet music for online. If you go to school, your music teacher would also be a great place to go to get music, or the main library in town. Also, directors and producers tend to choose people who choose songs appropriate for their age range; for example, if you are twelve, you would not want to choose a racy song appropriate for a twenty-year-old.

Regular Theatre
For these auditions, you will usually need a monologue less than a minute long. Again, it is recommended that you choose a classic monologue (one from a well-known play) appropriate for your age (generally speaking, if you can understand it, it's a good one). You're going to want to put some emotion into it, so be sure you can relate to the monologue. Try to get the monologue about two weeks in advance so you can have it memorized for your audition. Usually directors like this, and it will help you put emotion into the words. [http://www.stageagent.com] is usually a good place to look for monologues. Enter your information into their search engine. You can also take some monologues from books you have at home or perhaps some from the local library. If you go to school, maybe your drama teacher has some you can borrow.

What to wear
Of course you want to look your best for auditions. Be sure to dress in comfortable clothes that look good as well. Some directors like you to dress the part; others prefer it if you don't. Take along a costume, and if others there look their parts, then you can dress up too. If you have dance shoes (jazz, ballet, or lyrical are best) then you may want to wear these. Long hair needs to be pulled back so it doesn't get in your face and break your concentration. Girls, go easy on the makeup; a little is fine, but stage make-up is probably not needed.

How to enter (yes, it is important!)
Walk into the lobby of the audition building, smile at the receptionist (if there is one) and say, in your nicest tone of voice, "Hi, I'm here to audition for (insert show's name here). Could you direct me toward the right room please?" Chances are the receptionist has been dealing with divas all day, so being polite will certainly help. Saying "thank you" no matter what the response is always a good thing to do; you never know if the receptionist knows the director! If there are others in the room the receptionist shows you to, smile and say hi to any who look at you. DO NOT, under any circumstance, look at the floor or look shy in any way. Be nice and polite to everyone, even if they are mean to you first: you never know if you'll be performing with them some day. While waiting for your name or number to be called, sit down, and if there's room to, stretch out your muscles quietly. Put on your dance shoes, run through your song in your head one more time, or listen to music to keep yourself calm. Remember to follow ALL directions given to you by ANYONE.

When You Audition
When your name or number is called, the audition officials will probably want a picture of you for reference when casting. make sure to smile and look slightly confident, but not full of yourself. Say thank you to anyone who does anything for you; you always want to be polite! When you go up on stage, hand your music to the pianist if you have an accompaniment. If it is on a CD, hand it to whoever is in charge or put it in the stereo. Don't forget to smile and show off your talents! Good luck on getting your part!