The Audition Process, Part One

I wanted to start out by giving a brief overview of the audition process, and my own experiences through the lens of my OCD- but it turned out to not be so brief.  For that reason, I'm going to do something of a series on the subject.  I think anyone interested in theater will find it a useful resource.

Preparation:

The first step of auditioning starts long before you ever get to the theater.

There are two basic types of audition, the cold reading, in which you are given a section of the script to read when you arrive at the audition, and the prepared monologue, where you memorize one or two contrasting monologue(s) to deliver at the audition.  Some auditions will include both.

Though the cold reading is very common, my preference is performing a prepared monologue.

I prefer to feel in control of what I'm doing, and I can go over a memorized monologue as many times as I like.  Auditioning is a stressful time, which can trigger a lot of my major compulsions, specifically hand-washing.  Luckily, unlike actual rehearsal, which can take hours each day, a first audition rarely exceeds fifteen minutes.  It's fairly easy to hold off for that short a time- and knowing that months of rehearsing my monologues are behind me always calms me down.

I have several favorites which I perform over and over, and I feel my performance (and understanding) improves every time.

Though it's generally best to perform a different monologue every time you audition for the same director, it is a good idea to have a few monologues you've done many times and feel very comfortable with.

Of course, you can prepare for a cold reading as well- by carefully reading the play.

Unfortunately, you can sometimes become attached to one character and feel very ready to read for that part, and then find that the director has handed you a very different role to read.  That's happened to me more times than I can count.  In this situation, stay positive.

What You Should Know:

Staying positive is the key in most acting experiences.

I'm not a positive person by nature, but it's very important to be willing to try everything and paste on a big smile while you do it- unless, of course, you have to cry, but that isn't usually until later.

Auditioning is not the time to allow eccentricities to show through.

I've always considered auditioning a sort of double performance.  One is the monologue or scene- the other is assessing the director and deciding what kind of person he'd like to see.  This isn't a lie, exactly, just a slight adjustment.

What's most important is showing the director that you can follow his instructions effectively- seeming charming (or, if you're lucky, being charming) is just the icing on the cake.

Part Two is here, and Part Three is here.  Once again, feel free to ask any questions.