Some Further Comments on the Audition Process: Choosing Contrasting Monologues

This is a continuation of my discussion of monologues, started here. 

Comparatively speaking, choosing two contrasting monologues is much easier than choosing only one.

For one thing, there is a clearer system by which to pick them.  One of the monologues should be classical- probably Shakespeare.  One of them should be contemporary.

One should be dramatic, and one comedic.

Some Further Comments on the Audition Process: Choosing a Single Monologue

As discussed in my previous audition posts (Part One, Part Two, and Part Three), some auditions will call for a reading of a section of the play and some will call for a prepared monologue or two.

When an audition calls for a monologue, choosing the right one can be very important, so I've decided to write a segment in two parts on the topic

The first will concern choosing a single monologue with which to audition when that is what the director has requested.  The second will concern choosing two contrasting monologues.  Read it here. 

Hopefully, you will build up a set of five or six monologues with which you are extremely comfortable, and choosing which one or two of them to perform will be easy, based largely on what play you are auditioning for, what part you desire, and your impression of the director.

Surviving the First Read, Part Two

This post is a continuation of Surviving the First Read, Part One.

So, in summary the first read sounds fairly simple.

All right, in all likelihood, it doesn't sound that simple at all, and it isn't.  In fact, it's more complicated even than it might first appear.   

None of the first reads I've ever participated in work exactly the way I've just described.

Surviving the First Read, Part One

So, you've auditioned, you've gotten through the long wait- now, it's time for the first read.  This is the part where you sit down with the cast and read the play, cover to cover.  Since there's so much to say about the first read, I've divided it into two parts.

Part One describes the purposes of the first read.

Part Two explains the realities of it (in my experience) and some of the pitfalls of this process.

In the second section, I will mention (many times) that these observations are based on my personal experiences in theater, and that all those experiences have been a little different.  I suspect that there is in no "one truth" in these things.  Keep that in mind in this section as well- in fact, keep it in mind at all times.

The Audition Process, Part Three

This post ends the discussion of the audition process started here and continued here.  

The final step in auditioning can be the most harrowing, because as an actor it is completely out of your hands. This period may be as long as a week, or as short as a day.   

Some theaters will have a cast list posted electronically, or on a physical call board, or both.

Some directors will call or email you to offer you a part.

The Audition Process, Part Two

This post is a continuation of The Audition Process, Part One.  

After the first audition, actors are sometimes asked back to the theater to read for the director again.  These are known as "Callbacks" and aren't always used.

Even when there are callbacks, an actor who will later be cast in the show may not be asked for.  It's best not worry about that, although worry is pretty much inevitable.

A callback will include reading scenes from the play, usually with other actors.

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.

About the OCD Actor

Welcome!

Would you like to know more about the experience of working in the theater while having OCD?

Whether your interest is in the realities of working with OCD, acting, outdoor Shakespeare, or a mix of them all, this blog will give you an understanding of the process, from first auditions to the final show, with every little crisis in between.