Audition Advice for Beginning Actors

Auditions aren’t just about seeing if you’re talented or a good fit for a role. Auditions are how a casting director and production team determines your professionalism and sees if yuo’re the sort of person they want to work with. An audition is a job interview, and the following tips should help it go more smoothly for you.

1. Always arrive on time. What this really means is always arrive just a little bit early. Allow for transportation difficulties and getting lost if you’ve never been to the location before. If you do arrive very early, don’t clutter up the office, audition room or rehearsal studio for more than ten minutes before your audition time. Find somewhere else to wait.
3. Always have several copies of your headshot and resume stapled together. Chances are they’ll only want one, but sometimes they’ll ask for a second, especially if you’re being seen by a panel. Additionally, if your audition is at a rehearsal studio, you may have the opportunity to submit yourself for other projects that are auditioning there.
5. Have a pen with you. You may be asked to fill out an information sheet.
7. Know your schedule. Be prepared to inform the cating people of any conflicts you may have with the production schedule.
9. Look your best in a way that is evocative of the role you are auditioning for, but not costumed. Be prepared to have your picture taken or the audition video taped.
11. Be prepared. This means having asked what , if anything you need to prepare when the audition is first scheduled. Regardless of what’s been asked of you, an actor should always have a number of monologues ready to go – dramatic, comedic and classical, and be prepared to perform them at any time. If you have been given sides in advance of your audition, make sure you have done more than read them over, but are extremely familiar with them. This means you can hold onto the sides for reference, but that you should be able to look up from the paper for most of the scene.
13. If the audition is being video taped (this is especially true of film/tv auditions) be prepared to slate. Usually this means stating your name and contact information. Sometimes you’ll also be asked to state your age or your height. If you’re unsure of what to do when asked to slate, just check what information they want. Deliver your slate succintly; it’s not a monologue or a conversation. Say your name, not “My name is.”
15. Be prepared to take direction. You may be asked to do your monologue or scene in several ways.
17. Listen. Never, ever interrupt the director.
19. Be engaged. Have comments about the material if asked. Or questions.
21. Be prepared to talk about yourself. Producing entertainment is intense work, and it’s important to be able to provide a sense of yourself beyond your acting ambiion. What matters to you as a person besides the results of the next five minutes.
23. Similarly, understand and be ready to speak to your goals as an actor. What type of work turns you on? What are your career goals? What previous work of yours have you ben the most proud of?
25. Be fearless. An audition is not a moment to ask permission.
27. Be polite. This includes not finding excuses to linger in the room after your audition is done. It’s an old trick, and highly annoying. Always say thank you when you leave.
29. Wear clothes you can easily move in. Avoid all black unless you are sure the audition space is not a black box theatre (in which case you’ll just look like a floating head).
31. Do not apologize for yourself or make excuses. If you mess up a line in your monologue, keep going. If you have a cold, ignore it. Performers perform under difficult circumstances all the time. Part of the job description is being able to do so.
33. Try to think like a director. If not told specifically where to present your audition from, be sure not to get too close to the table. Provide a picture of yourself on stage or in the frame.

Most importantly, be sure to have fun. Joy is exciting and exciting gets hired. An audition is an opportunity to do what you love – perform. It’s nervewracking, but it’s part of your job, and it’s a challenge you should learn to enjoy.