The Arrival
First audition tip: Bring something to do. Do a crossword or read a book. Anything that occupies your full attention.
Why, you ask? Because you're usually stuck in a room with other actors who are there to audition, just like you. One of them is going to start a conversation. Either because they're nervous, or they want to make you nervous.
Listen, we're all for networking with other actors. It's a great way to find work. But at an audition, keep to yourself and stay focused.
Also, reading a book will prevent you from pacing the hallways and reciting your lines. Don't do that either. It will only serve to jitter your nerves. (See the article about dealing with fear and stagefright.) And besides, if you don't know your lines by now...
Audition Tips & Tricks
How to Memorize
Speaking of your lines, do you know how to memorize them? One of the best audition tips we can offer: Your lines should be so ingrained into you, that you could recite them in a coma.
First Impressions
Here's a good audition tip: When you walk in the room, be confident. The human brain makes over 27 judgments about another person within seconds of meeting them. These judgements are based on your posture, body language, voice tone, breathing rate, eye contact, etc.
Make a bad first impression, and everything you do thereafter is filtered through that impression. (Called a cognitive filter.) You'll smile and they'll think you're afraid and nervous.
If you make a good first impression, you'll smile and they'll think you're relaxed and confident.
Why is this important? Because acting is a business. And people do business with those that they know, like, and trust.
The Auditors
The powers that be. The folks behind the desk, in the dark, eating their sandwiches, drinking their coffee, smoking their cigarettes, and taking their notes. All the while, ignoring you.
When actors walk in the room, they usually think they are subject to . Now I walk in and think the exact opposite. They're at my mercy for two minutes. I can make 'em laugh, cry, or at least yawn. Whatever the case, I'll be having fun.
Try not to place the auditors on a pedestal. They are there to do their job, just like you're there to do your job. You are equals. You're selling, and they're buying. Treat them with respect and courtesy, and they'll do the same.
But don't ask who they are. Introductions waste time, time you could use for showing off your acting chops.
And don't use them in your monologue. (Unless they ask.) They're there to observe and evaluate, not engage.
The Room and the Space
Actors audition in all sorts of places. Living rooms, kitchens, rooftops, you name it. But typically, it's either in a theatre or a studio space.
Wherever it is, there's usually an X on the floor, done with tape. Find it and go stand there. That's called a mark. (X marks the spot.)
Why? Because the auditors get antsy when you're too close. (We had a professor in college who would throw a pen at you if you came too close to the table.)
But don't stay rooted to that X. Remember, the space is yours for two whole minutes. So feel free to move around.
The Slate
Another great audition tip: After you hit your X, tell them who you are. This is called slating. There's the good slate, and the bad slate.
The Bad Slate: "Hello, my name is so-and-so, and I'll be doing Viola from Twelfth Night."
Boring! Imagine how many times a day the auditors must hear that. It'll go in one ear and right out the other.
The Good Slate: "Good evening, I'm so-and-so and this is Viola in the first act."
That has class and distinction. Or what about this? "Hi everyone, my name is so-and-so and this piece is from Twelfth Night."
Now they're listening! (Just remember to keep it simple.)
The Time Limit
If you prepared a monologue or a song, you (usually) get two minutes starting from your first line. And two minutes is plenty. (In fact, the auditors will have made their decision in about 30 seconds.)
So as to be respectful of everyone's time, cut down your monologue or song. Rehearse with a stopwatch to measure how long it is. Then when you get to the audition, you won't be rushed.
And if they cut you off, don't take it personally. It doesn't mean you're bad, it means they're renting by the hour.
Eye Contact
Actors love to stare. Especially in auditions. They think it makes them look ultra-concentrated on their scene partner. The end result looks like someone who might be slightly deranged. And who wants to hire that?
One of the best audition tips on making eye contact is the 90/10 rule.
The Bottom Line
These little audition tips & tricks took us years to collect. And they can make or break your audition. Follow them, and you'll be light years ahead of the competition, and so much closer to becoming an actor.
Being fully committed to your character makes your performance more relatable and believable. As an audience, we enjoy watching
actors who live and breathe as their character, rather than watching them pretend
to be someone else. Comedic scenes aren't funny when the characters think they're
funny. In comedy, we don't laugh at perfectly ordinary situations; it's the weird
things or the reactions to the weird that are funny.
New actors generally tend to play the joke rather than live it seriously and allow the
joke to come naturally. It wouldn't be funny if Kelly acted like what she was saying
was funny or weird. Characters with a normal perspective aren't funny. This scene
works because Kelly is dead serious and doesn't know she's being ridiculous. It's
funny because we (the audience) know better than Kelly.
In drama, recognizing this same level of commitment is more difficult but just as
important to know how to use. Audience members emotionally invest more when
the actor lives truthfully as the character. All performances in all genres are better
with full commitment.
Confidence: When preparing for an audition, be confident with the choices you've
made about your character. If you are not confident, you will not succeed. The most
effective way to have confidence is to rehearse the scene(s) a few times first with a
mentor.
Listening is a Skill: If you haven't mastered listening yet, you must learn this skill.
It will benefit you in the business of acting, in your auditions, in your ability to take
direction, and every other aspect of your career (and life). If you lack listening skills,
your passion alone won't compensate for it. If you don't listen well, and you're not
willing to learn, acting probably isn't for you. Listening is vital to the quality of your
work and the results in your career. There is a significant difference between actors
who listen well and actors who don't.
Not listening to your scene partner can ruin your scene and makes your character
unlikeable. An oblivious or unaware character is not interesting or pleasurable to
watch, unless it's specifically written in the script not to listen.
Otherwise, you should be alert, attentive, and listen to everything your scene
partner or a casting director is saying. If you can't follow instructions or take
direction, your career is over before it starts.
Reading: While it might seem obvious, reading skills are imperative for any acting
job. Having a high level of comprehension will allow you to understand the story,
character, and scene. Those with lower comprehension levels will need to improve
this skill to succeed. Speed-reading is also an especially important skill to have; you
never know when a casting director will give you a cold read.
Sometimes you won't be given any extra time to look over the sides before you're
expected to perform. If time is offered to review the new sides, take it. Getting a few
extra minutes to study these new lines might not allow you to be completely "off
book" but it will give you a better shot at delivering your lines with fewer mistakes
and a better understanding of the story. Whether you're given time to review your
sides or not, you'll need the ability to briefly glance at your sides, pick up your line,
and deliver it to your scene partner. If you've been accused of staying on the page
too much or are a slow reader, learning to speed-read should be a top priority.
There are plenty of free online lessons you can take to learn how to speed-read. If
you can master this skill, it might win you the part one day.
Besides reading comprehension and speed-reading, you'll also need the ability to
read "between the lines." Good actors don't simply read the literal words on a page
or play the meaning of the line. When they do, their performance is generic and
boring. If you aren't able to critically dissect the story, scene, and what your
character is all about, you're going to have a hard time connecting with your
audience.
Knowing Your Sides: Not only should you try to be off-book (sides completely
memorized) for your audition, you should also understand the specific meaning of
everything in your sides.
I once auditioned for a botanist role where I needed to know a lot of specific
terminology about plants and their uses. The sides had the word "ayahuasca" in it
(which I didn't know how to pronounce, let alone what it meant). I made sure to
research and memorize the pronunciation and meaning before going to the audition.
If I had walked into the audition without proper preparation, I would have failed
badly. Casting directors and producers expect you to be the character; the character
would know the pronunciation and meaning of what they're saying.
To be polite, some casting directors will ask if you have questions before the
audition; this isn't the time to ask how to pronounce certain words or define what
something means (unless it was a last-minute audition). Research what you can
beforehand. Even if you did ask something like this in an audition, you'd only have a
few seconds to adjust to the new information. Casting directors are notorious for
being incredibly busy and they'll respect you more if you come prepared.
Dashes and Ellipses: Most of the time, dashes (-) and ellipses (...) are written into a
script for a specific reason; do not ignore them. It's your job as the actor to figure out
(based on your character development and the story) why they are included in the
scene. If you ignore these, you might offend the writer and potentially cost you the
role.
Dashes: A dash is intended to be an interruption in communication. When there is a
dash at the start of your line, make sure to have your line and cue completely
memorized so that you can remember to interrupt your scene partner at the
designated time. If you forget to interrupt your partner at the right moment, and
they're forced to stall for you, it's going to make you both look bad. In the reverse, if
your partner forgets to interrupt you, make sure to have a continuation of the
sentence prepared. Make sure this continuation makes sense and coordinates with
the story and your character. This method looks more natural and you'll avoid the
embarrassment of stalling. In everyday conversation, we never wait to be
interrupted so why would you in your acting?
In a best-case scenario, both of you will be prepared and you'll nail the audition, but
if that's not the case, be prepared for both scenarios: 1) Interrupt at the right
moment and 2) Have a line prepared if someone doesn't interrupt you in time.
Ellipses: Unlike dashes, ellipses don't abruptly end a thought but indicate a shift in
thoughts. Ellipses are a part of everyday communication. As an actor, it's your job to
decide why your character has a shift in thoughts and to have the specific thoughts
necessary to justify that shift.
You can add ellipses during your performance when you feel they come naturally.
However, comedy television scripts are frequently written exactly how the writers
envisioned and it's not up to you to re-write them by removing their stage direction.
Showing Emotion vs. Having Thoughts: Many new actors make the mistake of
trying to skip to the emotion rather than having genuine character thoughts and
allowing the emotions to come naturally. This results in empty and un-relatable
acting. Think about this... Where do emotions come from? Thoughts. If you don't
have real character thoughts your performance will be unlikeable and probably not
even understandable. When you do have character thoughts appropriate to the
story, the emotion comes naturally with little to no work on your part to show the
emotion. With specific character thoughts the audience is able to understand a
character's backstory (history, personality traits, beliefs, etc.) with no need to
explain or "show" it.
Listening vs. Passion: Some new actors naively believe that because they have
passion or are a sensitive person, they'll be a great actor. This is not the case. If you
react without listening or have a planned reaction to what your scene partner does,
the end result will be disconnected no matter how passionate your response.
However, staying connected to your scene partner and responding to what they say,
and how they say it, will naturally make your performance more intriguing.
Stage Direction: Stage direction is a term for non-verbal scene action, such as
pointing a gun, falling to the ground, or pulling out and using a cell phone.
On set, you are expected to perform all stage direction written in the script and
given by the director. In an audition, some stage direction is appropriate to follow
while others should be avoided or modified. Make sure the stage direction you
choose to follow keeps you in the camera's frame.
In an audition...
If the scene says, "John takes out a gun and points it at Jim..." do not bring a real gun
or point your finger like a gun, but use your cell phone in place of the gun.
If the scene says, "Bill is running away from zombies..." do not run in place but
instead be winded throughout the scene unless the casting director tells you to run
in place or if it's absolutely necessary for the scene to make sense.
How do you know if running is necessary for the scene?
Example: Carol and Connie are two competitive best friends and they're working on
getting in shape. They're out jogging and Connie picks up the pace. Carol matches,
and then exceeds Connie's pace. Connie increases her speed and eyes Carol.
Without the jogging, the comedy wouldn't exist.
Use your better judgment to determine which stage direction is necessary and the
simplest solution is usually best. As for props, you can bring anything a normal
person would carry like a bottle of water, Chap Stick, or cellphone.
Caution: Don't pantomime because it takes the observers out of the scene. Never
slap or kiss a casting director even if it's in the script.
Accents: If you normally speak with an accent, it might be beneficial to learn how to
speak without it (or with an American accent). Hugh Jackman, Andrew Lincoln, and
Kate Winslet are a few recognizable actors with accents but they somehow manage
to score big roles with characters that speak without an accent. Being able to
transform your voice to speak with or without an accent gives you a step up above
those actors that can only speak their native accent.
Speech Impediments: If you have a speech impediment, you should work with a
speech coach/therapist until you can easily speak without it. Sometimes a role
might accept a certain speech impediment, if the character calls for it, but those
cases are extremely rare. Learning to speak without it will open up more
opportunities for your career.
Eye Contact: Knowing when to make eye contact, and when not to, is very
important in acting. It's considered a part of "active listening," which includes
reading facial expressions. Psychology studies have shown that a significant
percentage of "listening" comes from body language and not the actual words you
say. Therefore, it's important to include eye contact as a form of communication
with your scene partner (when appropriate). However, too much eye contact is
awkward, so study the script and your character and do what feels most natural to
that personality.
Sitting on the other side of the table is something that every actor should do. It’s incredibly educational and inspirational because frankly, you realize that while there are lots and lots of people that call themselves actors, there are a much smaller group of Actors (and talent is only a small part of that definition, by the by).
Since so few Actors get a chance to sit where Producers and Directors sit, here are my 10 tips on how to have a better audition experience.
- Always bring a picture and resume. I don’t care if you have an Agent, a Manager, and a Momma Rose-style “mom-ager” who all promised to send it over. You’re the one that won’t be remembered if you don’t have one. A P&R is more than an American Express card. It’s like a pair of shoes. You wouldn’t leave home without shoes, would you?
- Haven’t memorized the material? Don’t pretend you have. If you have sides, try to memorize them. But if you can’t, it’s ok. We’d rather hear the material as written with the papers in your hand than hear you make up stuff just to prove that you tried (and failed) to memorize the material (remind me to tell you about the time an actor added a few lines to a Tony Award winning playwright’s monologue to kill time while he tried to get back on track).
- Don’t make excuses. I don’t want to hear that you have a cold, or that you have bed-head, or that your printer is broken. Do your best.
- If I ask you to make a choice, make one. I commonly ask the people auditioning for me to choose between two monologues, or I ask them to give me three song choices from their book and then I say, “which would you like to do?” I want to learn what YOU are attracted to, and I also want to see you make a choice. Don’t say, “It doesn’t matter. What do you want?” Actors have to make strong clear choices when developing characters. I want to see that side of you in everything you do.
- Make your first 15 seconds count. When you meet someone for the first time, don’t you make a lot of suppositions? We do too.
- Be the 3 Cs. Be comfortable, charismatic and confident. Actors have to command attention. They have to be the most interesting people in a 1000 seat theater. Be someone that we want to get to know. If you can do that as yourself, I know you’ll also be able to do that in a character.
- Don’t take the last audition times of the day. Casting is not an easy process, and at the end of the day, a creative team is grumpy, tired and wants to go home. The early actor gets the part. (Another reason to be scheduled early? You don’t have the rest of the day of actors to be compared to. I’m much more likely to call someone back that I see early because I have no idea what the rest of the day will bring.)
- Let us know where to find you. Even if you have an agent, put an email address where you can be reached directly on your resume (For safety reasons, I’d suggest a separate email just for this purpose). This way, if you ever leave your agent, or if your agent doesn’t get back to the casting director right away, interested parties have a way of at least sending you an inquiry. You don’t have to respond. Pix and Resumes sit in files for years. You always want some piece of contact information to be accurate so someone can find you fast.
- Don’t start over. Screw up? Fight through it. And it probably wasn’t as bad as you thought. You’re more sensitive to it than we are. An old voice teacher of mine used to say, “If you put a microphone on the inside of a Mercedes engine, you’d hear all sorts of sputtering and spitting, but from the outside, you’d hear nothing but purrrrrrrrr.”
- Always audition. The best way to master auditioning is just like everything else. Do it over and over. You’ll get numb to the nerves. You’ll be able to be yourself. And you’ll get free practice! I used to go to dance calls, because learning a dance combination at an audition is a free dance class (and I needed them). Actors who get to work on sides with directors at an audition get a free coaching.
Remember, we want you to be great. We’re pulling for you more than you can ever imagine.
Because a great audition, means a great cast, which means we’re one step closer to a great show.
