Sparkler Sappranoconda says she's seen some tragic school play auditions lately, and wanted to add to her previous post, A Guide to Auditioning for the School Play. We hope it helps! —SparkNotes editors
You've read my last fabulous article and picked up some tips on the art of auditioning. You've prepared a lovely little song that makes everybody around you so jealous they collapse every time you sing it. You are no longer challenging the casting director to a staring contest, nor looking like a toy soldier about to get run over by the Oscar Myer Weinermobile. You might have even stopped bursting into tears and dissolving into a puddle of fear. You now know everything you will ever need to know about trying out for the school play, right?
WRONG!
I have more tricks of the trade:
1. PROJECT
THE ALL CAPS GOT YOUR ATTENTION, DIDN’T IT? SO DOES SPEAKING LOUDLY! AND WITH FEELING! DON’T SCREAM AT ANYONE, BUT MAKE SURE YOU ARE HEARD.
2. Hold the script up and away from your face
This will let your voice travel somewhere other than the floor. Speak loudly and clearly, and try to react to the story instead of just reading it.
3. Face the audience
As my old Russian acting teacher once said, “No matter how good your butt, it will never be better actor than face.”
Open out to the audience and let them see your beautiful face!
4. Dress nicely
Some theaters have casual auditions, but just to be safe, you want to look like you care. I once heard a director say, “If you show up to my audition in jeans, you might as well show up naked.” Which brings me to my next tip...
5. Don’t show up naked
Seriously. Don’t do it. They keep theaters cold for a reason.
6. Bring a change of clothes for the dance audition
You need something comfortable that you can move in without having to fix it every few seconds. If you don’t own dance shoes, go barefoot.
Try to wear as much brightly colored clothing as possible. Imagine there is someone in a chicken suit among a group of blacketyblackblack t-shirt-wearers. Which one will get looked at the most? The chicken, of course! It’s the same principle when choosing dance clothes—go for brightly colored. An actual chicken suit would be hard to dance in, and is therefore discouraged. It would be awesome though…
7. Take a risk
Do something unexpected (but not totally random) with your character. Give him/her an interesting speech pattern, a slight accent, a different posture, etc. The director will appreciate the thought you've given to your interpretation.
8. Be confident
If you mess up, just keep going like it never happened. Walk like you're going somewhere important, and do everything with confidence. You are awesome, talented, and good-looking, and everyone in the room wants to be you. Now tell that to yourself until you believe it.
9. Be polite
This is crucial. When other people are auditioning, SHUT UP! No talking, no texting, no singing along to songs you know, no throwing rotten vegetables. Stay for the whole audition process if that is what everybody else is doing. You’ll learn something, your fellow actors won't hate you, and the director will see that you're a professional.
What have your tryout experiences been like?
Related Post: How to Direct a School Play
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By: Contributor
Topics: Guides
Tags: theater, sparkler posts, musical theater
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