Actors. Can we talk about auditions?
A few helpful hints for standing out from the crowd.
The audition. If you want to be an actor, you must get used to it. The audition is the job interview. It is the only barrier between you and that often-coveted role, or paying the bills. I have been a professional actor and director for twenty-seven years and have been on both sides of the table. As an actor, I hated the audition. It was one of the reasons I leapt at the chance to be a director when offered the opportunity! I wanted to write this article in the spirit of giving a few helpful hints on how to master the most important skill an actor can have: standing out and giving yourself the best chance for a callback, or better yet, landing the role.
#1. In an audition, you get to show your stuff to someone who has the ability to hire you over and over again. I mention this first because I think many actors forget it. The difference between the audition and your normal job interview is that most casting directors and directors work on hundreds, if not thousands, of different projects over their careers. When you are auditioning for these people, you get the opportunity to set yourself up for a long, long time. Start thinking about the audition as a potential relationship with this person for your entire career.
#2. Wouldn’t this knowledge want you to know your stuff!? Make sure you know the material better than anyone else. That’s it. The work you take on is equal to the work you make. It sounds like a Beatles lyric, doesn’t it? It is. I stole it. Not clear? The more work and commitment you put into the audition, the better chance you have. Period. Yes, you may still not get the part because your hair is the wrong colour. That being said, you will make an impression. Getting the job is a bonus. The most important thing about the audition was that you made yourself memorable. They will remember you and come back to you. Maybe even multiple times.
#3. First impressions are everything. That feeling of “I want to work with this person” is almost more powerful than how talented you are. Full disclosure: I have hired actors who are less talented because they overflowed with an aura of “awesome-fun human beings.” My desire to be in the room with them trumped the talent of another actor.
#4. Imagination and creativity are everything. This is related to point #3. I have also hired actors who are less talented because of their willingness to play. Their eagerness to listen and their eagerness to sniff around every corner, regardless of whether my initial direction makes sense or not. A director, ultimately, is looking for someone who will not hold up a stop sign at every suggestion. Your job, and mine, is to unleash the full imagination to its potential based on the text of the writer. If you are not willing to unleash your imagination, where the potential for greatness lies, why would we want to hire you?
#5. You are not auditioning for the part. You’re auditioning for a spot in the rehearsal. This might be the most important of all. Many actors have the false impression that auditioning is to land the role. No, it’s not. The audition is for us to see whether you have the potential to play the role. You are auditioning to get to rehearsal so we can find the role together. This relates to #4. We are auditioning you to see your technique, your imagination, your creativity, your process, your willingness to go places, your ability to take direction, your intelligence, your honesty, your take on the role, etc. We want to know that we can work together, collaborate, and reveal the truth that lies within the writer’s text. Show us all of this and your willingness to collaborate and fly high. Guess what? You will get a callback if you are not offered the role immediately.
#6. Be confident. No other actor is like you. Anywhere. On the entire planet. You are unique. Nobody can ever play Hamlet, Juliet, or Harry Potter like you can. I want to see your Harry. I want to see what Harry does in your imagination based on the text. Do not compare yourself to anyone else. Just do you. If you are not my idea of Harry, who cares? You will be someone else’s. But the fact that you are not my Harry but are still rocking the audition may make you my Hermione or Ron. It may make you my Hamlet six months from now.
#7. Use your time. The ten minutes, twenty minutes, or whatever time you are given is your time. Seize the moment. Carpe Diem! When you are unemployed as an actor, you get very few opportunities to act. This time is a gift for you to do what you love! I should see you shine. The room should be filled with joy, love, and inspiration.
#8. Think of the audition as a rehearsal. This is crucial. I have seen many actors come into the audition, flub a line, not be connected, etc., and keep going. We know they didn’t show their best. They know they didn’t show their best, yet they barrel through it, saying “thank you,” and then they leave. Why!? Remember #5? Show us how you rehearse! Show us that the line you and we thought was not good enough was not good enough. Stop immediately and do it again. We want to see your process. We want you to dig deeper. We want to see the bar you set as an actor. We want to see you continue to strive for more honesty, deeper connection, stronger choices, bigger stakes, etc. Show us that in rehearsal you will continue to strive to be the best that you can be. Show us that we will never regret hiring you because you are a true artist. Any casting person or director who wants the performance in the room is not worth working for. They are not artists, and they do not understand the craft or what we do. Period. Unfortunately, the business is filled with them, but that’s for another day! ;)
#9. Versatility. The key to auditioning for the rehearsal is that, in your ten minutes, you show as much versatility as you can. This starts with the choice of your monologues and the choices you make on the sides you’ve been given. You want to show versatility vocally, physically, textually, and emotionally. If you do this successfully, you will hit at least one, if not many, of the notes that casting is looking for. If you do not make this a priority when preparing for the audition, you may never hit the note they are looking for. It is impossible to know how they see the part, the scene, and the play, so hit as many of the notes as possible! This almost guarantees you will show something close to what they are looking for to intrigue them enough to bring you in for a callback. To see more of your work! Gold.
#10. Ask questions. Do not be shy. Do not be intimidated. If you do not understand something in the play or part, ask about it. Once again, we want to know if you are constantly digging. We want to see and hear how you see or think about a play or part. After all, in a play, you might actually get a crack at this part again. Treat this as an opportunity to hear different ideas about the play. Maybe you will learn something that will inform you better about the part or play. Heck, if you get the part, you have received a gold nugget that will be a trampoline to jump off of with the director in rehearsal.
#11. Say “thank you” to those who auditioned you. They have very few spots for the many, many actors who want to be seen. They chose to see you. Be humble. Be grateful. This will pay off in spades and relates to #3. And remember, they want you to be their actor. It’s up to you to show them the possibilities. Also, the fact that you received an audition spot should show you immediate success. There is already something about you that intrigues them. You are on your way! There might be a #11 or #12 here, but I’ll add them all in this one paragraph! Onto the last, but arguably the most important…
#12. Leave the audition inspired. Say to yourself, “I adore what I do, and that was a blast.” Say to yourself, “I can’t wait until my next audition to do this again.” Say to yourself, “I did my best, and I am proud.” In the end, you must remember that it is all about taste. Art is art. It is not a perfect science. You may be auditioning for someone whose taste is completely different from yours. And that’s okay.
Now, go “chomp at the bit” for that next audition and knock it out of the park.
