<p>What follows was originally written for students auditioning at our school. But several people have suggested that I post it here, on the main MT board. I've removed the specific points relating to our program; what remains is advice that, I hope, may be useful to you in auditioning for many MT programs. Id especially appreciate other college reps chiming in. Specific disagreements could be extremely helpful to students in understanding the differences between our programs.</p>
<p>WHAT COLLEGES WANT TO SEE</p>
<p>We want to see you.</p>
<p>We can see you if you play </p>
<p> characters that you understand,
caught in situations that you understand,
who are demanding what they need from the other characters in the scene,
using the words (and, in songs, the music) as tactics to achieve their objectives. </p>
<p>If you make all the characters desires your own, we will be able to see you.</p>
<p>We cant see you if you </p>
<p> do a piece in an accent that isnt yours, in order to show us that you can do accents,
yell or cry hysterically in order to show us that you can be emotional,
sing very loudly to show us what a big voice you have,
sing very high notes to show us what a great range you have,
use props,
choose a piece with words designed by the playwright to be shocking, or
wear clothing that calls attention to parts of your body other than your face.</p>
<p>In other words, dont push yourself at us. Instead, share yourself with us. Its a subtle mental shift, but it has enormous positive consequences.</p>
<p>AUDITIONING: MONOLOGUES</p>
<p>It may surprise you to know that most casting directors no longer use monologues. They typically ask actors to read scenes with someone from their office. Acting is about relationships, and its very difficult to act with an imaginary partner. But we dont have the luxury of an hour with each of you, and so we use monologues instead. Its not ideal, but almost all professional training programs use them.</p>
<p>Here are some tips that should help:</p>
<p> Because we want to see you, it is better to do pieces written for younger characters, rather than characters who have much more life experience than you do. </p>
<p> Choose monologues written about characters in situations that you understand at a deep level, because youve been in similar situations, or you have friends or siblings or parents who have lived through them. Maybe a play moved you to tears when you first read it. Maybe you couldnt stop laughing. Both are good signs of connecting with the material. </p>
<p> Choose (at least) one piece that has humor. That may seem to be a contradiction to the previous suggestion, but it isnt. Much comedy comes from tragedy retold in a humorous way. One of the funniest things some characters do is rage and wail. (Thats also a reason you should not rage and wail in a piece that you want us to take seriously.) For musical theatre auditions, the humor can be in the monologue or in one of the songs. Up-tempo songs tend to be funnier than ballads.</p>
<p> Some schools may require--or at least allow--you to do a piece by Sophocles, Shakespeare, Ibsen, Chekhov, Synge, ONeill, etc. All of them wrote wonderful young characters. But be careful: sometimes the words in poetic drama become so thick that we cant get past them. We watch you doing Shakespeare instead of watching you using his words to accomplish your characters goals. Generally, its safer to do more contemporary material that doesnt demand an in-depth understanding of acting styles. But if a classical piece works for you, it will likely work for us. Howeverand this is a big caveat--make sure you understand the rules at each program you audition for.</p>
<p> Make sure that youre playing characters in high-stakes situations, characters using strong tactics to get something they desperately need from the other characters in the scene.</p>
<p>AUDITIONING: SONGS</p>
<p>We want to hear you.</p>
<p>The same guidelines apply to songs as to monologues. Do songs that you connect with. Choose songs written for younger characters. Choose songs about characters in situations that you understand in your heart. Choose at least one song or monologue that has some humor. Remember: singing is acting with music, not just making beautiful sounds.</p>
<p>But musical values are still essential. Effective audition songs let us hear the range, quality, and size of your voice, your sense of style and command of technique, as well as your ability to act the song:</p>
<p> Range: Its better not to try to show us your very highest notes, or how loud you can sing. Again, its about sharing, not showing. Songs should live within the range you are comfortable singing. But do make sure that the song has more than a five- or six-note range. </p>
<p> Style and Technique: We listen for good diction, accuracy in pitch and rhythm, support and control of the breath, and the ability of the voice to ring throughout the vocal registers used by the singer. Many of you have worked diligently on these issues with your voice teacher. But dont do any of these things for their own sake. Practice the songs long enough so that your technique becomes a part of the way you sing. That way you will be able to focus on acting the song. The best way to think about technique is to view it as part of the constellation of tactics that your character is using to achieve her objective.</p>
<p> Quality: Some singers have a legitimate sound, as in the kinds of voices heard on the original cast recording of Oklahoma! This style, based on operetta and opera, is still very much alive in works like Light in the Piazza. Its also the core of most approaches to vocal training, so generally speaking one of your songs should be in this style. There are many places to find this style, including current musicals. But another good place to look is in musical theatre repertoire written from the 30s to the 60s, including songs by George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Kurt Weill, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lerner & Loewe, Leonard Bernstein, and Kander & Ebb. </p>
<p>Some singers have character voices, required for most of the characters in Guys and Dolls. Some singers can rock it high. Some singers can belt or mix. If one of these is your best sound, let us hear it. Just make sure that youre not straining or yelling or screaming. </p>
<p>Be very sure that you read the guidelines from each school. This is the area where schools tend to differ in what kind of material they want to hear.</p>
<p>ATTIRE</p>
<p>While you may normally sport lots of rings or military boots or long hair falling across your eyes, those things can be so distracting that its all we see. Same for too much exposed skin, or flip-flops, sandals, and most athletic shoes. Remember, we want to be able to focus on your eyes and your face, so that we can hear what youre saying and singing. </p>
<p>At the same time, an audition is not a business interview, so a suit and tie, or a suit and pumps, are not right either. The intent of those clothes in a business interview is to prove that you can fit into a business environment. Thats not helpful to us. An audition isnt a picnic or a party, either, where you might wear torn jeans or cargo pants or shorts or t-shirts with cute logos. Better to not wear those. And its not a prom, so avoid wearing cocktail or prom dresses. And dont wear spike heels. You dont want to stumble while walking on stage to begin your audition. If youre comfortable in heels, and think they make you look good, wear character shoes or something with a similar heel. </p>
<p>So what can you wear? Clothes that fit well, that you feel comfortable in, that you look good in--and feel that you look good in--and that draw our eyes to your face and hands. Shirts and pants work for men and women alike. Skirts are fine for some women, and for many, a dress can work very well. So can classy jeans. We want to watch you, not your clothes.</p>
<p>Again, please pay attention to the specific guidelines from each school.</p>
<p>BRING YOUR BOOK</p>
<p>Experienced singers have a book that includes representative songs that they have studied and know well enough to be able to sing on request. During your audition and interview, you may be asked to sing something other than your audition pieces. So its a good idea to bring additional pieces in a separate 3-ring binder from your audition binder. You can organize them in any way you want, but it is very helpful to have a table of contents in the front. Its also a good idea to have the full-length versions of your audition songs in your book. </p>
<p>Actors, it doesn't hurt to have a similar book with your monologues. </p>
<p>LAST THOUGHTS</p>
<p>Lead with your signature piece, the one which you are most comfortable doing and that you feel is most representative of you as a person and as a performer. You may be tempted to do your weakest piece first to get it out of the way, and save your best for last. Its not an effective strategy. Remember the old adage: you only have one chance to make a first impression. </p>
<p>Dont yell, either in the monologue or the songs, unless its for comic effect.</p>
<p>Share yourself and your work with everyone in the room. We are your audience and we all want you to do well.</p>
<p>And before you start, remind your body to breathe. </p>
<p>For all of my colleagues, let me thank you for your interest in our schools, and your passion for theatre. I know that all of us look forward to meeting you and sharing your work.</p>
<p>Best wishes to all.</p>
<p>doctorjohn</p>
<p>December 25, 2010</p>