<p>mary anna, my d has a friend who will be a senior this year and plans to major in theatre. is this seminar something he could attend?</p>
<p>Absolutely! If you want to give me an email, I can send you more info or you can email me at <a href="mailto:maryannadennard@aol.com">maryannadennard@aol.com</a></p>
<p>is it bad to sing from millie?</p>
<p>i saw a list of what not to sing for ccm on some thread...but i was wondering what not to sing in general...i know stuff like your eyes and such...but anyone have musicals not to sing from? and plays not to do monologues from? besides the ones on the ccm site</p>
<p>check out viterbo - <a href="http://www.viterbo.edu%5B/url%5D">www.viterbo.edu</a>. They have a great article about auditioning.</p>
<p>The Viterbo article is almost identical (right down to humorous wording) to the CCM website's article, which I know has been the same for several years (which may also be true of Viterbo's website) - they may actually BE indentical articles, but I haven't checked CCM's to make sure...Is the source for both Robert Cohen's book Acting Professionally? Hmmm...just curious.</p>
<p>Speaking of Viterbo, can anyone offer any info?? Seems like an interesting school/program, but I haven't heard much about it.</p>
<p>still...none of the sites say millie is bad or ok...but my gut kinda tells me no...since it closed last year...but the song is so perfect for me...idk...help please</p>
<p>If the song is perfect for you -- and the school does not specifically say not to do Millie -- you most certainly should do it. We know someone who did a Les Miz song, despite the fact that some schools (not the one she sang it for) recommend against it. This girl got in early decision.</p>
<p>these decisions are so important and the situation is so competitive that you don't want to take any risks. and if you have to ask about doing "millie" and have a negative feeling about it, and if you already know that some colleges won't allow it, then why do it? there are literally thousands of songs to choose from. yes, you might get in, it might work out fine. but do you want to base your future on what "might" happen? stay with what you "know" is ok. just my thoughts, good luck in your decision.</p>
<p>Do many colleges use CCM's do's and don'ts list as a guide? Because one of the songs I am really considering is from Secret Garden, and it's on the don't list (even though it came out in 1991!), so I'm worried other schools might not like me using it either. Also, does anyone know if any of these schools (Northern Colorado, Emerson, OCU, Wagner, Ithaca, or Hartt) have specific lists on what they do/don't want to hear?</p>
<p>I, like everyone else, am getting ready to prepare my monologues and songs for my auditions. These are the songs I am thinking about, could anyone tell me if any of these are too popular, too risky, too anything?... Any suggestions for a soprano?</p>
<p>Ballad:
If I Loved You - Carosel
So in Love - Kiss Me, Kate
I'll Know - Guys and Dolls</p>
<p>Uptempo:
I Feel Pretty - West Side Story
Wonderful Guy - South Pacific
I Enjoy Being a Girl</p>
<p>There are others, but they all fall along the same characteristics as these. As far as a monologue goes, I have no clue where to start! Should I be looking in plays or musicals? Again, any suggestions? I can do comedy and drama, but I am strong in drama. Any help or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!</p>
<p>where are you looking at applying? most places want a comedy and a drama...</p>
<p>what i did was first go to your library...my library is amazing, so this was great...and ask where the plays are...I found all sorts of plays...and then also some books that took monologues from plays...so i took plays that sounded interesting to me...and i read them...and created my own monologues from long speeches that were broken up with little bits of dialogue...like...long speech...yeah....long speech...uh huh...so i created 3 monologues that way...and took a bunch from the monologue books...</p>
<p>thats my suggestion...and this way...i feel like i have monologues that fit me...</p>
<p>your songs look good to me...i wish i had 3 of each that i could do</p>
<p>I'm working on compiling my monologue and song list as well. What I'm doing for the monologues is that I'm going to the library, and getting monologue books, reading through them to find ones that interest me, then get the plays of those monologues from the library and reading through them for monologues that won't be as widely used. </p>
<p>I'm also trying to compile the songs. So far I'm looking at:
Higher:
Green Finch and Linnet Bird
Many a New Day
The Simple Joys of Maidenhood</p>
<p>Belting:
Shy
Hold On</p>
<p>Are any of these bad ideas or overused? And how many should I prepare? Next week, my voice teacher is giving me a classical piece for OCU...</p>
<p>I am doing to exact same thing with reading the monologue books, but then getting the plays. I am having harder time though with finding serious pieces that fit me well. There seem to be plenty of comedic options out there. Its strange for me to be searching for material like this as I usually like playing roles that are completely unlike how I am in real life (I love playing villians, but I am a really nice and caring individual). Because I have a sense of a good sense of humor, I seem to relate to the comedic monolgues much better than some of the more tragic material.</p>
<p>How "like" me does material need to be?</p>
<p>Well, where have I been?! I must have missed this thread allllllll together. Thank you Mary Anna and CoachC for contributing such wonderful advice....I know those prospective students beginning to prepare are grateful!!</p>
<p>SUE aka 5pants</p>
<p>musicman, I'm having the opposite problem. I can only find a couple comedic ones, and the rest are dramatic. </p>
<p>And as for how "like" you they should be, I think they only have to be for the right age group. You obviously wouldn't do a monologue for an old person or a small child, nor the opposite sex. You should be able to play any part though, so any sort of monologue suitable for your age is fine.</p>
<p>Don't use musicals for your monologue - an audition monologue should DO something, go somewhere, be active (rather than a "memory" or a "report," your character should NEED something that might be resolved by speaking these words, uninterrupted). In musicals, the action really happens in the music; the dialogue strings together the action of the music... So unless you are doing Gypsy Rose Lee's final speech to Mama Rose, you are unlikely to find great, compelling audition monologues in musicals.</p>
<p>You can find some great monologues in collections of monologues (just be sure that they are from plays, and not just written as audition monologues). They even have monologues for young actors, monologues for actors of color, monologues for women, or for men, etc. They've done a lot of the research for you - if you are in a pinch for time, use them.</p>
<p>I highly suggest that you read as many plays, and listen to/read as many musicals as you can get your hands on. This is your career you're talking about - and I'm sad to say that too many of my COLLEGE students come to me with that lost/desparate look when assigned the task of finding an appropriate scene or monologue to work on in class. So read, read, read!</p>
<p>You can also look to short-plays, as action happens quickly and so monologues in those are usually "loaded" with acting values. Also, they are quick reads - easier to get in a lot of material in a short period of time.</p>
<p>Best wishes,</p>
<p>eve</p>
<p>I beg to differ on the point that we are actors; hence, as long as the age of the character is appropriate, we should consider ourselves capable of playing ANY role. While that may be true in different settings (especially once you have already been accepted to a school, company, tour, etc.), I haven't found that to be the case in university (and professional) auditions. I deal with this in my classroom ALL THE TIME, believe me. I tell the students to find out who others perceive them to be on first meeting - NOT who they ARE, but who others THINK them to be (sometimes a very different thing altogether).</p>
<p>For this purpose, I use a rudimentary hierarchy of "character types" or "sterotypes" that most people clearly fall into via the actor's "center." The "center" corrolates to a dominant physical energy center that leads all other movement - either head, chest or pelvis (see below). So first, you have to ask others (especially those who will be HONEST with you, and those whom you have just recently been introduced) which category you most closely fall into, followed by a second and third center, and thus you will come up with a hierarchy of qualities for your signature "type" - a trusty barometer for helping you choose appropriate characters (those that won't challenge the auditors' suspension of disbelief too much):</p>
<p>Head centered = intellect. The brain/nerd, usually quiet OR spouting off witty, clever and/or intelligent statements. Can be the romantic lead, but not the traditional one. Think of Doody or Eugene in Grease, Marian Paroo in The Music Man, Babe in Pajama Game, Matt in The Fantasticks, Linus or Schroeder in Charlie Brown, etc.</p>
<p>Chest centered = emotion/sensuality. This is the stereotypical ingenue. The love interest, usually their worst problem is that their boyfriend/girlfriend doesn't love them anymore. Think of Sandy in Grease, Maria or Tony in West Side Story, Luisa in The Fantasticks, Laurie in Oklahoma, Raul in Phantom of the Opera, Marius and Cosette in Les Mis, Arthur in Camelot, Kim and Chris in Miss Saigon, etc.</p>
<p>Hip/Pelvis centered = sexuality/dominance. This is the stereotypical floosy, womanizer, or carnal-minded aggressive character. Not a shrinking violet! Gutsy, the best-friend with a sassy mouth, the hooker with a heart of gold, the bad boy who loves 'em and leaves 'em, are all under this type. Think Rizzo, Marty, Sonny, Kenicke and Vince Fontaine in Grease; Jigger, Billy and Carrie in Carousel; Ado Annie and Ali Hakim in Oklahoma!; El Gallo in The Fantasticks; Fantine in Les Mis; etc.</p>
<p>First, find what your primary center is, then choose roles appropriate for that "type." If your secondary center is nearly equal to the primary, then you have a little latitude for cross-over between types. But playing the temptress when your type is obviously the good girl, or the macho guy when you are more suited to the nerd, you will give the auditors distraction thinking "why did they ever choose this piece?!?"</p>
<p>I tell my students to pick something that they could play PROFESSIONALLY (like on Broadway) TODAY. Not one, two or five years from now...today! If this show were being cast today, would you be called in/back? If not, don't use it in your audition.</p>
<p>You see, auditors have very little imagination (we are wearing blinders of sorts) in the high pressure environment and cram-packed schedule that auditions mandate. And when you as an actor are in such heavy competition as auditions for the most competitive programs in the nation, why give us anything to think about except for how great you are, and "Gee, I could cast them in this role, or that role, or that other role, and..." On and on.</p>
<p>Show us nothing but potential (and limit as much as possible your liabilities). You see? </p>
<p>Honestly, if someone who is not an ingenue comes in with a prepared ingenue piece (whether singing OR acting), I think that the student has no self-awareness of their physical type and how I would likely cast them. And, if I do accept them or call them back, at some inevitable point I (as an educator) will be forced into the terribly uncomfortable for me (and potentially damaging for their self-esteem) position of telling them, "Darling. You are not an ingenue. What are you thinking?" Either that, or I am thinking that their ego is WAY overblown - and they haven't accepted the gifts that they DO possess. Either way it's detrimental to the audition - meaning, I'm not seeing you in the best possible light.</p>
<p>Take it from me - who have spent half my life looking like Laurie in Oklahoma!, and singing like Jud! It is hard to find the "perfect piece," and it takes a lot of research (reading, researching, going to the theatre, buying CDs, etc.). But that is the industry you have CHOSEN in which to make a career. It won't change for you; so step up to the plate and realize how it works (so you can capitalize on it).</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>eve</p>
<p>Prof H...What a very interesting analysis. I look forward to sharing it with my daughter. </p>
<p>While I have never broken it down the way you have, I certainly agree with your bottom line that you should play to type, try to show you can be more than 1 type (if that is true!) and understand types change with age. </p>
<p>My own daughter feels she is more Aido Annie than Laurie, to use your example of Laurie. It doesn't mean that she couldn't sing Laurie nor even look the part -- but Aido Annie is the kind of role she adores. There is no doubt in Guys & Dolls that Sarah would not be her first choice of role. </p>
<p>Your point is well taken -- why do the audition materials for Laurie if you are Aido Annie, etc. </p>
<p>Thanks for the way of looking at it.</p>