This is for all those kids who want to major in theater and have no idea what to expect going into their first audition. I myself never had an audition coach and had no idea what I was getting myself into. This is what I have learned through the process and what i wish I knew going into this system.I will divide this into categories. Starting with Monologue decisions.
Monologue decisions: If you don’t get excited thinking about picking a monologue for your audition then this isn’t the correct major for you. All I could think about junior year was what monologue I would do and what I would say at my interviews. When it comes to picking your monologue chose a character most like yourself. You’re not going to actually be performing the play that the monologue comes from so getting into character is harder than you think. Have multiple back up monologues. You might think you’re going into an audition that just needs one or two but they may ask you for more on the spot. There’s of course the obvious tips… chose characters who’s age matches yours… chose from a play not movie… and so on. When I was choosing monologues I searched for about a year until I finally connected with a few characters. Make sure to read the play, you don’t want to misguide your monologues direction. Some people are lucky and go to schools with monologue libraries while others (such as myself) have to spend hours on google.
School choices: Don’t be picky, the school you didn’t care about at first might become your number 1.
Audition Attire: When if comes to girls it is very difficult to know what is appropriate and what isn’t. If you are an acting major I would recommend buying nice pants and a professional top. If you’re a musical theater major I would recommend a dress that suites your personality.
Interview Questions: There is no exact way to prepare for these interviews. Sometimes they ask you about your favorite book and other times they ask you what is wrong with modern art. But in your head start thinking of interesting stories that have happened to you. Most likely you will be able to relate the story to something they ask you and you’ll seam very prepared and comfortable. Asking people what they got asked won’t help very much because they change their questions a lot, and often times the questions become unique to what is on your application.
Pre Screenings: Every school has a different system for allowing live auditions. Some schools like Ithica will have a very strict Pre Screening while Pace will have a simple one. (and walk ins sometimes). If there is a wild card option…TAKE IT. It’s a great way to talk about what you want to and sets you apart from the crowd. Pre Screenings are a great way to get a feel of if you even like your monologue and decisions for pre screenings usually come very fast. I did my pre screenings in my house.
Walk Ins: Depending on if you go to Unifieds (Los Angles or Chicago) there will be walk ins. I did not know what this was until the days of my auditions. Basically some schools have no pre screenings and you don’t need to have even started an application for their school and they will let you audition. Doing these walks in is great practice for other auditions. Personally i did none because the schools offering the walk ins did not interest me.
The minutes before your audition: Depending on the type of person you are this amount of time will be different. For some this is an opportunity to get into character and for others it’s a time to talk as much as possible to get nerves out. There is no right or wrong way to spend these minutes. Some times the excitement will get you into character because your body naturally wants to put energy towards something and sometimes you need to find silence and think about how your character would feel at this time. But don’t immerse too much into one character as again you might be asked to do something different with your monologue or might be asked for a different one entirely.
After your audition: Stay in touch with friends you made during auditions. Send a thank you card to schools you auditioned for. And try to relax.
Acceptances/Rejections: Don’t get sad over rejections from theater schools. In all honestly you will probably get rejected from most of your schools. And don’t get sad over others getting in. There are different circumstances for everyone. (Such as if they are a boy… slightly easier time in the arts business).
Those are my tips. Hope I help somebody. If any Juniors have questions about the audition process you can comment below and I’ll try to answer with my experience.