<p>Can anyone give me an idea of what is asked in the BFA auditions? Are monologues usually first and then questions?</p>
<p>I believe that my son got a few (very few) questions about the theater program he has worked with most closely, where he lives, that kind of thing. Nothing very hard. I believe it was sometimes at the beginning and sometimes after the monologues. One of my son’s directors warned him about getting too chummy with the auditors beforehand (and, as a result, not being able to get into character), but it didn’t seem like much of an issue.</p>
<p>They differ greatly. For this reason, kids with a lot of audition experience have an easier time. Some auditions include direction, such as “Do your monologue again as if the character were evil” or “while doing situps” etc. I recommend looking for audition horror stories in these forums to give you a good idea of what can happen.</p>
<p>Most of the questions I was asked where personal: where are you from, what is it like living there, etc.</p>
<p>Be flexible. You may walk in and find the auditors still making notes about the previous auditioner, getting something to drink, whatever. You may have to wait for them to say “go ahead” or otherwise indicate to you that they are ready. Almost always the “serious” questions will be asked after you say your monologues. Anything asked before the monologues will be more of the “icebreaker” type of question.</p>
<p>But every audition will be different.</p>
<p>We haven’t been through the auditions yet, but based on what I have read here, your D may get questions like these:
Why did you choose this monologue? Who is your character talking to, or other questions about what she thinks the character is feeling, etc. What type of work do you want to do in your acting career? Who is your favorite playwright? Your favorite play? What character did you most enjoy playing and why? Why do you want to be an actor? What do you like about our program? Why are you a good fit for our program? Are you interested in other aspects of the theatre like directing or writing? What actors do you admire and what do you admire about them?
Tell your D not to be worried about a right or wrong answer to these questions. They just want to talk to the kids and see how they express themselves about their chosen career path. They want to see that the kids are thinking about themselves, their characters, the plays, etc.
My D does not really like to talk about her opinions although she most definitely has them, so I am pushing her to get more comfortable doing this. I am going to have a few family friends interview her with these questions so she can practice.</p>
<p>Other possible questions or comments: You might be asked about shows listed on your resume and possibly asked to do a monologue from one of them. It’s okay if you can’t, but be aware that it can happen. Also, most schools asked my son about other schools where he was applying, why he was interested in their program, etc. A couple of places asked him for adjustments, but most did not. One auditor asked him to do a tongue-twister after his two required ones, then asked him for a third monologue after that. Out of 8 auditions, only one was a negative experience–the rest were fun, interesting, and he came out of them feeling like he’d learned something and gotten to know somebody. Just be prepared to think on your feet! :)</p>
<p>Two questions my son was asked:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Where do you see yourself ten years from now?</p></li>
<li><p>You are applying for straight acting, yet there is a lot of MT on your resume. Could you explain this?</p></li>
</ul>
<p>And really, no matter how tempting it is, do not assume you know how the audition went. Many kids get into schools after what they consider to be a horrible audition. And sadly, the reverse is quite true as well.</p>
<p>It’s quite common for them to ask where else you’re applying, as well. </p>
<p>And, also, not really a question, but “do you have anything else?” (It’s good to have a couple of extra monologues in your back pocket, just in case.)</p>