SETC Professional Audition Observations

<p>I run a professional summer stock theater in addition to working with High School students, and for the past few years have attended SETC to hire my actors. I have been using those auditions as a "gauge" of where current MT schools/students are - what kind of working professional they are producing.</p>

<p>Granted - many of the big schools in the Northeast (Michigan, CCM, BW, Syracuse, PSU, etc) do not send many, if any, students to SETC but we see around 700 college students from various programs - so it is a fairly large sample size. I will share some observations at the end regarding auditions, but I want to share the schools that stood out:</p>

<p>1) BELMONT! This was the year of BELMONT. Their students blew EVERYONE out of the water. Vocally, acting-wise, professionalism. It really wasn't even close. I could have hired just about each Belmont student there was.<br>
2) Elon - Every other year Elon is at the top of this list. The one thing I will say about Elon is that they are among the best and they know it. Vocally they are incredible - acting was weaker than I remember the past few years. I think the program is getting very voice/dance oriented - and in those two areas...it really isn't even close to any other school that sends a bunch of students.
3) Coastal Carolina - These kids are probably the best actors in the actor/singer category. Vocally far behind Elon and Belmont, but they make up for in other areas.</p>

<p>Some Surprises:
1) Northern Kentucky - I ended up with TWO NKU students. A non-auditioned program that produced some REAL talent. I was really impressed.
2) Marshall University - Never ends up high on the lists, but these kids had GREAT packages that were well suited to their types, and they were among the best at callbacks - they could make changes with ease. </p>

<p>A few overall impressions:
The first thing I will say is that each passing year more and more students are about the VOICE. Great singers who can't act a lick (or barely act). It is wonderful as a summer stock company needing ensemble members, but...there were not many leads there.
Also - dramatic monologues are completely wrong for unified auditions where you only have 90 seconds to sing and act. I don't understand schools that send their students to SETC with dramatic monologues - but I know that I am not the only one who tunes out after about 10 seconds of a dramatic monologue.<br>
Lastly - remind your children that BEING YOUNG IS a BONUS. Know your type! I went to SETC looking to cast young looking actors - even a few short ones (5'ish) - and so many girls were in HUGE heels, and dressed and done up like 30 year olds! If I want to cast a 30 year old I will find one with the experience and look of a real one!
*Each year I make a list of overdone pieces and bad no-no's from SETC, and I will post it in the near future.</p>

<p>What a great post! Where were these auditions?</p>

<p>So, are you saying you prefer comedic monologues?</p>

<p>^^^actor12
Here is an example. Last year at OCU auditions my D did her dramatic monologue and was asked if she had anything comedic or more upbeat. She then did her other piece (which by the way as perfect for her) and was offered a spot in their BFA program. One of the judging panel commented that 9/10 girls will choose a dramatic monologue over a comedic one and he didn’t understand why. Frankly, in most cases, I totally agree and it sounds like OP does too.</p>

<p>Interesting, thanks!</p>

<p>Yes, very interesting. Thank you for posting- I’ll be sharing this with my fellow students.</p>

<p>What bothers me is the lumping by school. Yikes! Maybe it does matter where you go and I never would have given Belmont a thought. Too late.</p>

<p>Really interesting.</p>

<p>This was a great and very helpful post - thanks so much! And I’d love to see the overdone and no-no’s list.</p>

<p>TheatreHiring, Fabulous post, extremely helpful. THank you so much for taking the time to share your observations.</p>

<p>Can I ask you–What do you mean by recommending against dramatic monologues? Do you mean you’re looking for contemporary comedic? Or something else? In your opinion, what sort of monologue is the most effective for your auditions? Thanks.</p>

<p>Thank you! Wonderful information!</p>

<p>actor12- I wouldn’t stress. This is just one perspective! On top of that, only a portion of students from each of these schools go to SETC (or went this particular year)… so these mass summer work auditions in general are not completely accurate representations of a schools talent pool/the training they are receiving. Some people don’t get passed through the state screening auditions for whatever reason. There are many variables.</p>

<p>Now this is not me discrediting the original post whatsoever because it’s very interesting and I love hearing the opinion of a professional who goes to these mass auditions. I’m quite enthralled by it, and I didn’t even go to SETC this year myself!</p>

<p>The point: You will thrive where you thrive in a program that fits you best! And this will maybe open more eyes to a program like Belmont that is well established and regarded but not discussed as much on CC. :)</p>

<p>What a great post! I wish this had been up at the start of this college season so I could have taken this into account when finalizing my list!</p>

<p>But I did notice that most of my peers who I heard auditioning through the doors used dramatic monologues rather than comedic. I can’t speak for everyone else, but I know I was tempted to choose my dramatic monologue over my comedic monologue quite a bit because I felt like it better represented my acting skills. Also, throughout my months of gathering and rehearsing material, I only found one comedic monologue that really clicked with me, but all the auditors responded very well to that monologue, perhaps more so than to my dramatic pieces.</p>

<p>I think that comedic monologues aren’t as safe as dramatic monologues because you really have to play the character and have the right timing for the piece or else you risk just sounding awkward. But a lot of the auditors complimented me on my choice of material, so I imagine they appreciated a break from all the drama! (;</p>

<p>I say if you find a comedic monologue that works for you, definitely use it to your advantage!</p>

<p>I agree with AlexaMT very much so. I tried very much to stress that this is by no means a “definitive” list. ALL schools have students who showcase better than others, and year to year these things change. I hired a student this year from a program that is traditionally weak, but I thought was wonderful.
The reality is that some schools have “perk up” value. As in - we pay better attention because the odds that the student will be strong is higher. I always watch Elon kids. There is another university, I won’t bad mouth anyone, that has talented kids but they are notoriously difficult to work with (they think that they are Elon, but they are further down the food chain, for sure) - and almost always I won’t call them back, regardless of talent.
MT Programs are going to be what you make of them. Some schools don’t send their kids to unifieds like SETC - and then one kid braves the trip and does phenomenally. Also - remember some “Types” fit better at certain schools - find the right school for your type.</p>

<p>Regarding monologues: I don’t dislike dramatic monologues - I just find them illfit for things like SETC. I am casting for a summer stock (as are most of the other 60 companies there). I am not going to do a play where I need a good dramatic actress who is 20ish. I need actors for Guys and Dolls, Dames at Sea, Spelling Bee, Oklahoma, Noises Off, and the like. It just reads that they didn’t do their homework. Not many summer stocks are doing How I Learned to Drive or such. I sit through 260 (or something) 90 second auditions every day for half of a week. Be BIG, funny, unique, interesting - or I probably won’t watch. </p>

<p>Regarding screenings for SETC - I agree. I met a boy from Brenau/GTA who would have had one of the top 10 voices at SETC who was not passed through at Georgia Theater Conference. Its not an exact science, but at least 3/10 auditioning students at SETC should be passed through.</p>

<p>I will give you one funny story about this year - a cautionary tale about why you should always watch your copying and pasting. A young man filled out his SETC form online after being passed through at his state conference. There is a section for training where many actors copy and paste their resume. This guy must have attempted to do that, but not copied the right thing and it pasted his most recent copy into the field. It revealed a search for SEXY LINGERIE for him…or someone close to him…it was odd - and I would guess that no one watched his audition because they were too busy holding in laughter from his audition sheet.</p>

<p>SETC 2013 was in Louisville, KY.</p>

<p>PerformerPorter - I think you are on to something, but the key word is “feel like”. Young actors too often FEEL like dramatic monologues represent better acting. I am no different, when I auditioned for my BFA, I beat my dramatic monologue drum to death. It made me feel REAL and RAW. I wish I could go bash myself in the head for it! The reality is that dramatic monologues (out of the context of the play) are rarely as cathartic for the auditor as they are for the auditionee.</p>

<p>@TheaterHiringCo, would you mind explaining to the uninitiated what exactly SETC is? When you talk about things like “passed through state conference” I for one don’t know what you are talking about. But I liked your post even though I didn’t know and sent it to my daughter because the general advice was really good.</p>

<p>@halflokum - SETC is the Southeastern Theater Conference. SETC has many facets - 1) Professional Auditions (Around 60 companies this year ranging from small year-round groups, to midrange summer stocks like my group, to big theaters like Actors Theater of Louisville, to Broadway’s Newsies and Disney - a true gamut of theater hiring companies!). 2) Undergraduate Auditions and Interviews (Around 60 schools - small schools like Agnes Scott, middle of the road theater schools like Marshall, and big ones like Elon) 3) MFA Auditions and Interviews (about 20 schools?) 4) Academic Conference (Workshops and Guest Speakers through the conference with some of the best minds in theater). 5) Trade Show (Some of the best and coolest new advances in theater technologies, etc)</p>

<p>The Professional Auditions have 780 audition slots. They are filled by Equity Professionals and Other Professionals who do NOT screen (they make up about 100 slots). The rest are filled by BFA and MFA students from around the country who audition at STATE Conferences (there are like 13 states in the Southeast that you can screen at - if you don’t live in one of those states, you get assigned one, i.e. Ohio students go to West Virginia). There are hundreds of students at each state conference and they must “pass through” a certain percentage of students who audition. These students should hypothetically be the best of those who audition - but they also try and take into consideration TYPE and STRENGTHS (there were only THREE Asian Actors at SETC, they were like the belles of the ball). </p>

<p>Then each day of conference (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) the actors march in to the room in groups of 40ish and audition for the companies - cattle call style - 140 before lunch, 140 after. Then we post callback lists and each actor comes to our callback room (usually our hotel room) that night and we have callbacks for them there. (There is also a dance call that they can attend if asked at 6:30 or 7).</p>

<p>SETC – SouthEastern Theatre Conference.</p>

<p>All college students who want to attend the March Professional Auditions have to pre-screen in the state in which their school is located (if they attend school in the south). If a student attends school in a state other than the south they must pre-screen at their state’s assigned pre-screen location (ex. Most of the North East pre-screen in VA or WV).</p>

<p>Students who are passed through the pre-screen may register for an SETC audition appointment. This past year the quota was set at 35% from each pre-screen state (if I am remembering correctly).</p>

<p>Hope that explains the process. :)</p>

<p>I completely agree! I <em>felt</em> like the dramatic monologue better represented my acting for a while up until I really started rehearsing and realized that I only felt that way because I felt strong emotions within me. I could also say that I feel strong emotions within me whenever I dance, but if I’m not in control of my movement it looks like crap, and if I don’t introduce the context and the story with my performance then the audience will have no idea what I’m trying to say. I think the purpose and the control can easily get lost within the liberating inner tempest that is a dramatic monologue.</p>

<p>Comedic monologues work best when the story is clear and the timing is right, so the purpose and the control just naturally take precedence over that “raw” feeling of overwhelming emotion.</p>

<p>good acting is good acting… overwrought raw emotion in a dramatic monologue where the actor is not pursuing a clear objective, using tactics, or “partnering” with their imaginary acting partner is self indulgent and not particularly interesting… it is “bad acting” a comedic monologue performed like stand-up comedy routine where the actor is not pursuing a clear objective, using tactics, or “partnering” with their imaginary acting partner is also self indulgent and not particularly interesting… it is also “bad acting.”</p>