<p>My audition is next week. Muhlenberg's the only school I'm applying to that actually has an audition option, so I have absolutely no clue how such events play out.</p>
<p>I was told that I need to be at the Trexler Pavillion at 8:55, from which I will be going to oversee an acting class. Then, at 10, I will leave the class and meet Charles Richter for the audition. I've read a lot of people mentioning a tour of the department, but nothing about that was mentioned in the e-mail, so I'm assuming there won't be one. (I already got one during the senior open house, so it works out and saves time.)</p>
<p>For anyone that has auditioned, what happens? Once you step into your audition with Charles Richter, what are the next steps? (I know this is a broad question. I'm looking for a detailed answer.)</p>
<p>Is there discussion during the audition, or is it just monologue, monologue, BUH-BYE!?
Do you do monologues right after each other? Do you introduce what you are doing? </p>
<p>Also, kind of off-topic... What did you wear/what should someone wear?</p>
<p>From what I remember for my D a few years ago, I believe she did her monologue first then sang. He also interviewed her for a bit. She wore a dress and low heels. She pretty much did exactly the same as she did for her other auds. He was very nice btw! Oh and relax and smile ;)</p>
<p>I auditioned at the beginning of October. It doesn’t matter what order you do your material in (whether you sing first or do your two monologues first is up to you.) I did musical theatre, so when we went into the classroom he made sure the accompanying CD worked and was at a good volume. Then before the audition we sat down and had a short interview. Then he started my music, and I just began singing (I wanted to sing first because I’m more comfortable with it.) After, I introduced both of my monologues and did those with just a short pause between the two. The whole process was pretty relaxed. Next, he took me on a tour. I don’t think the original confirmation e-mail I received mentioned a tour, but when I replied with a question, he mentioned one. It was a really informative tour all around the facilities and included a lot of detailed information about the program. I brought a dress (age appropriate, but conservative) and some heels to change in to after the class.</p>
<p>Thanks! I’m not doing the singing portion (I was initially going to, but he scared me when he said at the open house in October that “you should only sing if you’re great, and 75% of the people who audition aren’t”).</p>
<p>Another question: what did your parents come with you for (or if you’re a parent, what did you go to with your child) during the audition? Like, did your parents come to the class, did they come to the tour, etc.?</p>
<p>Hey! I auditioned on October 25th.
When we did my audition, what happened was this.
First, I nearly screwed up. I don’t know if it was from travel (from WI) and time change or what, but I mixed up the time by about an hour. I felt horrible when I realized the mistake, but luckily Charles Richter is a very understanding guy, and he still gave me the audition.
My two monologues were Hermione from the Winter’s Tale, and Debbie from The Real Thing, with Gwendolen from The Importance of Being Earnest as a back-up. We basically had the audition in the black box, and we first sat down and talked about my resume. After that, I told him my two monologues, and then went up and did them, one after the other. I didn’t get to Gwendolen (pity). After the monologues were done, we sat down again and talked about my resume and theatre background some more. He also asked a few general questions about my monologue and academics.
I wore a blue long-long sleeved shirt, a pair of black dress pants, and some low black heels.
I think my experience went well. We spend a fair amount of time on my resume, since I have an all-classical background which he found different. We spent time talking about some of the specific plays that I had done, and my experience apprentice directing. I feel like I gained points with him because I was doing Measure for Measure at the time, which is his favourite Shakespeare play.</p>
<p>After it was done, he apologized (!!) to me that, because of the time mix up, I couldn’t sit in on the class like was planned. He then decided that, since I the class was almost done, how about I stay the night with a theatre major and sit in on the dress rehearsal for their musical instead? He got it all planned for me within about ten minutes, and even went to the trouble to check that my bus ticket back to Philly could be transferred from that evening to the next morning.</p>
<p>I say, for the audition, be prepared to explain why you picked the monologues you did, and to discuss your background and resume. Know why you want to go to Muhlenberg for theatre. He likes to see a person auditioning who can not only do the monologues, but talk about what they performed. He also, like anyone, wants to see your passion for what you’re doing, and for the school.</p>
<p>Break a leg!! I’m waiting to hear back from them, and I hope you have a very positive experience! :)</p>
<p>Lovingtheater, you always give me the most detailed answers on my Muhlenberg questions. I love it! Thank you!</p>
<p>Charles Richter is so nice! I find it hard to believe that anyone else would take time out of his day to allow you to stay overnight, to assure that you can take the bus home the next day, and allow you to sit through the dress rehearsal the day before opening night (assuming we’re talking about “On the Town”, here).</p>
<p>I’m so excited-- extremely nervous, but excited. </p>
<p>Kittycat, thanks! I tend to get long-winded when responding to things, I’m afraid.
I was shocked when he did that! I thought for sure when I got the time wrong that I had just screwed myself over, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise!
At any rate, he said that he found me different, so I achieved my goal of standing out! XD</p>
<p>Yes, the musical was On The Town. They were still a little rough, but on the whole it was fantastic! You can really see the passion and talent of the performers - it really makes you want to join them.</p>
<p>Staying overnight really sealed the deal for me. You got an idea of what the students do in their free time (especially on the weekend), what the food tastes like, and how much the students enjoy being there. Before the dress I stuck by my host as she met with the director of the black box show she was stage managing while they tried to find props. After the dress I met my hosts roommate and she took me to a late-night improv show that was performing in the Red Door (hysterical, and one of the On The Town leads was also a part of the troupe). The floor wasn’t too comfortable, but various neighbors of my host donated blankets.</p>
<p>Break a leg in your audition (and let me know how it went)!!! Can’t wait for both of us to get started next year! What speeches are you going to do?</p>
<p>I’m the same way! I feel like my answers aren’t satisfactory unless they’re the longest ones on the thread.</p>
<p>I’m doing The Undiscovered Actress from What Andy Warhol Never Told Me and Mary Warren from The Crucible. I don’t have a back-up like you did, lmao. I do have the whole “To be or not to be” soliloquy memorized, though (I had to do it for a school project and just never forgot it haha).</p>
<p>I’ll tell you what happens! Let’s hope it’s a happy story.</p>
<p>I think I did okay with my monologues… I feel like my nerves made me rush a bit, but I wasn’t to the point of being incoherent.
I said a wrong line at the end of my first one, but I don’t think he realized. He actually thought it was really funny (VICTORY- even though the line he laughed at doesn’t really exist… but he doesn’t need to know that!)</p>
<p>I have a really skimpy resume, so we couldn’t really talk much about that. We talked about my schedule, my grades & scores, my other interests, my career prospects, etc. He thought it was hilarious that the topic for the debate team this year was increasing investment in transportation infrastructure. That had him laughing for a while.</p>
<p>I told him I planned on applying ED, and he said, “Oh, you have a good chance of getting in.” I kind of already knew that, but it was just nice to hear from someone else, especially since my SAT scores are a bit below the average for Muhlenberg.</p>
<p>I keep thinking of things I forgot to mention, though (like the role I had to turn down in a local production because I couldn’t pay the $50 they wanted), and I feel like I didn’t paint a good enough picture of myself as a student interested in theatre because we mainly talked about other things. I also didn’t get to explain why I loved Muhlenberg/the theatre program, which I was looking forward to doing. :(</p>
<p>It was a comfortable experience, though. I was happy that my first monologue got him to laugh. The class was really cool, too.
Best case scenario, he puts in a good word for me to admissions and/or I get some sort of scholarship; worst case scenario, my chances of getting admitted remain the same as they were before my audition. Neither are unpleasant outcomes, so it was all worth it.</p>
