Becoming an Actor: Auditioning Tips

"Competition is healthy. Competition is life. Yet most actors refuse to acknowledge this. They don't want to compete. They want to get along. And they are therefore not first-rate actors. The good actor is the one who competes, willingly, who enjoys competing. An actor must compete, or die...Peacefulness and the avoidance of trouble won't help in his acting. It is just the opposite he must seek." - Michael Shurtleff

To become an actor you have to get your name out there. Even if you don't want to be a professional actor, some local theaters even stick with people they have worked with before. As an actor you must know how to market yourself. Whatever else acting may be, it is a business, and a very cold and heartless business at that. One of the most nerve wracking things an actor must do is audition, and often. If you are truly dedicated to the art and want to eventually take it up professionally, you should be auditioning for everything you can. You can always turn down a role if you like another part better. As a student you may, and should be, getting cast on a regular basis. However, the world of professional acting is extraordinarily competitive, and you can't be in it just for the money otherwise you will be disappointed:

"Professional union actors earn, on average, less than $13,000 a year (and included in that average are a significant number of actors who make several million dollars annually). Out of more than 100,000 professional actors in the United States, less than 50 percent earn an income higher than the national poverty level in any given year, and less than 10 percent of those actors consistently earn a middle-class income."

(Excerpt from "Acting is Believing)

Whereas you may be one of two or three leading ladies at your university, in the real world there always seems to be someone taller, blonder, more or less ethnic. The person before you may be able to sing a higher note, handle more intense choreography, or handle shakespearian verse better than you. The art of acting, lie any other art form, is full of rejection. For every fifty auditions you may get one offer. This is why you need to make yourself stand out during an audition. You must be confident and, without upstaging others, have people looking at you. You must have the ability to present yourself in a professional manner and sell your talent in an extremely tight job market. The first things you will need before attending an audition include:

• Marketable Headshots
• Resumes
• Business Cards
• Postcards
• Thank-you Notes

As well as various audition materials and the communication skills to handle yourself in callbcak or interview situations. Here are a few tips that will hopefully be of some help during your next audition.

1. Read the Audition Notice Carefully - If you are required to prepare something, make sure it goes along with the style of play you are rehearsing for. For example; if you are auditioning for Oedipus Rex, prepare a scene from Greek drama, not a modern comedy.
2. Be professional - Show the casting director you are reliable by showing up at least fifteen minutes early to the audition. Go over your material. Perfect the piece you must present for your audition. Don't just know the lines, but know the character. Be courteous but not to talkative. Treat the audition like a job interview. (for an actor, the audition is the job interview). Dress appropriately and pull hair away from face and/or shave.
3. Get to Know the Play - In many auditions you will be required to do a cold reading. This is when the director has you read an excerpt form the play. You won't know where you will be reading from so it is good to know the a little about the play before you audition. Also, if you have to do a cold reading, you may have a few minutes between when you get the script and when you must perform it. Take this time to Look over the part you are being told to read, even if it's not the part you want, and familiarize yourself with the lines and stage direction.
4. Be Confident - Enter the stage with confidence and a smile. You are only human and you will make a mistake every now and then, whether it is messing up a word in a cold reading or missing a line in your monologue or whatever. the important thing is to stay and character. While cold reading, look at the script while others are speaking to see what you do and/or say next. When it comes your turn, look up and deliver the lines to the audience. DO NOT recite the lines looking straight down at your script or hold the script right in front of your face.
5. Don't Apologize - After an audition, an actor becomes his own worst critic. Don't worry about trying to explain yourself to the director. Just thank the casting director and leave the stage knowing that if you are right for the part, you will be contacted.
6. Don't Ask When You'll Hear Something - If you are right for the part, you will hear from the casting director soon. don't go up to them afterwards and ask when they think they will contact everyone about getting the part.