10 Tips For Successful Auditions

One of the main things directors are looking for in auditions is not only how well you can fit potential roles, but how you can transform yourself fully into the character you are portraying.

1. First do a quick self evaluation. How do you stand? How do you talk? You will need to know this in order to compare it to the character you are portraying.

 2. Next, figure out the following items about your character:

1. How does he/she talk? Is it faster or slower than you do? What is the pitch?
2. How does he/she stand? Where are hands placed? How far apart are feet?
3. How does he/she move?

 3. Take the analysis you did of yourself and compare it to your character. What is different?

1. Try talking as your character. What is difficult for you?
2. Try walking as your character. What is uncomfortable because it is different?
3. Try standing as your character, and talking in the characters voice. Can you maintain both at the same time?

 4. Now start using your chosen audition piece. Move around a little bit as your character while reading the piece. The more comfortable you are with the piece the easier this will be.

5. Take a deep breath and close your eyes and lower your head. As you exhale, open your eyes and when you bring your head up for your next breath you are now 100% in character. Your entire physicality should shift as you bring your head up.

1. You never want to get into character as you are performing your piece. You need to start 100% in character.

6. Make sure you are fully committing to your character. Seeing someone read lines as him or herself or wobbling between himself/herself and the character is awkward. Little things like hands or feet even out of character are distracting.

7. Make sure you have a noticeable shift in vocal quality and physicality between when you put your head down to when you bring it up. Often, actors will practice just this very beginning of their audition to make sure they are fully getting into character.

1. Try do this for someone else and see if they can notice a change.

8. Stay in character for the ENTIRE piece.

1. Again this is where it is great to have someone help you and watch for the moments you break character. Those are the instants that stick out like a sore thumb in otherwise great performance. 

9. Don’t perform your audition to the walls or the side of the room.

10. Keep your hands and feet still unless you have planned gestures for them.  As Hamlet would say, “Do not saw the air thusly”.