The Global Media Site for Entertainment.
Menu
College auditions are underway and early admittance letters are going out. But not to worry, there is still time to create a successful and memorable audition. Here are some tips to successfully preparing and delivering your best college audition:
1. Know What is Being Asked of You. Read the school’s audition requirements carefully. Though typically similar, they can vary from school to school. Whether it be two contrasting monologues, a one minute monologue and 32 bars of song, or a song and a piece of movement or choreography, know what your goals are before you begin.
2. Show Your Authenticity. When looking at audition material don’t lose sight of who YOU are. Look for material that compliments you at this stage of your journey as a performer. Trust your gut. Does the piece resonate with you? Do you connect to it? Is this piece a reflection of you right now?
3. Get Excited. The pieces you choose should excite you; they should be fun to work on. I mean, you are going to be working on them for quite a while (hopefully). When picking monologues or choosing songs, find pieces that speak to you and get your creatives juices flowing.
4. Give In to the Contrast. The pieces you choose should be drastically different. Focus on one piece at a time. Once you find your first piece, allow yourself to search for the opposite of what you have already found. Whether it’s contemporary and classical, comedic and dramatic, or serious and absurd, the contrasting piece should still reflect who you are and show the audition panel how versatile you can be. Remember, the panel not only wants to adjudicate your talent, they want to see you. Show them as many colors as possible.
5. Do Your Homework. After your pieces are chosen, work them one at a time. Start with what you may not understand. Look it up. The biggest mistake I see is actors speaking lines they don’t understand. Know what the words mean and why you are saying them. If you want the panel to believe you, then the words have to be your own. You can only do that once you know what you are saying and why you are saying it.
6. Make It Your Own. Your pieces, monologues or songs, should be a reflection of you and your work. Don’t try to copy the broadway performance, the film or television version, or the YouTube clip you searched for. This is YOUR interpretation of the piece. Do your own work and connect it to your own life and experiences.
7. Personalize It. When working through your pieces beat by beat, know what the circumstances and subtext mean to you. What story are you telling? What’s your objective? Who are you talking to? What is your relationship with this person? Make it your world, your story, and your words. When we personalize the text we begin to find the truth and that’s really what everyone wants to see. Truthful storytelling.
8. Live In the Text. When the day of the audition comes the nerves aren’t far behind. There are thousands of tiny thoughts running through our heads. Don’t let your lines be one of them. Rehearse and prepare until you know your material inside and out. Rehearse with intention and specificity. Trust yourself on the day and rely on the good work you have done. When the time comes, focus on telling your story through the pieces you have chosen and live in each and every moment.
9. Seek Feedback. Getting constructive feedback is crucial and sometimes the key to finding the moments you might have missed. If you don’t have an acting coach or teacher near you, use the world of virtual instruction to your benefit. There are some really great and wonderful acting coaches all over the world who teach online. Be sure to do your own work beforehand to maximize your coaching time.
10. Stay Positive. No matter the rehearsal process, audition itself, or outcome, remain positive in the work you have done and the journey you are on. Not every school is for every actor. Take pride in your rehearsal time, put in the work needed to deliver a strong and specific audition, and relish in your accomplishment. You’ve got this. I believe in you.
Parental Advice During a Pandemic: If My Parents Had Only Known
As an accomplished Actor, Producer, Director, and Acting Coach, Jason James has garnered himself a voice for the theatrical community. With multiple acting acknowledgements under his belt and a groundbreaking achievement during his tenure at the Sturges Center for the Fine Arts as Producing Artistic Director, Mr. James is a true creative force to be studied. And for very good reason, with more than twenty years of experience, Mr. James understands the importance of integrating solid fundamental acting techniques with the key principle of understanding "why" into the developing repertoire of an actor. Mr. Jason James has brought this same mindset and mastery into his current creative endeavor, The Actor’s Establishment, affectionately known as TAE. TAE doesn't just teach actors technique. An open space is created so the actor can establish who he or she is as an artist. Mr. James incorporates his past teaching and lecturing credits and unique perspective to meet each artist where they are, while giving them a safe atmosphere to guide and equip them along their acting journey. Jason James is both L.A.’s best-kept secret and a growing force to be reckoned with in teaching actors about their ever-growing industry. He holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from AMDA, College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts and an MFA in Performance Pedagogy from Loyola Marymount University.
Read Full Profile
© 2021 TheatreArtLife. All rights reserved.
Thank you so much for reading, but you have now reached your free article limit for this month.
Our contributors are currently writing more articles for you to enjoy.
To keep reading, all you have to do is become a subscriber and then you can read unlimited articles anytime.
Your investment will help us continue to ignite connections across the globe in live entertainment and build this community for industry professionals.
