QUESTION:
It’s my first time auditioning and i dont know anything about acting… what should i wear? what should i do if i get nervous? lastly do you have any tips that i should use durring the audition?
ANSWER:
Congratulations! Your first audition ever is a very exciting event. If you want to become an actor, you’ll eventually study acting, but since you don’t have any acting experience for now, just look at this casting as an opportunity to have fun. Prepare your monologue or scene at home, but when the time comes to perform, just have fun. Think back on when you were a kid and played make believe. That’s all that acting is, really, making believe you’re someone else, making believe you are in different circumstances, making up a conflict or a problem you have to solve.
That being said, here are the answers to your questions in terms of what is expected from a professional actor at auditions:
– wear something that suggests the character but not a costume (for example, if you’re playing a doctor, you wouldn’t wear a white blouse, but you may want to wear a suit)
– if you get nervous, take a few deep breaths and remind yourself this is your first audition, that this is an opportunity to learn and no one expects you to be perfect. If that doesn’t work, pretend the character you are playing is very nervous and use that to focus on the role (if it works for the monologue or scene, of course). You can read more tips on dealing with stage fright here.
– At the beginning of the audition, introduce yourself and hand out your picture and resume to the casting director in the room, then take center stage, slate your audition piece (for example, “this is a monologue from Three Tall Women by Edward Albee”) and unless the casting director asks you any questions, start your monologue right away. At the end of your monologue, make a quick pause to signal your performance is over, then thank the casting director. In most cases, they will thank you too and that’s your cue to leave the room. Sometimes, they will ask questions regarding your resume or the project, or ask if you have any questions (don’t make up any if you’re don’t). That’s it! For more help on how to nail auditions, see these audition tips.